The foundation concentrates almost exclusively on strengthening K–12 service delivery in its region by funding education cooperatives, program providers, and school-focused initiatives. Its grants are aimed at expanding programs and services to schools—supporting operational capacity, program growth, and educational tools rather than broad charitable causes. Funding is highly concentrated among a few recurring partners, indicating long-term relationships with core education intermediaries.
Missouri River Educational Cooperative Foundation’s giving is built around a narrow purpose: enhancing and expanding programs and services to schools. The largest recent grant in the record is $225,000 to Crea in Bismarck, North Dakota, followed by another award of $150,428 to the same recipient in 2025 for the same stated purpose. That repeated support points to a foundation working through education intermediaries rather than scattering small grants across unrelated causes. Other major awards in the recent list include $83,000 to Oun in Bismarck and $55,000 to Mindspark in Lakewood, Colorado, showing a preference for organizations that help schools deliver services, tools, and programming. The pattern suggests a funder focused on school-facing capacity, with grants aimed at operational support and program growth for K–12 education providers. Its work is concentrated in a small set of partners, and the recipient names in the record are mostly organizations serving schools rather than individual institutions or direct individual aid.
A core theme in the foundation’s portfolio is regional K–12 service delivery. In that area, it gave $225,000 to Crea and later $150,428 to Crea, both to enhance and expand programs and services to schools. A second recurring area is shared services and school support infrastructure. The foundation awarded $83,000 to Oun and then $75,500 to Oun for the same purpose, indicating continued support for an intermediary that works with schools. It also funds education technology and curriculum support: Mindspark received $55,000 to enhance and expand programs and services to schools. Across these grants, the emphasis is on strengthening what schools can offer students, teachers, and administrators through program growth, service delivery, and support systems rather than general-purpose philanthropy.
Typical awards are large and clustered. The grant-size distribution sits at $75,500 at the 25th percentile, a median of $83,000, and $150,428 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows repeated grants to the same organizations in consecutive years, which points to recurring relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation’s structure appears partnership-driven, with grants directed to education cooperatives and other school-support organizations. It does not fund individuals and there is no indication of program-related investments in the provided data.
$415K
$226K
$753K
$635K
Most grants fall between $76K and $150K, with a median of $83K.
25th Percentile
$76K
Median
$83K
75th Percentile
$150K
LUKE SCHAEFER
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeRegístrate gratis para ver qué tan bien se adapta tu organización sin fines de lucro a este financiador, obtener un pitch generado por IA y descubrir fundaciones similares.
Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a very small number of repeat grantees; grants are program- and capacity-focused rather than one-off community grants.
Notable grantees: CREA, OUN, MindSpark
Grantmaking is highly local and centered in North Dakota. Eighty percent of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and the top giving state is ND. Bismarck appears repeatedly in the recent grants list through Crea and Oun, showing a strong in-state concentration. Outside North Dakota, the recent record includes one recipient in Lakewood, Colorado. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with all recent grants landing in the United States.
It funds efforts to enhance and expand programs and services to schools. The recent record is concentrated in K–12 service delivery, school support infrastructure, and education providers that help districts and schools add or scale programs.
Yes. The recent list shows repeat support to Crea in 2024 and 2025, and to Oun in 2024 and 2025, both for enhancing and expanding programs and services to schools.
Its grant sizes are relatively high and fairly concentrated: p25 is $75,500, the median is $83,000, and p75 is $150,428. That range indicates a pattern of substantial awards rather than small one-time grants.
Most grants go to North Dakota recipients. The data shows 80% of grants were awarded to recipients in ND, and Bismarck appears multiple times among the recent grantees.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CREA | BISMARCK, ND | $290,258 | 2026 | TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS. |
| OUN | BISMARCK, ND | $125,000 | 2026 | TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS. |
| CREA | BISMARCK, ND | $150,428 | 2025 | TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS. |
| OUN | BISMARCK, ND | $75,500 | 2025 | TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS. |
| CREA | BISMARCK, ND | $225,000 | 2024 | TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS. |
| OUN | BISMARCK, ND | $83,000 | 2024 | TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS. |
| MINDSPARK | LAKEWOOD, CO | $55,000 | 2024 | TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS. |
CREA
$290,258TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS.
OUN
$125,000TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS.
CREA
$150,428TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS.
OUN
$75,500TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS.
CREA
$225,000TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS.
OUN
$83,000TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SCHOOLS.