Myra Foundation
The Myra Foundation is a private foundation established in 1941 from the estate of John E. Myra. Based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, it was the first private charitable foundation of its kind in the state. The foundation distributes grants to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations for charitable, educational, and character-building purposes within Grand Forks County.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$717K
+1.9% YoY
Grant Count
75
+5.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
-3.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation awards grants for charitable, character-building, and educational purposes. Funding areas include support for education nonprofits, STEM education, arts and arts access, community health, and scholarships. The foundation has historically supported local schools, health care organizations, rural emergency services, and community institutions.
Grantmaking
Notable recent grants include $54,000 to UND Alumni Association and Foundation for Myra Foundation Scholarships, $50,000 to Grand Forks Children's Museum, and $26,548 to Northlands Rescue Mission.
Grant Range
$1,000 to $10,000, though no set parameters exist
Average Grant
amount: approximately $10,000
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grants are limited to Grand Forks County, North Dakota, including the City of Grand Forks. The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in North Dakota, with some grants reaching organizations in Minnesota and South Dakota.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023):
- Total assets: $13,339,293
- Total revenues: $828,575
- Total expenses: $836,511
- Total liabilities: $5,700
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $14,272,803
- Total giving: $716,773
Historical Growth:
- Total assets have grown from $901,000 in 2011 to $13.3 million in 2023
- All-time total grants awarded: nearly $14.4 million since inception
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| 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 Myra Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is governed by a board of three trustees:
- Emily Montgomery – President (as of January 2026; trustee for five years prior)
- Tracy Kennedy – Trustee
- Chris Griffin – Trustee
John Botsford served as president for 25 years and retired at the end of 2025. He had also served as land manager for the foundation's agricultural land holdings for 20 years prior to his presidency.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN BOTSFORD | PRESIDENT | 5 | $22,400 |
| EMILY MONTGOMERY | SEC-TREAS | 1 | $2,400 |
| TRACY KENNEDY | DIRECTOR | 1 | $2,400 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation announced record grant awards in 2025, distributing $754,028.50 to 83 local nonprofit organizations—the largest annual distribution in its history. This represented a record year for both grant amounts and number of funding requests.
Myra Foundation awards record funding to nonprofit organizations in GrandJohn Botsford retired as president at the end of 2025 after 45 combined years with the organization (25 years as president and 20 years as land manager). Emily Montgomery, a five-year trustee, assumed the presidency in January 2026.
The foundation has maintained ongoing partnerships with organizations such as BIO Girls, providing $10,000 in 2026 to support programming serving approximately 160 girls in the Grand Forks and East Grand Forks area.
Myra Foundation in 2024 - Grand Forks HeraldRelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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