What North Dakota Community Foundation does

North Dakota Community Foundation (NDCF) is a statewide 501(c)(3) public nonprofit community foundation founded in 1976 by Governor Bill Guy, headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, with additional offices across the state and approximately 10 employees. The organization stewards over 1,000 charitable funds and 72 community endowment funds led by local volunteers, and is the only North Dakota community foundation to hold Council on Foundations National Standards accreditation (re-earned in 2023). Since inception it has received 49,751 gifts totaling $200 million and made 38,112 grants totaling $121 million, with total assets reaching approximately $188 million in 2025 (versus $160 million in net assets at year-end 2024).

NDCF's core product is community-foundation fund administration: it accepts gifts from individuals, corporations, nonprofits, school districts, government and tribal entities, and professional advisors; pools and invests those gifts into long-duration endowment and non-endowed project funds; and deploys grants back into North Dakota communities. Its underlying technology platform is built on Foundant Technologies' Grant Lifecycle Manager (GLM) and FCSuite, which together handle donor records, fund accounting, grant workflows, and reporting. Operationally, the foundation underwrites a 40% North Dakota state tax credit on qualifying endowment gifts, making it the primary delivery vehicle in the state for tax-advantaged philanthropic capital.

NDCF's revenue mechanics center on endowment management: long-horizon AUM earns a typical community-foundation administrative fee (historically in the low single digits of AUM), supplemented by fees on non-endowed project funds and donor services. Programmatic revenue is augmented through institutional partnerships, including the 2026 Community Responsive Fund with Otto Bremer Trust and Vision West ND Foundation ($1.5 million) and the 2023 North Plains Connector Community Investment Program with Cardinal Ethanol. The go-to-market model is relationship-driven and place-based, leveraging four physical offices, 72 community endowment volunteer boards, and a 50-year brand legacy to attract and retain donors across North Dakota's rural geography.

Name

North Dakota Community Foundation

Legal name

North Dakota Community Foundation

Website

https://ndcf.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The North Dakota Community Foundation is a statewide 501(c)(3) public nonprofit founded in 1976 that administers over 1,000 charitable funds, deploys grants across North Dakota, and serves individual donors, nonprofits, school districts, government/tribal entities, and professional advisors through community-based endowment stewardship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bismarck

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Endowment Fund Management: NDCF manages endowment funds for communities, nonprofits, and schools. Approximately 4% of the previous 12-quarter rolling average of the endowment fund's balance is available annually for the organization's use.
2. Non-Endowed Project Funds: NDCF handles administration of project-specific funds, sending receipts to donors and managing funds for organizations.
3. Donor Services and Gift Processing: NDCF accepts various gift types including cash, securities, real estate, retirement savings, life insurance, and more, providing tax deduction receipts and managing charitable giving vehicles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NDCF is a statewide 501(c)(3) public charity that receives, invests, and distributes charitable funds to support programs across North Dakota. It administers donor-advised funds, community endowment funds, scholarship funds, charitable gift annuities, IRA rollovers, fiscal sponsorship services, and various grant programs including the Statewide Greatest Needs and Otto Bremer Trust Community Responsive Fund. The foundation manages over 1,000 charitable funds and 72 community endowment funds.

Product overview

The North Dakota Community Foundation (NDCF) operates as a statewide 501(c)(3) public charity established in 1976 to improve quality of life through charitable giving and philanthropy. NDCF offers a comprehensive suite of philanthropic services including Donor-Advised Funds, Community Endowment Funds, Scholarship Programs, and various Grant Programs (Statewide Greatest Needs, Otto Bremer Trust Community Responsive Fund). Supporting services include Fiscal Sponsorship, Charitable Gift Annuities, IRA Rollovers, and specialized gift options (Agricultural Commodities, Mineral Rights). The foundation also manages School Foundations and offers a unique 40% North Dakota State Tax Credit for endowment gifts. NDCF administers over 1,000 charitable funds including 72 community endowment funds across the state.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor-Advised Funds Charitable giving vehicle allowing donors to contribute assets and recommend grants to qualified nonprofits over time while receiving tax benefits. For individual donors and families seeking flexible philanthropic giving.
• Community Endowment Funds Permanent charitable funds established for specific communities across North Dakota, managed by local volunteers and benefiting local causes. For North Dakota towns, counties, and local communities.
• Scholarship Funds Over 100 scholarship programs administered for North Dakota students at various education levels and fields of study. For students, donors establishing scholarships, and educational institutions.
• Statewide Greatest Needs Grant Program Flexible grant program supporting organizations addressing immediate community needs across North Dakota, typically up to $5,000. For North Dakota nonprofit organizations.
• Otto Bremer Trust Community Responsive Fund Grant program administered for OBT distributing $1.5 million in funds up to $75,000 for organizations in focus areas including food, shelter, healthcare, and disability services. For North Dakota community organizations.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Services Allows new organizations or projects to receive tax-deductible donations through NDCF's 501(c)(3) status without establishing their own nonprofit status. For emerging nonprofits and charitable projects.
• Charitable Gift Annuities Planned giving vehicle providing fixed lifetime income to donors or beneficiaries with remainder going to charity. For individual donors seeking lifetime income plus charitable impact.
• IRA Charitable Rollovers Qualified charitable distribution option allowing donors 70½ or older to transfer IRA assets directly to charity, satisfying RMD requirements. For IRA owners aged 70½ or older.
• Agricultural Commodities Gifts Accepts gifts of agricultural commodities as charitable contributions, providing tax advantages while supporting local communities. For North Dakota farmers and agricultural producers.
• Gifts of Mineral Rights Accepts gifts of mineral rights as charitable contributions, particularly relevant in North Dakota's energy-producing regions. For mineral rights owners in ND's oil and gas producing areas.
• School Foundation Management Manages and supports endowment and project funds for school foundations across North Dakota to supplement school funding. For North Dakota school districts and school foundations.
• 40% State Tax Credit Program North Dakota state tax credit of up to 40% for gifts to qualified endowment funds, in addition to federal charitable deductions. For North Dakota taxpayers making qualified endowment fund gifts.
• North Plains Connector Community Investment Program Grant program established in 2023 providing funds to counties impacted by the North Plains Connector transmission line project. For counties and communities affected by transmission infrastructure development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 48,000+ grants totaling $121 million awarded since inception
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Otto Bremer Trust (OBT)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NDCF was selected by OBT as a philanthropic intermediary partner to administer and distribute funds in North Dakota through its 2026 Community Responsive Fund. NDCF works closely with OBT to administer $1.5 million in grants up to $75,000 to support local organizations addressing immediate challenges in five focus areas: food, shelter, low-income healthcare clinics, disability services, and school-based mental health.
• Vision West ND FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVision West ND Foundation manages funds through NDCF, which processes donations securely on their behalf. Vision West ND strengthens communities across western North Dakota through collaboration, leadership, and regional resilience initiatives.
• Foundant TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationFoundant provides the Grant Lifecycle Manager platform used by NDCF for their online grants portal. Organizations use this platform to register, apply for grants, and manage their applications.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Nebraska Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation that grew through a network of affiliated community funds, similar in structure to NDCF's 72 community endowments. Highly comparable model of volunteer-led local funds under a statewide umbrella.
• Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation: Regional community foundation serving Minnesota with donor-advised funds, endowments, and impact investing. Comparable in scope of philanthropic products, though with a larger population center and broader regional reach than NDCF.
• South Dakota Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation in neighboring South Dakota administering endowed funds, donor-advised funds, and scholarship programs across rural communities. Closest direct comparable in scale, governance model, and rural/agricultural donor base to NDCF.
• Iowa Community Foundation: Statewide association of community foundations in Iowa offering donor services, grantmaking, and scholarship administration. Comparable rural, agriculturally-driven donor base and statewide community-fund network to NDCF.
• Montana Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation serving Montana with community endowments, donor-advised funds, and scholarship programs. Highly comparable rural/frontier operating model and agricultural-energy donor profile to NDCF.
• Rasmuson Foundation: Statewide foundation in Alaska focused on strengthening communities through grantmaking, donor services, and endowments. Comparable in serving a low-population, resource-extraction-driven economy with statewide philanthropic intermediation.

Broad incumbents

• The Cleveland Foundation: First community foundation in the U.S. and a much larger, multi-billion-dollar operator of donor-advised funds, endowments, and grants. Useful comparable for product breadth and governance maturity, though substantially larger and urban-focused.
• Chicago Community Trust: One of the largest U.S. community foundations managing donor-advised funds, endowments, and regional grantmaking. Comparable product mix (DAFs, scholarship funds, fiscal sponsorship) but operates at materially larger scale and urban scope than NDCF.
• Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta: Large regional community foundation offering donor-advised funds, competitive grants, and scholarship administration. Comparable in operating model but serves a metro-scale donor pool unlike NDCF's rural statewide base.

Others

• Otto Bremer Trust: Private trust operating in MN, ND, and WI that partners with NDCF as a philanthropic intermediary to deploy the $1.5M Community Responsive Fund. Relevant as a major funder relationship and a comparable Minnesota/Wisconsin statewide grantmaker, though structurally a trust rather than a community foundation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NDCommunityFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-dakota-community-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about North Dakota Community Foundation