Isaac launched the Isaac Bruce Foundation in 2006 which focuses on health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and education. Through the Foundation, Isaac reaches out to youth and teaches them at an early age the importance of a healthy lifestyle with a focus on education.
The Isaac Bruce Foundation’s Flight 300 Program provides transportation to college-bound students in need. When Isaac graduated high school, he had a scholarship to a junior college in California, but he needed to find a way to get there. He was provided money for a flight and is now making that difference for students in need. Students must prove need by being referred and recommended by school guidance counselors or other school administrators or by providing a financial aid letter. One of the Flight 300 Program students explained, “I was accepted to Yale University on a full ride but the cost to get to New Haven was more than my family could afford. The Isaac Bruce Foundation provided a way for me to get to there.”
The Flight 300 program will cover the cost of one-way airfare for a student with all the pieces in place to attend college but unable to afford to get there. We are unable to cover the cost of rental cars or gas cards. Flight 300 is for all college-bound students and is not limited to first-year students. The program can also help with the cost of transportation to the airport, cover the cost to check bags, help with the cost of transportation from the airport to campus, and provide a gift card for dorm essentials including bedding, towels, and more. Please read the application carefully for details. All information, including travel date, must be filled out before submitting. All flights must be booked at least six weeks in advance. Deadline for application is July 1, 2025 at 12pm CST. No documents will be accepted after the deadline and all flights must be booked by IBF by close of business July 1. We encourage you to get your application turned in ASAP as funding is not unlimited. If documents are incorrect or missing, we will not accept documents after the deadline. Please read the FAQs before submitting application.
Each summer, the Isaac Bruce Foundation hosts a free football clinic for St. Louis area kids. The free clinic provides youth the opportunity to work on their football skills, sportsmanship, and teamwork skills, while building self-esteem both on and off the field. Each participant receives a T-shirt and refreshments as well as has the opportunity to meet Isaac. The clinics are open to the public. Space is limited to the first 500 participants to register. Bruce started the clinics in 2007. Registration is available under the “Events” section in April of each year.
Each year, the Isaac Bruce Foundation Scholarship Presented by Ameren Corporation is awarded to a graduating St. Louis area high school senior. Isaac started the scholarship program in 2008. In order to apply for the scholarship, students must be college bound high school seniors and must have minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Applicants must attend a one of the following schools: Cardinal Ritter College Prep, Normandy High School, Jennings High School, Riverview Gardens High School, Carnahan High School of the Future, Central VPA High School, Clyde C. Miller Career Academy, Collegiate School of Medicine & Bioscience, Gateway STEM High School, Innovative Concept Academy, McKinley CLA High School, Metro A&C High School, Roosevelt High School, Soldan IS High School, Sumner High School, or Vashon High School, East St. Louis High School, or Mehlville High School. Applicants should be planning to attend a 2 or 4 year college/university or vocational school, with an emphasis on STEM or business majors and be eligible for a Pell Grant.
In an effort to get students to love books at an early age, the Isaac Bruce Foundation proudly partners with Ready Readers to donate books to underserved preschool students in the St. Louis area. Ready Readers is a St. Louis nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire preschool-age children from low-income communities to become readers. In most cases, the donated books are the first book a child has they can call their own.
In 2016, the IBF made a commitment to the St. Louis Public Schools to provide new, relevant, high-interest literature back to the libraries in the SLPS schools. When the St. Louis Public Schools lost accreditation in 2007, the funding for libraries across the district stopped so focus and resources could be given to other areas. As a result, school library collections are aging, and periodical subscriptions were stagnant. The average collection age for an SLPS middle school is 1995. With the commitment from the IBF, the schools are now able to purchase new books for the first time in many years and the students could not be more excited! The grant is part of the IBF’s continuing commitment to literacy and education in the St. Louis area.
Through the Isaac Bruce Foundation’s Charitable Merchandise program, Isaac donates autographed items for other 501c3 charitable organizations to use as a raffle or auction item. A donation request form can be found by clicking here. Organizations return the form with a copy of the 501c3 determination letter and an event flyer to the IBF. Requests should be submitted at least four weeks prior to the event. The Isaac Bruce Foundation is honored to be able to help other charities raise money through this program.
For more information on the Isaac Bruce Foundation, call 314-369-4074 or contact us. Follow Isaac on Twitter/X (@IsaacBruce80) and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/isaacbrucefoundation to keep up with Isaac and the Foundation.
