Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation

About Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation

A defining pattern in the Fargo-moorhead Area Foundation Corporation’s recent giving is its use of large, project-oriented grants to strengthen local institutions. In 2023, it gave $2,000,000 to The Capstone Academy for general support and $1,500,000 to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library for general support, showing a willingness to place major resources behind organizations with long-term community roles. The foundation’s portfolio also includes substantial support for health care and housing-related projects, such as six-figure grants to Hospice of the Red River Valley and the Anne Carlson Center. Its grantmaking reaches beyond one sector. Recent awards include support for schools, campus ministry, community theatre, youth baseball, elder services, and disaster relief. The foundation has also backed capital campaigns and land or facility purchases, which points to a preference for funding that helps organizations build or secure physical assets. Alongside these larger commitments, it makes recurring grants to many of the same regional organizations over multiple years, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than one-time transactions. The result is a funding pattern centered on community institutions, with a mix of operating support, capital support, and targeted project funding.

What Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation Funds

Education appears consistently in the foundation’s portfolio. It gave $900,000 to Oak Grove Lutheran School for general support and $250,000 to Umd Newman Catholic Campus Ministry for general support, then later added another $250,000 to the same campus ministry for the Seeds of Faith Campaign. It also supported student-focused work through $131,000 to Ndsu Foundation, including $25,000 for scholarships. Health and human services are another clear thread. The foundation awarded $255,819 to Hospice of the Red River Valley Dba Hia Hospice for general support and a hospice house, and $129,267 to Churches United for the Homeless for general support and emergency funding. Community arts and cultural institutions also receive sizable support, including $181,297 to Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre for a capital campaign tied to the FMAF Community Grant Round 2024. Youth recreation shows up as well, with $500,000 to Kindred Youth Baseball for general support.

How Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation Gives