Statewide Greatest Needs Grant Program
Who can apply: An eligible nonprofit organization or government agency from anywhere in North Dakota may apply.
Deadline: Applications are accepted every summer.
The North Dakota Community Foundation concentrates its giving on local community infrastructure, education (especially tribal and rural schools/colleges), and faith-based/senior care services across North Dakota, with particularly large investments in Dickinson-area projects. Grants include both capital and program support for municipal projects, parks, emergency services, K–12 and higher-education institutions (notably tribal colleges), and Lutheran health/care organizations, reflecting a mix of civic, cultural and faith-rooted priorities.
Concentrated, place-based giving with a mix of large single grants and repeated multi-year/multi-grant support to the same beneficiaries; a small number of very large grantees account for a substantial share of total giving while many grants target local civic, educational and faith organizations.
A defining feature of North Dakota Community Foundation is its repeated support for tribal higher education in North Dakota. In the recent grants list, it backed United Tribes Technical College, Sitting Bull College, Turtle Mountain Community College, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, and Candeska Cikana Community College, showing a sustained pattern of support for Native-serving institutions across the state. That same local orientation extends beyond education: the foundation also funds municipal projects, parks and recreation, public safety, and faith-based human services. The foundation’s grantmaking reaches both large capital-style awards and smaller program grants. Dickinson appears as a recurring place in the recent list, with support for city projects, parks, and local cultural institutions. Elsewhere, grants reached schools, fire departments, community foundations, and care organizations, indicating a broad civic portfolio rather than a single program area. Several awards are marked for program support, while others are not, suggesting a mix of operating and project-based support within North Dakota communities. Its public-facing work is local in scope, and the recipient list is overwhelmingly concentrated in the state.
Tribal and rural education is a clear theme. The foundation gave $322,741 to United Tribes Technical College for program support and $203,967 to Sitting Bull College for program support, while earlier grants also went to Turtle Mountain Community College, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, and Candeska Cikana Community College. Civic infrastructure and public amenities are another area of support. The City of Dickinson received $1,218,025 in 2023 and another $161,990 in 2024 for program support, and Dickinson Parks and Recreation received $325,000 in 2023. Faith-rooted education and care also appear in the grant list. Oak Grove Lutheran School received $150,000 in 2024 and again $150,000 in 2025, and Gaia Home in Bismarck received $443,801 in 2024 for program support. Public safety and local services show up as well, with Arthur Fire Department receiving $196,440 in 2024 and $120,000 in 2025 for program support.
The foundation’s recent grants cluster around a median size of $11,000, with a lower quartile of $7,670 and an upper quartile of $22,798. The recent list also includes much larger awards, showing that smaller community grants and large project awards can sit in the same portfolio. Program support appears frequently in the recent grants table, alongside awards without that label. Recipients also repeat across years, including the City of Dickinson, Oak Grove Lutheran School, United Tribes Technical College, Sitting Bull College, and Arthur Fire Department, pointing to ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is a mixed community foundation, and it funds at the community and project level through multiple grant programs.
$10.2M
$160.3M
$29.6M
$14.5M
Most grants fall between $8K and $23K, with a median of $11K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$11K
75th Percentile
$23K
About 98% of grants go to recipients in ND.
KEVIN DVORAK
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Notable grantees: City of Dickinson, Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, United Tribes Technical College, Sitting Bull College, Oak Grove Lutheran School
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly concentrated in North Dakota: 98% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the top giving state is ND. Recent awards land in Dickinson, Bismarck, Watford City, Fort Yates, Fort Totten, Belcourt, New Town, Fargo, Arthur, and Jamestown. Dickinson appears repeatedly, alongside Bismarck and several tribal college communities in the west and north-central parts of the state. The recipient country distribution is entirely domestic, with all grants going to US recipients.
The recent grants list includes city governments, parks and recreation entities, tribal colleges, schools, fire departments, community foundations, and care organizations. Examples include the City of Dickinson, United Tribes Technical College, Oak Grove Lutheran School, Arthur Fire Department, and Gaia Home.
Yes. The recent grants list includes United Tribes Technical College, Sitting Bull College, Turtle Mountain Community College, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, and Candeska Cikana Community College. Several of those awards are listed as program support.
The typical grant size is $7,670 at the 25th percentile, $11,000 at the median, and $22,798 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants table also shows larger awards, including six- and seven-figure grants.
Yes. The geographic scope of giving is local, 98% of grants go to recipients in ND, and the recipient country distribution shows 619 grants in the US and none outside the country.
Yes. Recipients that appear in multiple years include the City of Dickinson, Oak Grove Lutheran School, United Tribes Technical College, Sitting Bull College, and Arthur Fire Department. That pattern suggests repeated support to some organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THEODORE ROOSEVELT PRESIDENTIAL LIB | MEDORA, ND | $1,136,275 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| WISHEK PARK BOARD | WISHEK, ND | $781,511 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| UNITED TRIBES TECHNICAL COLLEGE | BISMARCK, ND | $322,741 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| MCKENZIE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTR | WATFORD CITY, ND | $312,068 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ST MARY'S SCHOOL | BRECKENRIDGE, MN | $289,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE | BOONE, NC | $250,250 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SITTING BULL COLLEGE | FORT YATES, ND | $203,967 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NORTH DAKOTA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | BISMARCK, ND | $187,926 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CANDESKA CIKANA COMMUNITY COLLEGE | FORT TOTTEN, ND | $185,892 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| TURTLE MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE I | BELCOURT, ND | $163,934 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| DICKINSON AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | DICKINSON, ND | $153,116 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| OAK GROVE LUTHERAN SCHOOL | FARGO, ND | $150,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| PRAIRIE ROSE GOLF COURSE | STANLEY, ND | $133,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ANNE CARLSEN CENTER | JAMESTOWN, ND | $132,932 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ARTHUR FIRE DEPARTMENT | ARTHUR, ND | $120,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| GRAFTON COMMUNITY FUNDS | GRAFTON, ND | $114,990 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CITY OF ARTHUR | ARTHUR, ND | $111,112 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| HOME ON THE RANGE | SENTINEL BUTTE, ND | $107,990 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NUETA HIDATSA SAHNISH COLLEGE NE | NEW TOWN, ND | $105,338 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPIT | MEMPHIS, TN | $100,150 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| HEARTVIEW FOUNDATION | BISMARCK, ND | $94,646 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NEW SALEM PARK DISTRICT | NEW SALEM, ND | $93,332 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| LAKE REGION STATE COLLEGE | DEVILS LAKE, ND | $79,232 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| GRAFTON EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | GRAFTON, ND | $75,120 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NEW SALEM SADDLE CLUB | MANDAN, ND | $75,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NORTH DAKOTA TRIBAL COLLEGE SYSTEM | BISMARCK, ND | $72,631 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ST GERARD'S COMMUNITY OF CARE | HANKINSON, ND | $70,737 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| LUTHERAN SUNSET HOME | GRAFTON, ND | $70,456 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST CATHOLIC CHU | GRAFTON, ND | $69,800 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| MISSOURI SLOPE AREAWIDE UNITED WAY | BISMARCK, ND | $69,725 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| UNITY MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION | GRAFTON, ND | $68,910 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NORTH DAKOTA VETERANS CEMETERY FOUN | BISMARCK, ND | $65,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| GREAT PLAINS FOOD BANK | FARGO, ND | $63,398 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| MOTT HEALTH CARE CENTER | MOTT, ND | $63,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| MILNOR SCHOOL DISTRICT | MILNOR, ND | $60,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CHI HEALTH CONNECT AT HOME - FARGO | VALLEY CITY, ND | $58,140 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| RICHLAND WILKIN EMERGENCY FOOD PANT | WAHPETON, ND | $57,050 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ABUSED ADULT RESOURCE CENTER | BISMARCK, ND | $56,720 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| THREE RIVERS CRISIS CENTER | WAHPETON, ND | $56,600 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| 701 MONKEY BUSINESS | CARSON, ND | $56,300 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| JOB DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF ARTHUR | ARTHUR, ND | $55,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CHI LISBON HEALTH | LISBON, ND | $52,900 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| EMERGENCY FOOD PANTRY | FARGO, ND | $51,010 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| THE ARC OF BISMARCK | BISMARCK, ND | $50,700 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| YMCA OF THE NORTHERN SKY | FARGO, ND | $50,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| GRAFTON BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE | GRAFTON, ND | $50,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| STARK COUNTY COUNCIL ON AGING ELDER | DICKINSON, ND | $50,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NEW ROCKFORD-SHEYENNE PUBLIC SCHOOL | NEW ROCKFORD, ND | $46,936 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| RED RIVER COMMUNITY HOUSING DEVELOP | GRAFTON, ND | $46,300 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY OF CARE | CASSELTON, ND | $45,750 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
THEODORE ROOSEVELT PRESIDENTIAL LIB
$1,136,275PROGRAM SUPPORT
WISHEK PARK BOARD
$781,511PROGRAM SUPPORT
UNITED TRIBES TECHNICAL COLLEGE
$322,741PROGRAM SUPPORT
MCKENZIE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTR
$312,068PROGRAM SUPPORT
ST MARY'S SCHOOL
$289,500PROGRAM SUPPORT
SAMARITAN'S PURSE
$250,250PROGRAM SUPPORT
SITTING BULL COLLEGE
PROGRAM SUPPORT
NORTH DAKOTA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$187,926PROGRAM SUPPORT
CANDESKA CIKANA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
$185,892PROGRAM SUPPORT
TURTLE MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE I
$163,934PROGRAM SUPPORT
DICKINSON AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$153,116PROGRAM SUPPORT
OAK GROVE LUTHERAN SCHOOL
$150,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
PRAIRIE ROSE GOLF COURSE
$133,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
ANNE CARLSEN CENTER
$132,932PROGRAM SUPPORT
ARTHUR FIRE DEPARTMENT
$120,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
GRAFTON COMMUNITY FUNDS
$114,990PROGRAM SUPPORT
CITY OF ARTHUR
$111,112PROGRAM SUPPORT
HOME ON THE RANGE
$107,990PROGRAM SUPPORT
NUETA HIDATSA SAHNISH COLLEGE NE
$105,338PROGRAM SUPPORT
ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPIT
$100,150PROGRAM SUPPORT
HEARTVIEW FOUNDATION
$94,646PROGRAM SUPPORT
NEW SALEM PARK DISTRICT
$93,332PROGRAM SUPPORT
LAKE REGION STATE COLLEGE
$79,232PROGRAM SUPPORT
GRAFTON EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
$75,120PROGRAM SUPPORT
NEW SALEM SADDLE CLUB
$75,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
NORTH DAKOTA TRIBAL COLLEGE SYSTEM
$72,631PROGRAM SUPPORT
ST GERARD'S COMMUNITY OF CARE
$70,737PROGRAM SUPPORT
LUTHERAN SUNSET HOME
$70,456PROGRAM SUPPORT
ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST CATHOLIC CHU
$69,800PROGRAM SUPPORT
MISSOURI SLOPE AREAWIDE UNITED WAY
$69,725PROGRAM SUPPORT
UNITY MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION
$68,910PROGRAM SUPPORT
NORTH DAKOTA VETERANS CEMETERY FOUN
$65,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
GREAT PLAINS FOOD BANK
$63,398PROGRAM SUPPORT
MOTT HEALTH CARE CENTER
$63,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
MILNOR SCHOOL DISTRICT
$60,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
CHI HEALTH CONNECT AT HOME - FARGO
$58,140PROGRAM SUPPORT
RICHLAND WILKIN EMERGENCY FOOD PANT
$57,050PROGRAM SUPPORT
ABUSED ADULT RESOURCE CENTER
$56,720PROGRAM SUPPORT
THREE RIVERS CRISIS CENTER
$56,600PROGRAM SUPPORT
701 MONKEY BUSINESS
$56,300PROGRAM SUPPORT
JOB DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF ARTHUR
$55,500PROGRAM SUPPORT
CHI LISBON HEALTH
$52,900PROGRAM SUPPORT
EMERGENCY FOOD PANTRY
$51,010PROGRAM SUPPORT
THE ARC OF BISMARCK
$50,700PROGRAM SUPPORT
YMCA OF THE NORTHERN SKY
$50,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
GRAFTON BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE
$50,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
STARK COUNTY COUNCIL ON AGING ELDER
$50,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
NEW ROCKFORD-SHEYENNE PUBLIC SCHOOL
$46,936PROGRAM SUPPORT
RED RIVER COMMUNITY HOUSING DEVELOP
$46,300PROGRAM SUPPORT
COMMUNITY OF CARE
$45,750PROGRAM SUPPORT
Current and upcoming funding from North Dakota Community Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: An eligible nonprofit organization or government agency from anywhere in North Dakota may apply.
Deadline: Applications are accepted every summer.
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