NSEDC participates in the Bering Sea Fisheries to provide economic development to our member communities through education, employment, training and financial assistance while protecting subsistence resources.
Focus Areas
Fisheries and fisheries researchEconomic development for Norton Sound/Bering Strait communitiesCommunity benefits and municipal grantsEducation, employment and workforce trainingEnergy projects and community energy fundInfrastructure (water, sewer, large infrastructure)Small business and loan programsSeafood processing (Norton Sound Seafood Products)
Who They Fund
community members/local communitiesunspecified recipients
About Norton Sound Economic Development
Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation’s grantmaking is built around a regional benefit-share model: it sends funds to member communities in the Bering Strait and Norton Sound area, with municipal governments and local entities appearing repeatedly in the recent grants list. The largest recent awards reach into the high six figures, including $899,968 to the City of Nome and $873,511 to the City of St Michael, both listed under community benefit share and discretionary grants. That pattern matches the organization’s stated role in providing economic development for member communities through education, employment, training, and financial assistance while protecting subsistence resources.
The foundation’s grant records also show support for civic systems and local institutions. In 2024 it awarded $520,000 to Norton Sound Health Corp in Nome, and $476,095 to Nome Joint Utilities in Nome, indicating that health and utility entities sit alongside city governments in its funding mix. Bering Strait School District appears as well, with grants in Unalakleet in both 2023 and 2024. Across the recent list, awards are concentrated in Alaska communities tied to the corporation’s membership base, and the mix includes both annual community distributions and discretionary grants.
What Norton Sound Economic Development Funds
Community benefit funding is a defining part of this foundation’s work. In 2025 it gave $669,585 to Native Village of Savoonga as a discretionary grant, and it made additional community benefit share awards to municipal governments such as the City of Gambell, the City of Teller, and the City of Unalakleet.
Education and youth-related support also appears in the record. The Bering Strait School District in Unalakleet received $469,226 in 2024 and $307,751 in 2025, showing repeated support for a core regional education provider.
The foundation also backs health and infrastructure-related purposes. Norton Sound Health Corp in Nome received $520,000 in 2024, while Nome Joint Utilities in Nome received $476,095 in 2024 and $256,140 in 2025. Those awards sit alongside the corporation’s stated focus on water, sewer, energy, and other community infrastructure.
How Norton Sound Economic Development Gives
Typical grants cluster around a mid-five-figure to low-six-figure range, with p25 at $19,832, median at $77,076, and p75 at $250,504. The recent list also shows much larger community distributions for member communities, especially through community benefit share and discretionary grants. Giving is recurring: the same recipients appear across multiple years, including several cities and local institutions. The foundation operates as a regional development corporation rather than a private family foundation, and it uses both open programs and community-level distributions. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including scholarships, community employment, community-based training, water and sewer, energy, and large infrastructure funds.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$6.3M
Total Assets
$400.6M
Total Revenue
$27.5M
Total Expenses
$35.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $20K and $251K, with a median of $77K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$77K
75th Percentile
$251K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Janis Ivanoff
Deep Analysis
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
community benefit/general community supportlocal discretionary grantmakingno specific programmatic focus stated
Where Norton Sound Economic Development Makes Grants
Giving is overwhelmingly local: 99% of grants go to recipients in Alaska, and the top state by grant count is Alaska. Recent awards are spread across Bering Strait and Norton Sound communities, with Nome, St Michael, Gambell, Unalakleet, Stebbins, Teller, Elim, Savoonga, Golovin, Shaktoolik, Koyuk, and Shishmaref appearing in the record. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 136 grants in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions About Norton Sound Economic Development
What kinds of organizations does Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation fund?
Its recent grants go mainly to member communities and local institutions in the Norton Sound and Bering Strait region, including city governments, a school district, a health corporation, and utility providers. The organization’s stated focus areas also include fisheries, economic development, education and workforce training, energy, infrastructure, and small business and loan programs.
Does Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation fund only one-off grants?
No. The recent record shows repeated support to the same recipients across years, including several city governments and the Bering Strait School District. That pattern sits alongside annual community distributions and discretionary grants.
How large are typical grants?
The typical grant size is $19,832 at the 25th percentile, $77,076 at the median, and $250,504 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include larger community-level grants in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Which areas of work appear most often in the grant programs?
Active programs cover scholarships and loan repayment, community employment, community-based training, large infrastructure, community energy, water and sewer, and substance abuse prevention. The organization also lists community benefit share as a recurring funding mechanism for member communities.
Can applicants submit unsolicited requests?
Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including the scholarships and education awards, community employment, community-based training, large infrastructure, community energy fund, and water and sewer fund. Community Benefit Share and Substance Abuse Prevention are marked as not accepting unsolicited requests.
Latest 990 Filing
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Open Grant Opportunities
Current and upcoming funding from Norton Sound Economic Development that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Open nowCloses Nov 15, 2026Award: $0 – $1M
Community Energy Fund (CEF)
Community energyRenewable energyEnergy efficiency+2 more
Who can apply: Applicant must be a local utility, municipal government, ANCSA Village Corporation, or federally recognized tribal government located in one of NSEDC's member communities. Applicants with delinquent balances through NSEDC's Consolidated Bulk Fuel Program are ineligible. Projects must be beyond the conceptual phase, shovel-ready, provide a community-wide energy benefit, and leverage state, federal, or other funding sources. Resolutions of support from all other eligible entities in the applicant's community are required.
Deadline: February 15, May 15, August 15, or November 15 each year; if a deadline falls on a weekend or NSEDC-recognized holiday, it moves to the next business day.
Large infrastructureFacility renovationFacility construction+2 more
Who can apply: Applicants must be municipal governments, federally recognized tribal governments, or local or regional nonprofit organizations located in one of NSEDC’s fifteen member communities. Applicants must not have delinquent Consolidated Bulk Fuel Program balances. Projects must serve all residents of a community, address long-term strategic goals, and generally be shovel-ready. Projects over $100,000 require a 25% match; regional projects require 75% of funding from sources other than NSEDC. Road, highway, and runway projects are ineligible.
Deadline: Applications are due February 15, May 15, August 15, or November 15 each year, with the deadline moving to the next business day when it falls on a weekend or NSEDC-recognized holiday. The program is scheduled to sunset after November 15, 2026.
Open nowRolling / open intakeAward: $300K – $1M
Water & Sewer Fund (WSF)
Water infrastructureSewer infrastructurePublic health+2 more
Who can apply: Applicants must be a local utility, municipal government, federally recognized tribal government, or local or regional nonprofit organization located in one of NSEDC’s fifteen member communities. Applicants must not have delinquent Consolidated Bulk Fuel Program balances. Projects must be shovel-ready, beyond the conceptual phase, and include architectural drawings. At least one letter of support from the City, Tribe, or Native Corporation is required. Full project funding from all sources must be secured before NSEDC remits funds.
Deadline: Applications are due February 15, May 15, August 15, or November 15 each year, with the deadline moving to the next business day when it falls on a weekend or NSEDC-recognized holiday. Emergency requests may be made outside the normal quarterly cycle.
Track these deadlines, get reminders, and see how well your nonprofit fits — free with a Kindora account.
Deadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.