In 1927, The Danforth Foundation was a private, independent foundation established in 1927 by William H. Danforth founder of the Ralston-Purina Company one of the world’s largest producer of dry dog and dry and soft-moist cat foods and a leading producer of cat box filler in the U.S. and Canada. At one time, the Company was one of the 100 largest corporations in America.

The goal of the Danforth Foundation was to help revitalize the St. Louis region, making it one of the top metropolitan areas in America. The Foundation awarded more than $1.2 billion through more than 4,700 grants. In 2003, The Foundation announced it would expend the majority of its remaining assets on the development of the plant and life sciences in the St. Louis area. In 2011, the Danforth Foundation’s made a final gift of $70 million to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, its last major grant before closing its doors.