Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region

What Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region does

The Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region is a 501(c)(3) public charity incorporated in November 1997 and operating since January 1998 as a tax-exempt community foundation headquartered at 620 DeMers Avenue, Grand Forks, North Dakota. It serves donors, nonprofits, professional advisors, and community members across Grand Forks, Walsh, and Polk Counties in the middle and upper Red River Valley, managing $28 million in charitable assets across 165+ funds and having granted nearly $16 million cumulatively since inception.

The Foundation's core product is structured charitable fund management, offered through donor-advised funds, field-of-interest funds, unrestricted funds, organizational endowment funds, designated funds, scholarship funds, and corporate funds. Underlying technology is minimal and non-proprietary: the Foundation operates a grantinterface.com grant portal, a Mailchimp-powered newsletter, Stripe payment processing, a basic fund-holder portal, and invests charitable assets through eight regional fund managers (Alerus, American Federal, Bremer, First State, Frandsen, Johnson Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley, US Bank). The Foundation is accredited under the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations and holds a Candid GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency.

The revenue model is nonprofit-donation-driven: the Foundation receives charitable contributions from individuals, families, businesses, and organizations, pools and invests them through regional fund managers, and disburses grants to community causes. It does not charge explicit fees to donors. Operating geography is regional (three counties), customer segments span individuals/families, business/corporate entities, nonprofit organizations, professional advisors, and educational institutions, and recent strategic priorities have expanded into direct-service programs including Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (launched July 2025) and the Women's Fund Leadership Academy.

Name

Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region

Legal name

Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region

Website

https://gofoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region is a 501(c)(3) public charity that manages $28 million in charitable assets across 165+ funds for donors, nonprofits, and professional advisors in Grand Forks, Walsh, and Polk Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation and Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Charitable fund management
• Donor-advised funds
• Grantmaking and scholarships
• Regional philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Forks

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Charitable Contributions and Donations: The foundation receives charitable contributions from individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to establish donor-advised, designated, field-of-interest, unrestricted, scholarship, and organizational funds. Revenue is generated through the accumulation and investment of these charitable assets.
2. Investment Management Fees: The foundation pools charitable funds and invests them through regional fund managers, generating returns that support grantmaking activities while maintaining endowment principal.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation that creates and manages charitable funds on behalf of individual donors, families, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. It offers structured fund vehicles (donor-advised, designated, field-of-interest, unrestricted, scholarship, organizational, and corporate funds), invests pooled assets through regional fund managers, and redistributes capital as grants, scholarships, and emergency relief across Grand Forks, Walsh, and Polk Counties.

Product overview

The Community Foundation offers a comprehensive suite of charitable fund management products and programs. The core offerings include various fund types: Donor-Advised Funds (Flexible and Endowed), Field of Interest Funds, Unrestricted Funds, Organizational Funds, Designated Funds, Scholarship Funds, and Corporate Funds. These funds enable donors to organize charitable giving, maximize tax benefits, and support causes according to their preferences. The Foundation also manages component funds including the Women's Fund (with its Leadership Academy), and operates community programs such as Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and the Longest Table initiative. Grant programs include the Neel Family Fund (music education), Iseminger Endowment for the Arts (arts programs), and the Nonprofit Relief Fund for emergency response. Services include grant management, fund holder portal access, and professional investment management through 8 regional fund managers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women's Fund: A component fund of the Community Foundation promoting regional programs that inspire, empower, and invest in women and girls, established in 2002 by twenty area women.

Products and services

• Donor-Advised Funds Funds for which donors and family members make recommendations for grants, subject to Foundation board approval. Available as Flexible funds (minimum $10,000 balance for grants) or Endowed funds (designed to grow principal for long-term use).
• Field of Interest Funds Funds supporting broadly defined areas such as arts, environment, health and wellness, allowing flexibility to support issues in perpetuity without committing to specific organizations.
• Unrestricted Funds Funds providing flexible resources to support innovative responses to community challenges and opportunities, with grant selection based on community needs through a competitive process.
• Organizational Funds Endowed funds created by nonprofit organizations for long-term stewardship and fiscal management, with over 30 organizations having placed endowment funds.
• Designated Funds Funds supporting specific nonprofits in perpetuity, naming particular charitable organizations as beneficiaries of grants in the donor's name.
• Scholarship Funds Funds providing students with educational dollars according to specific criteria such as field of study or geographic area. Foundation manages application, selection, and award processes.
• Corporate Funds Funds facilitating corporate philanthropy through donor-advised, field of interest, unrestricted, or designated structures, offering tax advantages and administrative support.
• Women's Fund A component fund established in 2002 by twenty area women, promoting regional programs that inspire, empower, and invest in women and girls through grants and the Women's Fund Leadership Academy.
• Imagination Library Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program available to Grand Forks County children ages 0-5, providing free age-appropriate books monthly regardless of family income.
• Longest Table

Quantifiable outcome

• Has granted nearly $16 million to create stronger, more vibrant communities since 1998
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Knight FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 October 2025Partnership with Knight Foundation to provide $30,000 matching gift to Prairie Public public media station. This investment is part of Knight Foundation's national initiative to provide emergency support to local public media stations in Knight communities.
• Bell BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025Co-hosted Trusted Advisors Seminar with Bell Bank featuring Bryan Clontz, nationally renowned founder of Charitable Solutions, LLC, focused on charitable trends for financial advisors.
• Prairie PubliccoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRecipient of $30,000 matching gift from Community Foundation and Knight Foundation partnership. Serves eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota with trusted journalism, cultural programming, and educational resources.
• CFLeadscoreOthersCFLeads is a national membership organization for community foundations. CEO Becca Baumbach selected to participate in 2025-26 cohort of CFLeads' Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) for CEOs.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Foundation serves as local affiliate for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, providing free books monthly to children ages 0-5 in Grand Forks County. Grassroots effort raised $90,000 to launch program.
• Longest TableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity initiative that brings neighbors together for shared meals and conversation. Foundation serves as convener and supporter of the regional Longest Table events.
• AleruscoreOthersRegional fund manager for Foundation assets with Anna Larson as relationship contact.
• American Federal BankcoreOthersRegional fund manager for Foundation assets with Patrick Stadum as relationship contact.
• Bremer BankcoreOthersRegional fund manager for Foundation assets with Brice Welch as relationship contact.
• First State BankcoreOthersRegional fund manager for Foundation assets with Brian Thompson as relationship contact.
• Frandsen Bank & TrustcoreOthersRegional fund manager for Foundation assets with Matt Peterson as relationship contact.
• Johnson Wealth ManagementcoreOthersRegional fund manager for Foundation assets with Derrick Johnson as relationship contact.
• Morgan StanleycoreOthersRegional fund manager for Foundation assets with Chad DeTienne as relationship contact.
• US BankcoreOthersRegional fund manager for Foundation assets with Mark Uhler as relationship contact. Also hosts Foundation headquarters in US Bank building.
• NDANOcoreOthersNorth Dakota Association of Nonprofit Organizations - membership organization supporting the nonprofit sector.
• Grand Forks Region Chamber of CommercecoreOthersRegional Chamber of Commerce - membership and partnership for community development initiatives.
• Grand Forks Economic Development CorporationcoreOthersPartnership with EDC for regional economic development and community building initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-foundation-of-grand-forks-east-grand-forks-and-region

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region