Foundations & Grantmakers in North Dakota
484 grantmakers in North Dakota reported grants on their latest 990s. The 124 that made at least 5 grants gave $94.4M. The largest by giving are Centurion Foundation, Offutt Family Foundation and Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation Corporation. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse North Dakota grants
Foundation giving in North Dakota at a glance
Active grantmakers
484
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$94.4M
from the 124 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$23K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$67K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in North Dakota by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centurion Foundation | West Fargo | $10.0M | 11 |
| 2 | Offutt Family Foundation | Fargo | $9.6M | 114 |
| 3 | Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation Corporation | Fargo | $5.6M | 178 |
| 4 | Williston State College Foundation | Williston | $5.2M | 5 |
| 5 | Mandan Baseball Club Inc | Mandan | $4.1M | 14 |
| 6 | Ronald and Duska LaCount Family Foundation | Minot | $3.9M | 5 |
| 7 | Dakota Medical Charities | Fargo | $3.7M | 32 |
| 8 | United Way of Cass-Clay | Fargo | $3.5M | 40 |
| 9 | Elmer & Kaya Berg Foundation No 2 | Fargo | $3.0M | 9 |
| 10 | Edson & Margaret Larson Foundation | Grand Forks | $2.3M | 13 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 12 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 21 · 19%
- Human Services 15 · 13%
- Health 14 · 12%
- Recreation & Sports 13 · 12%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 12 · 11%
- Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Relief 6 · 5%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (35% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in North Dakota
- Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation Corporation $5.6M · 178 grants
- Minot Community Foundation $1.7M · 63 grants
- Community Foundation of Grand Forks East Grand Forks and Region $1.0M · 35 grants
- The Devils Lake Area Foundation $168K · 12 grants
- Lakota Community Foundation $70K · 11 grants
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Most open to new grantees in North Dakota
Foundations based in North Dakota whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Offutt Family Foundation | 78% (83) | 107 in 2024 | $90K |
| 2 | Tribal Workers Charitable | 69% (31) | 45 in 2024 | $2K |
| 3 | Northwest North Dakota Community Foundation Inc | 58% (21) | 36 in 2024 | $52K |
| 4 | Fred M Hector Jr Charitable Trust | 50% (20) | 40 in 2024 | $11K |
| 5 | Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation | 49% (117) | 239 in 2025 | $2K |
| 6 | Burgum Foundation | 48% (14) | 29 in 2024 | $31K |
| 7 | Impact Foundation | 47% (14) | 30 in 2024 | $21K |
| 8 | Steer Inc | 42% (26) | 62 in 2025 | $26K |
| 9 | Alex Stern Family Foundation | 41% (28) | 68 in 2025 | $6K |
| 10 | Minot Community Foundation | 40% (25) | 62 in 2025 | $24K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 124 grantmakers in North Dakota with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Centurion Foundation
West Fargo, ND
Assets
$157.9M
Grants
11
Total Given
$10.0M
Offutt Family Foundation
Fargo, ND
Assets
$380.7M
Grants
114
Total Given
$9.6M
Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation Corporation
Fargo, ND
Assets
$126.6M
Grants
178
Total Given
$5.6M
Williston State College Foundation
Williston, ND
Assets
$23.6M
Grants
5
Total Given
$5.2M
Mandan Baseball Club Inc
Mandan, ND
Assets
$2.6M
Grants
14
Total Given
$4.1M
Ronald and Duska LaCount Family Foundation
Minot, ND
Assets
—
Grants
5
Total Given
$3.9M
Dakota Medical Charities
Fargo, ND
Assets
$89.5M
Grants
32
Total Given
$3.7M
United Way of Cass-Clay
Fargo, ND
Assets
$9.2M
Grants
40
Total Given
$3.5M
Elmer & Kaya Berg Foundation No 2
Fargo, ND
Assets
—
Grants
9
Total Given
$3.0M
Edson & Margaret Larson Foundation
Grand Forks, ND
Assets
$50.6M
Grants
13
Total Given
$2.3M
Dakota Medical Foundation
Fargo, ND
Assets
$65.6M
Grants
60
Total Given
$2.3M
The R B Nordick Foundation
West Fargo, ND
Assets
$40.3M
Grants
12
Total Given
$2.2M
Community Action Partnership of North Dakota Inc
Fargo, ND
Assets
$6.3M
Grants
7
Total Given
$2.0M
The Tom and Frances Leach
Bismarck, ND
Assets
$25.3M
Grants
71
Total Given
$2.0M
Northwest North Dakota Community Foundation Inc
Williston, ND
Assets
$1.3M
Grants
36
Total Given
$1.8M
The Barry Foundation
Fargo, ND
Assets
$54.9M
Grants
322
Total Given
$1.8M
Steer Inc
Bismarck, ND
Assets
$7.9M
Grants
62
Total Given
$1.7M
Minot Community Foundation
Minot, ND
Assets
$47.1M
Grants
63
Total Given
$1.7M
Alva J Field Memorial Trust
Williston, ND
Assets
$25.0M
Grants
224
Total Given
$1.4M
Impact Foundation
Fargo, ND
Assets
$9.3M
Grants
30
Total Given
$1.4M
Jerred D Ruble Family Charitable
Mandan, ND
Assets
$7.4M
Grants
9
Total Given
$1.3M
Glenn Perkins Educational Foundation
Williston, ND
Assets
$26.8M
Grants
11
Total Given
$1.3M
Inspiritus Community Health Foundation
Minot, ND
Assets
$7K
Grants
47
Total Given
$1.1M
Burgum Foundation
Arthur, ND
Assets
$3.4M
Grants
29
Total Given
$1.0M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in North Dakota
What are the largest foundations in North Dakota?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Centurion Foundation ($10.0M across 11 grants), Offutt Family Foundation ($9.6M) and Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation Corporation ($5.6M). Together the top 10 account for 54% of the $94.4M given by the 124 grantmakers in North Dakota that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in North Dakota?
The typical grant is about $23K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $67K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in North Dakota?
Yes. We found 5 community foundations in North Dakota with grant activity. The largest by giving are Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation Corporation, Minot Community Foundation and Community Foundation of Grand Forks East Grand Forks and Region. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find North Dakota foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in North Dakota from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.