Getting to Know North Dakota’s Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region

There are only a relative handful of philanthropic foundations based in North Dakota, and they tend to keep their giving close to home. One of the more accessible grantmakers in the state is the Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region, a community funder that has been on the giving scene since 1999. Over the years, this funder has accumulated approximately $20 million in assets and granted over $10 million to causes across the region.

Keep the following details in mind if your North Dakota nonprofit needs support.

A true regional grantmaker

The community foundation is based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, which has a population of less than 60,000 people. However, this funder serves a broader region and includes organizations throughout Grand Forks County and Polk County in its funding considerations.

The foundation first formed because of the great distance to the larger and more well-established North Dakota Community Foundation, based 255 miles away in Bismarck. The other big community foundation in the state, the Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation, is just 80 miles away but did not offer the type of local giving that the community leaders who started this foundation envisioned.

Specific grant programs

The community foundation has a well-defined grantmaking strategy and is straightforward and accessible to nonprofits. One aspect of its giving is the Arts Regrant Program, which invests in local arts and culture in the city of Grand Forks. Then there’s the Community Opportunity Grant Program, which seeks to improve quality of life in the region across four different areas: arts and culture, community and human services, environmental sustainability and human rights.

Organizations can also apply to the Knight Donor-Advised Fund Grant Program, which supports entrepreneurship, economic mobility, civic infrastructure and connecting university students to the downtown community of Grand Forks. Meanwhile, the Neel Family Fund Grant Program is a resource for music education funding to benefit youth aged 18 and younger through school music programs, bands, instrument purchases and guest conductor fees.

Women’s Fund giving

Like many community foundations across the country, this one has a fund that focuses on the needs of local women and girls. The Women’s Fund Grant Program aims to raise awareness about issues that women and girls face while supporting their leadership skills development and encouraging them to become philanthropists.

This women’s fund has been operating since 2002 and offers a leadership academy program each fall. This is in addition to its more traditional grantmaking program, which offers annual grants of up to $5,000 and has an application period that opens online each July.

A resource for non-monetary help

Something interesting to note about the community foundation is that it posts a “nonprofit needs list” on its website for donors to browse and contribute in-kind resources. There, various local nonprofits share their specific needs, such as computers, doors, paint, light fixtures and office chairs. This is a great way for the public to learn about what local nonprofits are doing and how they can assist in the most productive ways. Contact information for the appropriate person at each nonprofit is listed, along with the organization’s mission statement and a bulleted list of specific needs.

Learn more here about the Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region and other North Dakota grantmakers.

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