Enhance the quality of life in the metro area through the development of modernized facilities, new programs and by offering great opportunities for all in the community.
The Fargo Park District Foundation’s recent grantmaking is dominated by a three-year capital commitment to the Park District of the City of Fargo, including a $12,106,244 grant in 2025 for enhancing and improving other properties owned by the Fargo Park District and for engineering and architectural services for the Fargo Parks Sports Center. That same pattern appears in 2024 and 2023, showing a funder built around park property improvements and large facility development rather than small, one-off awards. The foundation supports parks and recreation, sports and athletics, community development, youth services and scholarships, and facility construction and renovation, with a program structure centered on matching grants and project-specific support. Its work is closely tied to public recreation infrastructure in Fargo. Recent grants point to investment in municipal park agency priorities, sports complex support, and recreation facilities such as pool-related and indoor activity projects. The foundation also operates a scholarship program for financially disadvantaged youth and adults in Fargo, covering participation fees for selected recreation programs, Courts Plus activities, and pool passes. Leadership is listed as Craig Bjur, and the foundation’s giving is entirely local, with all recipient organizations in North Dakota.
Park and facility capital projects are the clearest theme in the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2025, it gave $12,106,244 to the Park District of the City of Fargo for enhancing and improving other properties owned by the Fargo Park District and for engineering and architectural services for the Fargo Parks Sports Center. The same recipient also received $8,573,068 in 2024 for the same broad project categories, reinforcing a multi-year focus on infrastructure and construction support. The foundation’s active programs also point to matching grants for park projects, capital improvements, and recreation infrastructure across Fargo and the metro area. A separate program supports access to recreation. The Fargo Park District Scholarship Program provides aid for financially disadvantaged youth and adults in Fargo to help cover registration fees, selected youth Courts Plus programs, activity punch cards, and pool passes.
Grant size is large and clustered: the typical award falls at a p25 of $4,564,612, a median of $5,900,764, and a p75 of $7,236,916. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same public recipient across 2023, 2024, and 2025, which points to ongoing project support rather than isolated gifts. The foundation functions as a local funder with project-specific and restricted support, using matching grants and pledge-like capital backing tied to park district priorities. Unsolicited applications are not accepted for its matching grant program, while the scholarship program is listed separately.
$12.1M
$20.8M
$1.2M
$12.4M
Most grants fall between $4.6M and $7.2M, with a median of $5.9M.
25th Percentile
$4.6M
Median
$5.9M
75th Percentile
$7.2M
About 100% of grants go to recipients in ND.
Craig Bjur
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Giving is fully local and all recipient organizations are in North Dakota. The recent grants list centers on Fargo, with the Park District of the City of Fargo appearing in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Program descriptions also reference the Fargo metro area and Fargo-Moorhead metro area, indicating a strong city-and-metro focus rather than statewide distribution. The foundation’s top state by grant count is ND, and 100% of grants go to recipients in its HQ state.
It funds parks and recreation infrastructure, especially capital projects tied to the Fargo Park District. Recent grant descriptions reference improving park district properties and engineering and architectural services for the Fargo Parks Sports Center, alongside active matching grant programs for park and facility projects.
Yes. The Park District of the City of Fargo appears in the recent grants list in 2023, 2024, and 2025, with each award tied to similar capital and facility-development purposes. That pattern suggests sustained project support over multiple years.
Through the Fargo Park District Scholarship Program, which helps financially disadvantaged youth and adults in Fargo cover participation fees for Fargo Park District registration programs, select Courts Plus programs, activity punch cards, and pool passes.
The grant-size distribution is large: p25 is $4,564,612, the median is $5,900,764, and p75 is $7,236,916. The recent awards also show multimillion-dollar grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park District of the City of Fargo | Fargo, ND | $12,106,244 | 2025 | 1. Enhancing and improving other properties owned by the Fargo Park District 2. Engineering and Architectural Services for the Fargo Parks Sports Center, a governmental recreational building being built in Fargo, ND3. Pledge and Sponsorship payments to pay for Fargo Parks Sports Center and Island Park Pool construction |
| Park District of the City of Fargo | Fargo, ND | $8,573,068 | 2024 | 1. Enhancing and improving other properties owned by the Fargo Park District2. Engineering and Architectural Services for the Fargo Parks Sports Center, a governmental recreational building being built in Fargo, ND. |
| Park District of the City of Fargo | Fargo, ND | $3,228,460 | 2023 | 1. Enhancing and improving other properties owned by the Fargo Park District2. Engineering and Archtictural Services for the Fargo Parks Sports Center, a governmental recreational building being built in Fargo, ND. |
Park District of the City of Fargo
$12,106,2441. Enhancing and improving other properties owned by the Fargo Park District 2. Engineering and Architectural Services for the Fargo Parks Sports Center, a governmental recreational building being built in Fargo, ND3. Pledge and Sponsorship payments to pay for Fargo Parks Sports Center and Island Park Pool construction
Park District of the City of Fargo
$8,573,0681. Enhancing and improving other properties owned by the Fargo Park District2. Engineering and Architectural Services for the Fargo Parks Sports Center, a governmental recreational building being built in Fargo, ND.
Park District of the City of Fargo
$3,228,4601. Enhancing and improving other properties owned by the Fargo Park District2. Engineering and Archtictural Services for the Fargo Parks Sports Center, a governmental recreational building being built in Fargo, ND.