Fargo-moorhead Area Foundation
The FM Area Foundation is a community foundation established in 1960 and based in Fargo, North Dakota. It serves as a nonprofit charitable organization that manages charitable funds created by individuals, families, and businesses. The foundation administers over 500 charitable funds and provides grants to qualified nonprofit organizations across its service region.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$126.6M
+15.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.6M
-4.0% YoY
Grant Count
178
+23.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$32K
-22.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The mission of the FM Area Foundation is to help donors maximize their philanthropy to create a vibrant community full of opportunities for everyone. The foundation is a nonprofit, community foundation created by and for the people of Cass County, North Dakota, and Clay County, Minnesota.
Primary Funding Areas: The foundation awards grants across diverse program areas:
- Education (19%)
- Basic human needs (17%)
- Community building (16%)
- Health & wellness (11%)
- Religion (11%)
- Youth (12%)
- Art (5%)
- Animal welfare (3%)
- Other (6%)
Grantmaking
The foundation administers 504 charitable funds distributed as follows:
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation serves Cass County, North Dakota, and Clay County, Minnesota. Grant-making activities also extend to Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023):
- Total assets: $126,644,017
- Total revenues: $8,034,362
- Total expenses: $9,175,156
- Total giving: $7,488,670
Staffing: The foundation employs 8 staff members.
Tax Status:
- EIN: 45-6010377
- 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
- Established as tax-exempt in October 1960
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $126,644,017 | $109,621,740 | $98,404,628 |
| Revenue | $24,246,172 | $8,034,362 | $5,201,937 |
| Expenses | $9,761,377 | $9,175,156 | $11,250,336 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $10,496,843 | $1,863,890 | $1,138,700 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Fargo-moorhead Area Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Detroit Lakes Public School ($135,000), Churches United for the Homeless ($129,267), Dazey Fire Department ($100,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 4 LUV OF DOG RESCUE FARGO, ND | GENERAL SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| ADOPT-A-PET MOORHEAD, MN | GENERAL SUPPORT | $6,155 |
| AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL FARGO, ND | GENERAL SUPPORT | $13,480 |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS - EASTERN ND & NORTHWESTERN MN REGION FARGO, ND | GENERAL SUSPPORT | $5,819 |
| ANNE CARLSEN CENTER - JAMESTOWN JAMESTOWN, ND | GENERAL SUPPORT | $16,617 |
| ARIZONA HUMANE SOCIETY PHOENIX, AZ | GENERAL SUPPORT | $50,000 |
| ARIZONA PBS TV PHOENIX, AZ | SUPPORT FOR ARIZONA PBS TV | $10,000 |
| ART AND SOUL WEST FARGO, ND | GENERAL SUPPORT | $11,337 |
| ATONEMENT LUTHERAN CHURCH FARGO, ND | THE REPAIR THE WAY CAPITAL CAMPAIGN | $30,000 |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF CENTRAL AZ PHOENIX, AZ | GENERAL SUPPORT | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Eric Wilkie - Executive Director
- Greg Diehl - Director of Gift Planning and Donor Services
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| APRIL WALKER | IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR | 2 | — |
| KATRINA TURMAN-LANG | CHAIR | 3 | — |
| TONI SANDIN | VICE CHAIR (UNTIL MAY) | 1 | — |
| GARY NOLTE | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| JOHN STERN | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| SANDY KORBEL | TRUSTEE REPRESENTATIVE (NON-VOTING) | 1 | — |
| MARILYN GUY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MATTHEW LEISETH | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BRIAN HAYER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DON HAUGEN | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| SHER THOMSEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ERIC WILKIE | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $199,875 |
| PATRICIA MASTEL | DIRECTOR OF FINANCE | 40 | $129,870 |
Contact Information
Address: 409 7th Street South Fargo, ND 58103-1821
Phone: (701) 234-0756
Website: www.areafoundation.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Fargo-moorhead Area Foundation fund?
**Mission Statement:** The mission of the FM Area Foundation is to help donors maximize their philanthropy to create a vibrant community full of opportunities for everyone. The foundation is a nonprofit, community foundation created by and for the people of Cass County, North Dakota, and Clay County, Minnesota. **Primary Funding Areas:** The foundation awards grants across diverse program areas: • Education (19%) • Basic human needs (17%) • Community building (16%) • Health & wellness (11%) • R…
How do I apply for a grant from Fargo-moorhead Area Foundation?
**Fund Types:** The foundation administers 504 charitable funds distributed as follows: • Donor-advised funds (71%) • Designated funds (9%) • Field of interest funds (7%) • Scholarship funds (4%) • Unrestricted funds (6%) • Agency funds (3%) **Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $5,010 to $2,000,000. **Recent Grants:** • Anne Carlsen Center: $1,000,000 for land purchase (2023) • BIO Girls: $5,000 for 2024 Fargo-Moorhead programming **Application Process:** The foundation offers a Communi…
Where does Fargo-moorhead Area Foundation make grants?
The foundation serves Cass County, North Dakota, and Clay County, Minnesota. Grant-making activities also extend to Arizona.
What size grants does Fargo-moorhead Area Foundation award?
In 2024, Fargo-moorhead Area Foundation awarded 178 grants totaling $5.6M — an average of about $32K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Fargo-moorhead Area Foundation's EIN?
Fargo-moorhead Area Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-6010377. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Fargo-moorhead Area Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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