Foundations that fund organizations in Fargo, North Dakota
Worked out from where the grants went, not where the foundations sit.
Funding landscape for Fargo nonprofits
204 private foundations gave $21M to Fargo organizations in their latest filings; 41 of the 100 that say either way accept applications.
815 grants in total, with a typical foundation's median grant to Fargo around $20K. 35 of these funders are based in North Dakota; the rest give here from elsewhere.
- Foundations giving here
- 204
- Accept applications
- 41
- of 100 that state a policy
- Dollars to Fargo
- $21M
- latest filings
- Grants
- 815
- Typical median grant
- $20K
- Based in ND
- 35%
- of funders listed
Funders, by dollars given to Fargo organizations
| Foundation | Based in | Grants here | Dollars here | Median | Accepts applications | Typical purposes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Koch Foundation | Arlington, VA | 2 | $3.0M | $1.5M | Yes | General operating support |
| Elmer & Kaya Berg Foundation No 2 | Fargo, ND | 7 | $2.9M | $7,500 | Yes | To provideassistance to lowincome/homeless people; Foster care,mental health services,residential treatment; To provide generaland religiouseducation |
| Centurion Foundation | West Fargo, ND | 3 | $1.7M | $500K | Preselected only | Religious; Education |
| We B Giving Foundation Agency Xxxxxx3902 | LA Crosse, WI | 1 | $1.5M | $1.5M | Preselected only | Building of sports complex |
| Otto Bremer Trust | St Paul, MN | 4 | $800K | $175K | Yes | Food programs; Ymca of cass & clay counties new early learning center; Youth enrichment and community recreation |
| The Bush Foundation | St Paul, MN | 7 | $789K | $150K | Yes | This ecosystem grant provides general operating support for…; 2024 giving hearts day prizes and incentives as well as ope…; 2024 media sponsorship to support prairie public broadcasti… |
| Offutt Family Foundation | Fargo, ND | 25 | $754K | $6,000 | Preselected only | Giving hearts day 2024; South fargo thrift store; Map the system |
| Organization for Safe Athletics for Kids Inc | Fargo, ND | 1 | $673K | $673K | Preselected only | Fund charitable mission |
| Offerdahl Family Foundation | Incline Village, NV | 1 | $515K | $515K | Preselected only | Collaborate with campus partners, students and alumni, and… |
| Fred M Hector Jr Charitable Trust | Fargo, ND | 23 | $501K | $10K | Yes | Program support |
| The Swanson Foundation | Fargo, ND | 1 | $500K | $500K | Preselected only | Support nonprofit purpose |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation | Fargo, ND | 127 | $465K | $1,000 | Yes | DollarsforDoers Requests 2025; Health Profession Scholarship; mission support (employee choice- coloring contest winners) |
| Alex Stern Family Foundation | Fargo, ND | 53 | $465K | $5,000 | Yes | General operating support; Programs at jefferson/madison school; Volunteer program |
| Cross Works Foundation | St Joseph, MN | 2 | $400K | $200K | Preselected only | General fund |
| The Barry Foundation | Fargo, ND | 153 | $386K | $1,000 | Preselected only | Barry Scholarship Program; FWD P2P: Student Participant Scholarship; FWD P2P: Student Leader Scholarship |
| Border States Foundation | Fargo, ND | 21 | $385K | $7,095 | Preselected only | Support for Giving Hearts Day; Community support; Innovate28 - cultivating regional growth in Fargo-Moorhead |
| Matt & Joann Butler Foundation | Fargo, ND | 3 | $330K | $100K | Yes | Storm shelter; Support memory loss; Help service individuals and families |
| Edson & Margaret Larson Foundation | Grand Forks, ND | 1 | $275K | $275K | Preselected only | Scholarships and Leadership program. |
| The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust | New York, NY | 2 | $272K | $136K | Preselected only | Family healthcare center ultrasound initiative; Expanding rural sonography expertise in north dakota |
| Charles Stewart Mott Foundation | Flint, MI | 1 | $175K | $175K | Preselected only | To support a statewide afterschool network to ensure the av… |
| Herman Robert E Charitable Tr Main | St Louis, MO | 6 | $165K | $30K | Yes | General operating |
| The Goldman Sachs Foundation | New York, NY | 1 | $150K | $150K | Preselected only | Grant to implement 10,000 small businesses - providing cdfi… |
| William C & Jane B Marcil Charitable Foundation | Fargo, ND | 2 | $150K | $75K | Yes | General Operations |
| Harold & Dorothy Madson Foundation C/O Susan Westerholm | Omaha, NE | 10 | $146K | $15K | Yes | Support for General Operations |
| Otter Tail Corporation Foundation | Fergus Falls, MN | 12 | $136K | $10K | Yes | Helping troubled kids receive psychiatric therapy and traum…; The Neuroid Program providing individuals with Parkinsons d…; Assist with covering nearly $500,000 in grief and bereaveme… |
| Bnsf Railway Foundation | Fort Worth, TX | 6 | $124K | $5,500 | Yes | Education; Health & human services; Matching gifts 1 |
| The Tom and Frances Leach Foundation | Bismarck, ND | 8 | $119K | $10K | Yes | Bio girls - bismarck-mandan, nd- '26; Bis-man center for scouting; Harvesting hope capital campaign |
| Chs Foundation | Inver Grove Heights, MN | 2 | $115K | $58K | Yes | 2025/26 university partner program |
| Xcel Energy Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 16 | $108K | $5,500 | Yes | Community vitality; Stem career pathways; Match credit card donation (501(c)3) grant |
| Terry J & Susan K Hanson Foundation | Fountain Hills, AZ | 2 | $108K | $54K | Preselected only | Charitable |
| Mark and Cindy Fritz Family Foundation | Detroit Lakes, MN | 5 | $107K | $10K | Preselected only | General Operations; Lakeshirts Donor Advised Fund; Shoes for Kids |
| Noel & Judith Fedje Foundation | Edina, MN | 6 | $107K | $13K | Preselected only | Support nonprofit purpose; Support community purpose |
| John L McCormick Memorial Tr | Fargo, ND | 4 | $100K | $20K | Yes | charitable; Educational; Charitable |
| Catalyst Foundation | Cherry Hills Village, CO | 1 | $100K | $100K | Preselected only | General purpose |
| Lamb Foundation | Scottsdale, AZ | 1 | $100K | $100K | Preselected only | Support Animal adoption |
| The Pelican Charitable Foundation | Scottsdale, AZ | 1 | $100K | $100K | Preselected only | Support animal shelter |
| Margaret a Cargill Foundation | Eden Prairie, MN | 1 | $95K | $95K | Preselected only | North dakota aging in community project |
| Cliff and Charlotte L Bellon Fdn | Eagan, MN | 1 | $95K | $95K | Preselected only | General operating |
| Burgum Foundation C/O Arthur Companies Inc | Arthur, ND | 3 | $80K | $7,000 | Preselected only | TedX; Rural TCM program; Able in School |
| Mwe Scholarship Fund | Grand Forks, ND | 1 | $79K | $79K | Yes | Scholarship |
| Dr Calvin K Fercho Family Foundation | Fargo, ND | 10 | $75K | $7,500 | Preselected only | General support; General support for homeless program; Capital improvements |
| Hauge Family Foundation | Carson, ND | 2 | $75K | $38K | Preselected only | Grant to assist at-risk children and teens; Grant to support religious activities |
| Theodore H Sedler Scholarship Fund | Overland Park, KS | 1 | $68K | $68K | Preselected only | Scholarship |
| Wells Fargo Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 3 | $65K | $20K | Preselected only | Stewardship - Mortgage Ready; Move-in Program; Pathways to Housing |
| Oneok Foundation Inc | Tulsa, OK | 2 | $60K | $30K | Yes | Regional service center/statewide programming for hunger; Bison to the bakken |
| Mathwig Family Charitable Trust Xxx-Xx-Xxxx | St Louis Park, MN | 1 | $60K | $60K | Preselected only | Program support |
| Audrey T Lee Charitable Trust Wets10204 | Sioux Falls, SD | 1 | $60K | $60K | Preselected only | For foreign mission support |
| Arthur & Edith Pearson Foundation | Westhope, ND | 1 | $52K | $52K | Yes | Scholarships. |
| Northwest Area Foundation | St Paul, MN | 1 | $50K | $50K | Preselected only | General operating support |
| The McKnight Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 2 | $50K | $25K | Yes | for general operating support |
| Severson Family Foundation | St Louis Park, MN | 1 | $50K | $50K | Preselected only | Community Benefit |
| Sts Family Foundation | Fargo, ND | 1 | $50K | $50K | Preselected only | For the One Building Fund |
| The Annexstad Family Foundation | Alpharetta, GA | 1 | $45K | $45K | Preselected only | Scholarship |
| North Dakota Masonic Foundation | Fargo, ND | 4 | $45K | $10K | Yes | Educational event; Childeducationevent; Maintenancemasonic sites |
| Steve and Diane Hulbert Family Foundation | West Fargo, ND | 1 | $40K | $40K | Preselected only | Charitable contribution |
| Myra Foundation | Grand Forks, ND | 4 | $34K | $8,500 | Yes | Bio girls grand forks/east grand forks 2026; Grand forks county grief and bereavement programming; Red river children's advocacy center - grand forks mental h… |
| Esther N Nielsen Foundation | Eagan, MN | 2 | $33K | $16K | Preselected only | General operating |
| Faith and Freedom Foundation C/O Raymond Grabanski | Fargo, ND | 2 | $30K | $15K | Yes | General sponsorship & scholarship program support; Program support |
| First Interstate Bancsystem Foundation Inc | Billings, MT | 2 | $30K | $15K | Yes | General Operating Support; Neighbors Feeding Neighbors |
| Joseph & Elizabeth Hoffart Charitable Foundation | Bend, OR | 1 | $30K | $30K | Preselected only | To provide scholarships for education |
| Frank L Wedge Memorial Fund | Eagan, MN | 2 | $30K | $15K | Preselected only | General operating |
| The Simons Foundation Inc | New York, NY | 3 | $25K | $8,400 | Preselected only | Geometric and harmonic analysis of convex bodies; Combinatorial dynamics in posets, statistical physics, and…; Refinement of stochastic processes via machine/deep learning |
| The Roers Foundation | Fargo, ND | 1 | $25K | $25K | Preselected only | General operations. |
| Judith Whitney Godwin Foundation for the Arts Inc | New York, NY | 1 | $25K | $25K | Yes | Exhibition |
| Team Foundation | Bagley, MN | 1 | $25K | $25K | Yes | Program support |
| LA Amundson Ohana Foundation | Sleepy Eye, MN | 1 | $25K | $25K | Yes | Scholarship |
| Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund | Detroit, MI | 1 | $23K | $23K | Yes | Scholarship |
| Wilderness River Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 5 | $22K | $4,000 | Preselected only | General operations |
| The Eagle Foundation | Chaska, MN | 1 | $22K | $22K | Yes | Tuition reduction |
| Zander Family Foundation Inc | Ketchum, ID | 1 | $21K | $21K | Preselected only | Scholarship fund |
| Swanson Cares | Fargo, ND | 13 | $21K | $1,500 | Preselected only | General Operations; Roger Maris Cancer Center |
| Young People's Church of the Air Inc | Blue Bell, PA | 1 | $20K | $20K | Preselected only | To support the operating budget of the recipient |
| The Second Step Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 1 | $20K | $20K | Preselected only | Program support to reduce hunger |
| Steve & Jackie Bruggeman Charitable Foundation | Shoreview, MN | 1 | $20K | $20K | Preselected only | Charitable |
| Crary Family Legacy Fund | Wilmington, DE | 1 | $20K | $20K | Preselected only | General & Unrestricted |
| Conrad N Hilton Foundation | Westlake Village, CA | 1 | $18K | $18K | Yes | To support the education of african sisters |
| North Dakota Natural Resources Trust | Bismarck, ND | 3 | $16K | $4,800 | Yes | Nature based engagement; Mobile outreach program; Virtual encounter - bio collection |
| Midcontinent Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 18 | $15K | $1,000 | Yes | Matching gift; To support the fargo-moorhead walk to end alzheimer's.; To continue to provide support for essentia health fargo ca… |
| Avalynns Fly High Foundation | West Fargo, ND | 1 | $15K | $15K | Preselected only | To carry out their mission |
| Robert E Roberts Crat | Devils Lake, ND | 2 | $14K | $7,221 | Preselected only | General grant |
| Spartannash Foundation | Byron Center, MI | 1 | $14K | $14K | Preselected only | Fighting hunger |
| Lucile Coghlan McCormick Memorial Trust | Fargo, ND | 7 | $14K | $1,000 | Yes | religious; educational; charitable |
| Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation Dacotah Bank | Aberdeen, SD | 1 | $12K | $12K | Yes | Scholarships |
| Rfc Foundation | Fargo, ND | 3 | $12K | — | Preselected only | Donation |
| Louis a Roberg Endowment Trust | Litchfield, MN | 1 | $11K | $11K | Preselected only | Scholarship |
| Gerszewski Walter Charitable Trust 20017100 | Grand Forks, ND | 1 | $11K | $11K | Preselected only | General program support |
| Be Here Inc | Duluth, MN | 1 | $11K | $11K | Yes | Inspire and activate our community to improve lives. |
| Beito Foundation C/O Northern State Bank | Thief River Falls, MN | 1 | $11K | $11K | Preselected only | Behavioral health |
| Augustino Hiram Zuccaro Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 1 | $10K | $10K | Preselected only | Program Support |
| Amy's Legacy Foundation | Plymouth, MN | 1 | $10K | $10K | Preselected only | General support |
| Magnifi Financial Foundation | Melrose, MN | 1 | $10K | $10K | Yes | Donation to support the devlopment of a community center. |
| Buck and Lois Scheele Foundation | Williston, ND | 1 | $10K | $10K | Yes | Refurbished computers for kids |
| George W Neilson Foundation | Bemidji, MN | 1 | $10K | $10K | Yes | Scouting america exploring |
| Felhaber Larson Fenlon & Vogt Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 1 | $10K | $10K | Preselected only | Charitable contributions |
| Helen Gough Fdn Trust | Eagan, MN | 1 | $10K | $10K | Yes | Scholarships |
| The Graco Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 1 | $10K | $10K | Preselected only | Scholarships |
| The Simbio Foundation | Wilmington, DE | 1 | $9,754 | $9,754 | Preselected only | Wrapped in plastic: Developing modules to infuse phenotypic… |
| Frank and Evelyn Schmidt Family Foundation | Boring, OR | 1 | $9,080 | $9,080 | Preselected only | Evaluating micropropagation of wood plant species |
| Clara P Evenson Trust Estate | Eagan, MN | 3 | $9,026 | $4,463 | Preselected only | General operating |
| Fishes and Loaves From Jesus Christ Inc | Fargo, ND | 1 | $8,839 | $8,839 | Yes | Living nativity scene |
Source: IRS Form 990-PF Part XV, latest electronic return per foundation (2026-10-28). "Accepts applications" reflects the foundation's own checkbox on Part XV line 2. Grants to individuals excluded.
Common questions
Which foundations give to nonprofits in Fargo, North Dakota?
Charles Koch Foundation, Elmer & Kaya Berg Foundation No 2, Centurion Foundation, We B Giving Foundation Agency Xxxxxx3902, Otto Bremer Trust and 95 others reported grants to Fargo organizations on their latest Form 990-PF.
How do I approach a foundation that doesn't accept applications?
A foundation that checks "contributes only to preselected organizations" on its 990-PF won't review a cold proposal. Look at who it funds, find a shared board member, grantee or advisor, and ask for an introduction. Foundations that accept applications usually list a contact and deadlines in Part XV; we show that text on each foundation's page.
Is this list complete?
No. It covers private foundations (Form 990-PF filers) whose latest electronic return lists at least one grant to an organization in Fargo. Community foundations and corporate giving programs file different forms and are not included yet.