Border States Foundation
Border States Foundation is a private foundation based in Fargo, North Dakota. Its 2026 filing reports 30 grants totaling $634,736, including support for regional economic development, entrepreneurship, housing, and community organizations.
Border States Foundation at a glance
In short: Border States Foundation gave $635K across 30 grants in 2026 (avg $21K), mostly in North Dakota. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $634,736
- +57.4% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 30
- -9.1% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $21,158
- +73.2% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $6,268
- Total assets
- $13,121,989
- +12.8% vs 2025
- Primary geography
- North Dakota (80% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Border States Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2400 38Th St S, Fargo, ND 58104
Phone: (701) 293-5834
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Border States Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation ($200K). Together the top 10 received $569K.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 63 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2026, grant dollars were reported by recipient state as North Dakota 80%, Minnesota 17%, Texas 2%, Mississippi 1%, and Illinois 1%. The percentages total 101%, as reported.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Border States Foundation gives
- 36% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- In 2026 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2026). 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 2025 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $403K (2025) to $635K (2026). In 2026 it made 30 grants totaling $635K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation Fargo, ND | Innovate28 - cultivating regional growth in Fargo-Moorhead | $200,000 |
| UND Center for Innovation Foundation Grand Forks, ND | Equipment to support center for innovation entrepreneurial incubator | $114,736 |
| Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity Moorhead, MN | Support for 2025 Build | $100,000 |
| Down Home Fargo, ND | Support for Giving Hearts Day | $50,000 |
| United Way of Cass-Clay Fargo, ND | Support for Giving Hearts Day | $25,000 |
| YWCA Cass Clay Fargo, ND | Support for Giving Hearts Day | $15,000 |
| TNT Kid's Fitness Fargo, ND | Support for Giving Hearts Day | $12,500 |
| United Way of Cass-Clay Fargo, ND | LIVE United Partner | $12,000 |
| BIO Girls Inc Fargo, ND | Support for Giving Hearts Day | $10,000 |
| The Justin Wren Foundation Austin, TX | Support for providing clean water, education, and empowerment to Pygmy communities in Africa | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Border States 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $13,121,989 | $2,111,110 | $521,737 | $634,736 | 30 | $653,299 | $378,581 | $570,451 |
| 2025 | $11,634,080 | $1,392,255 | $1,237,943 | $403,159 | 33 | $408,180 | $493,196 | $526,226 |
| 2024 | $10,675,669 | $693,517 | $17,848 | — | — | — | $325,669 | $473,662 |
| 2023 | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Border States Foundation reported a distributable amount of $570K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2026 grants include support for economic development and entrepreneurship, homebuilding, organizations serving people emerging from homelessness, and community programs.
The Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation describes its mission as accelerating job and wealth creation in Cass County, North Dakota, and Clay County, Minnesota. The UND Center for Innovation Foundation says it works to maintain national leadership in entrepreneur outreach and education and to lead in tech entrepreneurship in rural America. Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity describes its work as bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope.
Down Home says it empowers people emerging from homelessness by furnishing homes, strengthening connections, and transforming communities. United Way of Cass-Clay says its mission is to inspire and activate the community to improve lives. YWCA Cass Clay describes its mission as eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the foundation reported 30 grants totaling $634,736. Grants ranged from $934 to $200,000, with a median of $6,268. The largest awards were $200,000 to the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation for “Innovate28 - cultivating regional growth in Fargo-Moorhead,” $114,736 to the UND Center for Innovation Foundation for equipment supporting its entrepreneurial incubator, and $100,000 to Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity for support of its 2025 Build.
Other reported grants included $50,000 to Down Home and $25,000 to United Way of Cass-Clay, both for Giving Hearts Day; $15,000 to YWCA Cass Clay and $12,500 to TNT Kid's Fitness for Giving Hearts Day; and $12,000 to United Way of Cass-Clay for its LIVE United Partner. The Justin Wren Foundation received $10,000 for clean water, education, and empowerment for Pygmy communities in Africa.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Jeremy Welsand as President, Treasurer, CEO, CFO, and Director; Jason Stein as Vice President and Director; Lisa Monson as Secretary and Director; and James Sipe as Director.
Border States Foundation is led by Jeremy Welsand, President, Treasurer, CEO, CFO & Director since 2025 (on filings since 2023); none of the 4 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Jeremy Welsand
President, Treasurer, CEO, CFO & Director
CFO & Treasurer → President, Treasurer, CEO, CFO & Director, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Monson
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Sipe
Director
On filings since 2025
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Stein
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2025
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: David White (2023–2025) — President & CEO
- Former: Jason Seger (2023–2025) — Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2026. "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 Border States Foundation
How much does Border States Foundation give each year?
Border States Foundation gave $635K across 30 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $403K across 33 grants.
What is Border States Foundation's typical grant size?
Border States Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $6,268, and its average grant was $21,158, across 30 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Border States Foundation give grants?
Border States Foundation gives mostly in North Dakota: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Minnesota (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fargo, ND (21 grants) and Moorhead, MN (2 grants).
Does Border States Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on Border States Foundation's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support for Giving Hearts Day" (19 grants).
Who are Border States Foundation's largest grantees?
Border States Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation ($200,000), UND Center for Innovation Foundation ($114,736) and Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity ($100,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Border States Foundation?
Border States Foundation reported $13.1M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $653K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $570K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Border States Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2026 grants include support for economic development and entrepreneurship, homebuilding, organizations serving people emerging from homelessness, and community programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Border States Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Border States Foundation's EIN?
Border States Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 92-3214972. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2026.
Does Border States Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 17, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 17, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 16, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Border States Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/border-states-foundation-morg_77f256dfb6474e10992a6185f576741a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_923214972_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Border States Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/border-states-foundation-morg_77f256dfb6474e10992a6185f576741a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-08. 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 Border States 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.
Border States Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?