The foundation concentrates its giving on supporting Lutheran Social Services' operations while directing most community grants toward refugee and new American integration in North Dakota. Outside the large internal grant, funding is targeted to local public school ELL programs, refugee case management and employment supports, and culturally specific newcomer organizations and health navigation. Grantees are primarily local school districts and ethnic/community groups that provide hands‑on services to newly arrived populations.
Lutheran Social Services of ND directs most of its community grantmaking toward refugee and New American integration in North Dakota, alongside a very large internal support grant to Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota Foundation Inc. In 2023, that internal grant alone totaled $511,892, showing that the foundation’s giving includes substantial operational support for its own affiliated work. Outside that grant, the pattern is specific and practical: funding goes to schools, health providers, and ethnic community organizations that help newly arrived people settle, learn, work, and connect to services. Recent grants show support for adult English language training, refugee health mentoring, case management, employment services, youth integration, and citizenship classes for elder refugees. Fargo Public Schools appears multiple times with separate awards for adult ELL, K-12 integration support, and citizenship classes for refugees age 60 and up. Other recipients such as Family Healthcare Center, South Sudanese Foundation, and Global Friends Coalition reflect a service model centered on direct assistance rather than broad institutional philanthropy. The foundation is a public charity with regional giving and a 2023 annual grant total of $675,318.
Education and language access are a major theme in the grant record. Fargo Public Schools received $22,188 for adult refugees new to the country, $15,823 for English language training and academic support for children and youth in K-12, and $5,992 for citizenship classes for elder refugees age 60 and up. West Fargo Public Schools also received $15,420 for English language training for new arriving refugees. Health navigation is another clear area. Family Healthcare Center received $27,126 to provide refugee health mentoring, including health orientation information, health curriculum presentations, and home visitation by trained staff. Employment and case management support also appears repeatedly: South Sudanese Foundation received $20,000 for case management and employment services, while Kirat Cultural Society of North Dakota received $9,867 for the same kind of support. The foundation also backed newcomer integration through Bismarck Global Neighbors, which received $6,000 for a mentorship program for New Americans.
Lutheran Social Services of ND gives at a relatively modest, service-oriented scale, with a typical grant size of $9,500 at the 25th percentile, $14,510 at the median, and $20,000 at the 75th percentile. One large affiliated operating grant sits above that pattern at $511,892, while most community awards cluster in the low five figures. The 2023 record shows repeated support to the same type of recipient category, especially public schools and community organizations serving refugees. The foundation is a public charity and a regular funder; the grant record shown is entirely from 2023, so recurring support is visible by program type rather than by multi-year recipient overlap in the provided data.
$675K
$3.7M
$29.7M
$29.5M
Most grants fall between $10K and $20K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$20K
About 8% of grants go to recipients in ND.
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Highly concentrated funding pattern: one very large internal grant to the foundation’s own LSS affiliate plus a suite of smaller, targeted community grants. Most external awards are modest (roughly $6k–$44k), geographically focused in North Dakota, often one‑year program support, with some repeat support to school districts (e.g., Fargo Public Schools). The approach favors direct service providers working on refugee integration rather than large national advocacy initiatives.
Notable grantees: Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota Foundation Inc, Fargo Public Schools, Family Healthcare Center, South Sudanese Foundation, Global Friends Coalition
Giving is concentrated in North Dakota, which accounts for the top share of grant count. Fargo appears most often, with awards to Fargo Public Schools, Family Healthcare Center, South Sudanese Foundation, and Kirat Cultural Society of North Dakota. Other North Dakota recipient cities include West Fargo, Grand Forks, and Bismarck. Minnesota appears as a smaller share of giving through Afro American Development Association in Moorhead, while the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
The grant record centers on schools, health providers, and community organizations serving refugees and New Americans. Examples in the data include public school districts, Family Healthcare Center, South Sudanese Foundation, Kirat Cultural Society of North Dakota, and Bismarck Global Neighbors.
The typical award profile is $9,500 at the 25th percentile, $14,510 at the median, and $20,000 at the 75th percentile. Most community grants in the record fall near that range, with one much larger affiliated operating grant standing apart.
English language learning, refugee case management and employment services, health mentoring and orientation, youth integration support, and citizenship classes all appear in the 2023 grants. The data also shows mentorship programming for New Americans.
North Dakota is the top state by grant count. Fargo appears repeatedly, and other North Dakota cities in the record include West Fargo, Grand Forks, and Bismarck. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
2023
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2023.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota Foundation Inc | Fargo, ND | $511,892 | 2023 | General Support |
| Family Healthcare Center | Fargo, ND | $27,126 | 2023 | To provide Refugee Health Mentoring services to refugee arrivals to include health orientation information for newly arriving refugees, health curriculum presentations, and home visitation by trained ethnic community health mentors. To provide Nurse Case Management services to refugee arrivals to include review of health and medical records for arriving refugees, health screening activities, and preparation for medical examination. |
| Fargo Public Schools | Fargo, ND | $22,188 | 2023 | To provide English Language Training for Adult refugees who are new to the country. |
| South Sudanese Foundation | Fargo, ND | $20,000 | 2023 | To provide case management and employment services to eligible refugee individuals who are new in the community |
| Fargo Public Schools | Fargo, ND | $15,823 | 2023 | To provide English Language Training and other services including but not limited to academic support and integration to children and youth in K-12. |
| West Fargo Public Schools | West Fargo, ND | $15,420 | 2023 | To provide English language training for new arriving refugees and for those in the United States for up to 3 years from date of US arrival. |
| Grand Forks Public Schools -ALC | Grand Forks, ND | $14,510 | 2023 | To provide English Language Learning services for adult refugees in an effort to gain self-sufficiency or to enhance their ELL skills in order to accomplish a level of competence for employment, training, and/or new community adjustment. |
| Afro American Development Association | Moorhead, MN | $10,000 | 2023 | To provide case management and employment services to eligible refugee individuals who are new in the community, and are enrolled in TANF-programming through the county. |
| Kirat Cultural Society of North Dakota | Fargo, ND | $9,867 | 2023 | To provide case management and employment services to eligible refugee individuals who are new in the community |
| Global Friends Coalition | Grand Forks, ND | $9,500 | 2023 | To provide English Language Learning services for adult refugees in an effort to gain self-sufficiency or to enhance their ELL skills in order to accomplish a level of competence for employment, training, and/or new community adjustment. |
| Bismarck Public School District | Bismarck, ND | $7,000 | 2023 | To provide English Language Learning services for adult refugees in an effort to gain self-sufficiency or to enhance their ELL skills in order to accomplish a level of competence for employment, training, and/or new community adjustment. |
| Bismarck Global Neighbors | Bismarck, ND | $6,000 | 2023 | Mentorship program for New Americans |
| Fargo Public Schools | Fargo, ND | $5,992 | 2023 | To provide Citizenship classes to elder refugees age 60 and up. |
Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota Foundation Inc
$511,892General Support
Family Healthcare Center
$27,126To provide Refugee Health Mentoring services to refugee arrivals to include health orientation information for newly arriving refugees, health curriculum presentations, and home visitation by trained ethnic community health mentors. To provide Nurse Case Management services to refugee arrivals to include review of health and medical records for arriving refugees, health screening activities, and preparation for medical examination.
Fargo Public Schools
$22,188To provide English Language Training for Adult refugees who are new to the country.
South Sudanese Foundation
$20,000To provide case management and employment services to eligible refugee individuals who are new in the community
Fargo Public Schools
$15,823To provide English Language Training and other services including but not limited to academic support and integration to children and youth in K-12.
West Fargo Public Schools
$15,420To provide English language training for new arriving refugees and for those in the United States for up to 3 years from date of US arrival.
Grand Forks Public Schools -ALC
$14,510To provide English Language Learning services for adult refugees in an effort to gain self-sufficiency or to enhance their ELL skills in order to accomplish a level of competence for employment, training, and/or new community adjustment.
Afro American Development Association
$10,000To provide case management and employment services to eligible refugee individuals who are new in the community, and are enrolled in TANF-programming through the county.
Kirat Cultural Society of North Dakota
$9,867To provide case management and employment services to eligible refugee individuals who are new in the community
Global Friends Coalition
$9,500To provide English Language Learning services for adult refugees in an effort to gain self-sufficiency or to enhance their ELL skills in order to accomplish a level of competence for employment, training, and/or new community adjustment.
Bismarck Public School District
$7,000To provide English Language Learning services for adult refugees in an effort to gain self-sufficiency or to enhance their ELL skills in order to accomplish a level of competence for employment, training, and/or new community adjustment.
Bismarck Global Neighbors
$6,000Mentorship program for New Americans
Fargo Public Schools
$5,992To provide Citizenship classes to elder refugees age 60 and up.