Alex Stern Family Foundation

/

OVERVIEW: The Alex Stern Family Foundation supports the arts, social welfare, human services, education, youth recreation, civic projects, and health in the Fargo-Moorhead area of North Dakota and Minnesota.

IP TAKE: Describing itself as dedicating to serving the community of the place where “the Stern Family had good fortune,” the Alex Stern Foundation is a good family funder to know for modest general operating support needs in the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area, as it funds a wide range of issue areas, from the arts to basic needs.

Unfortunately, it is not as transparent or accessible as other funders in this region. Its website is minimal and does not provide much information about its grantmaking strategy or previous grantees. While it claims to accept applications from new grant seekers, it does not provide detailed guidelines, instead asking grant seekers to contact staff by phone to determine eligibility. Grant seekers should also note that, according to tax filings, the majority of Stern’s funding each year goes to the same recurring recipients.

PROFILE: Established in 1977, Alex Stern Family Foundation is a private family foundation based in Fargo, North Dakota. Stern founded Alex-Stern & Company after moving to Fargo in 1880 and was involved in the community as a mayor, member of the state legislature, county commissioner, city alderman, and school board member. The foundation aims to "enhance charitable and literacy causes in the Fargo-Moorhead area because it was here that the Stern Family had good fortune.” It also appears to conduct much of its giving through the Impact Foundation, a separate organization formed in partnership with the Alex Stern Family Foundation and Dakota Medical Foundation.

According to past tax records, the foundation often provides general operating support grants. However, it also awards camp scholarships, capital campaign support, project support, event support, outreach programs, volunteer recruiting, and equipment upgrades. Its current grantmaking areas are The Arts, Social Welfare/Human Services, Education, Youth Recreation, Civic Projects, and Health Issues.

Grants for Education and Youth

The Stern Foundation’s grants for education generally go to nonprofit organizations aiming to improve educational outcomes for area youth, rather than supporting schools and school districts directly. It also funds a variety of youth outreach, after-school, and summer camp programs. Grantees in this area include Moorhead Schools Legacy Foundation, Excellerate, Outdoor Adventure Foundation, Boy Scouts of America,

Grants for Community Development

The Stern Foundation broadly funds organizations serving its giving region in areas like economic development, human services, and basic needs. It funds food banks, homeless centers, disaster relief, and community organizing groups. Grantees include Great Plains Food Bank, Down Home, Emergency Food Pantry, Hope Inc., Haven, and Presentation Partners in Housing.

Grants for Public Health and Diseases

The scope of Stern’s health giving is not entirely clear, however, according to tax records, it funds groups providing medical human services in the area, mental health care, and disease-specific research and care, among other things. Grantees include the Impact Foundation, Share House, Handi-Wheels Transportation, Family Health Care Center, Landon’s Light Foundation, and Ronald McDonald House of Red River.

Grants for Arts & Culture

The Stern Foundation funds arts and culture by supporting a variety of theaters, museums, and youth organizations aiming to preserve and enhance the artistic and cultural heritage of its giving region. Grantees include Gooseberry Park Players, Cass County Historical Society, Plains Art Museum, Arts Partnership of the Red River Valley, and Act Up Theater.

Important Grant Details:

Grants range between about $2,000 and $25,000. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records.

  • Grantmaking focuses on the Fargo-Moorhead area of North Dakota and Minnesota.

  • The foundation has two grant cycles per year, with application deadlines on March 31 and August 31.

  • The foundation’s grant application is not open to the public.

  • Grant seekers are asked to contact Dan Carey at 701-412-1937 to determine eligibility.

Direct general questions to the staff at 701-271-0263.

PEOPLE:

Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).

LINK: