Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation
The Blue Cross Blue Shield of an individual recipient Caring Foundation is a private foundation based in Fargo, an individual recipient It supports efforts to improve the health and well-being of North Dakotans and their communities through grants, partnerships and other charitable activity.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation at a glance
In short: Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation gave $1.0M across 284 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in North Dakota. 37% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,008,751
- +17.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 284
- +10.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,552
- +5.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $22,951,254
- +10.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (77 of 207, 2025)
- Primary geography
- North Dakota (95% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation directs applicants to its grant applications on its website. Requirements vary by program; Health Innovation applicants must first submit a letter of intent and may submit a full application only if invited. The foundation’s 2025 filing says application deadlines vary and that awards generally must impact North Dakotans and further its health and well-being mission.
- Review Cycle
- Impact Grant applications are accepted year-round. Rural Health Grant proposals are accepted each November through UND. Health Innovation letter-of-intent windows are January 1–31 and July 1–31; the 2026 windows have passed.
- Deadline
- Impact Grant applications are accepted year-round.
- Contact
Application contact: Caring Foundation
Mailing address: 4510 13Th Ave S, Fargo, ND 58121
Phone: (701) 282-1100
Email: caringfoundation@bcbsnd.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation
BCBSND: Health Innovation Grants
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation
Amount
US $15,000 - US $50,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
BCBSND: Impact Grants
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
BCBSND: Maternal Health Grants
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation
Amount
US $5,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was United Way of Cass-Clay ($64K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $356K.
Organizations only. It also paid 35 grants to individuals ($123,950), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
1,145 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1,137 grants of 1,145 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s grant guidelines say eligible organizations must be based in an individual recipient or serve North Dakotans, and that funds must be spent in an individual recipient In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in an individual recipient, 3% to Georgia and 1% to Minnesota; the remaining reported shares were each 0% for Louisiana and Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 284 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 77 of 207 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $467K (2019) to $1.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 284 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| United Way of Cass-Clay Fargo, ND | Preventing homelessness | $60,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $45,000 |
| North Dakota Autism Center West Fargo, ND | expanded school based support for children with autism. | $40,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of America Atlanta, GA | Annual partnership commitment | $30,000 |
| FirstLink Fargo, ND | Shut Out the Stigma partnership - mental health resources and programming | $26,500 |
| American Indian Public Health Resource Center Fargo, ND | Navigating Healthcare with Culture and Confidence program equipping the Indigenous community members with culturally resonant, practical, and empowering tools to access, navigate, and trust healthcare systems-while honoring cultural identity and addressing systemic barriers | $25,000 |
| Great Plains Food Bank Fargo, ND | hunger relief | $25,000 |
| Hazelton Development Corporation Hazelton, ND | South Central Rural Co-op Initiative - redistributing groceries, paper products, and household goods to rural grocery stores. Rural grocery stores face many challenges, including the potential for loss of food distributors due to smaller purchases and high cost of delivery. goal is to ensure that rural residents have continued access to healthy food, especially for elderly and farm family residents by working together with surrounding grocery stores. | $25,000 |
| Spectra Health Grand Forks, ND | expand access and care for the vulnerable patient populations by expanding the reach and services of Social Services team to address SDoH needs of patients; purchase vital Optometry equipment to enhance vision services provided on-site as a part of our comprehensive approach to primary care and expand translation/interpretation services to meet the increased demand of patients best served in a language other than English. | $25,000 |
| Standing Rock Community Development Corporation Fort Yates, ND | Expanding Food Access & Nutrition - Strengtheningfood sovereigntyefforts throughcommunity gardens and fresh food distribution, providingnutrition education workshops, and partnering withlocal food pantries and farmers' marketsto ensure year-round food availability | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $22,951,254 | $860,101 | $1,042,757 | $1,008,751 | 284 | $1,008,751 | $827,301 | $1,060,567 |
| 2024 | $20,852,454 | $737,440 | $878,678 | $860,444 | 256 | $860,444 | $719,028 | $991,178 |
| 2023 | $19,266,790 | $3,473,127 | $1,172,882 | $759,210 | 226 | $759,210 | $558,887 | $776,585 |
| 2022 | $15,090,797 | $829,812 | $1,188,675 | $825,542 | 220 | $825,542 | $452,737 | $439,737 |
| 2021 | $19,011,746 | $2,138,817 | $1,024,273 | $655,163 | 159 | $718,841 | $1,844,449 | $867,863 |
| 2020 | $17,213,244 | $5,695,369 | $885,358 | $472,426 | 158 | — | $346,958 | $543,364 |
| 2019 | $11,124,930 | $571,932 | $769,695 | $467,465 | 176 | — | $324,882 | $512,118 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Dakotans and their communities. Its stated funding priorities are health promotion and disease prevention, social drivers of health, and behavioral health. Its grant programs also address rural community health and maternal health.
Eligible applicants generally must be North Dakota-based or serve North Dakotans and be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, municipal entity or school system. The foundation’s grants support, among others, organizations working in community services, autism care, behavioral health, healthcare, and food access. For example, United Way of Cass-Clay describes its mission as inspiring and activating its community to improve lives; FirstLink describes itself as a 24/7 local agency specializing in suicide support services, volunteerism and linking people to community resources; and Spectra Health says its mission is to enhance life through compassionate, quality care. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 284 grants totaling $1,008,751. Grants ranged from $40 to $60,000, with a median grant of $1,500. Its largest reported awards included $60,000 to United Way of Cass-Clay for preventing homelessness; $45,000 to an individual recipient for a student program focused on staying in school, continued education and workforce skills; and $40,000 to an individual recipient Autism Center for expanded school-based support for children with autism. Other notable awards included $30,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America for an annual partnership commitment and $26,500 to FirstLink for mental health resources and programming through its Shut Out the Stigma partnership.
The foundation offers several grant programs. Impact Grants provide up to $10,000, with an average award of $2,500, and accept applications year-round for projects focused on behavioral health, social drivers of health, and/or health promotion and disease prevention. Health Innovation Grants range from $15,000 to $50,000, with six to eight awarded annually, for new or expanding innovative projects that could be replicated if successful. Their two-step process begins with a letter of intent; the 2026 spring and fall letter-of-intent windows and associated application dates listed on the program page have passed as of October 2, 2026. Rural Health Grants are described as awarding six to eight grants of $5,000 to $7,500 to rural providers, with proposals accepted each November through UND’s Rural Health Grant website. The BUILD Grants program is described as currently open and anticipates six to eight awards of $5,000 to $7,500 for rural an individual recipient initiatives addressing social drivers of health. Maternal Health Grants are also described as currently open; they offer $5,000 to nonprofit or community-based organizations in an individual recipient working to reduce maternal health disparities.
The foundation generally does not fund individuals, general operating expenses, religious activities, political purposes or lobbying, employee positions, capital campaigns, endowments, or discretionary funding pools. It also excludes organizations outside an individual recipient and funds spent outside the state. Applicants may discuss proposal ideas and eligibility with foundation staff before applying.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Daniel R. Conrad as chairman of the board; Amber Blomberg as secretary; and Cynthia K. Thormodson as treasurer. It also lists Kathy Anderson, Dennis Hill, Gregory C. Glasner, Shelly Peterson and Stacie Heiden as directors.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation is led by Daniel R. Conrad, Chairman of the Board since 2024 (on filings since 2019); none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Daniel R. Conrad
Chairman of the Board
Chair → President, 2022
President → Chairman of the Board, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stacie Heiden
Director
Director → Executive Vice President of Strategic Development & Health Delivery, 2022
Executive Vice President of Strategic Development & Health Delivery → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dennis Hill
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregory C. Glasner MD
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shelly Peterson
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathy Anderson MD
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia K. Thormodson
Treasurer
Senior Vice President & CFO → Executive Vice President & CFO, 2023
Executive Vice President & CFO → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amber Blomberg
Secretary
Executive Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Dave A. Sprynczynatyk (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Greg C Glasner MD (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Lynette Dickson (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Pam Gulleson (2019–2022) — Executive Director
- Former: Dave J Breuer (2019–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Jodi L Atkinson (2019–2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation
How much does Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation give each year?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation gave $1.0M across 284 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $860K across 256 grants.
What is Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation's typical grant size?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $3,552, across 284 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation give grants?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation gives mostly in North Dakota: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Fargo, ND (116 grants), Grand Forks, ND (24 grants), Bismarck, ND (22 grants) and West Fargo, ND (12 grants).
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 0% of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 284) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "DollarsforDoers Requests 2025" (73 grants), "Health Profession Scholarship" (31 grants) and "Rural Health Grant" (8 grants).
Who are Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation's largest grantees?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include United Way of Cass-Clay ($64,134 across 3 grants), UND Grants & Contracts Administration ($60,354 across 12 grants) and North Dakota Autism Center ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 35 grants to individuals ($123,950), which are not listed by name. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation reported $23.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Dakotans and their communities. Its stated funding priorities are health promotion and disease prevention, social drivers of health, and behavioral health. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation?
The foundation directs applicants to its grant applications on its website. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation's EIN?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3606394. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 5, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/blue-cross-blue-shield-of-north-dakota-caring-foundation-morg_47d7a8a8bc694377be9d2895b8fa7c73
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363606394_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/blue-cross-blue-shield-of-north-dakota-caring-foundation-morg_47d7a8a8bc694377be9d2895b8fa7c73},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?