Skip to main content

Learn

NDCF News & Reports

Otto Bremer Trust Selects the North Dakota Community Foundation as Philanthropic Intermediary Partner for New Community Responsive Fund

Otto Bremer Trust logo

The Otto Bremer Trust is a private charitable trust based in St. Paul, Minn. Created in 1944 by business and community leader Otto Bremer, it is committed to supporting an enhanced quality of life for residents of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.

North Dakota Community Foundation will administer and distribute $1,500,000 in grants of up to $75,000 to local nonprofits; applications now open.

February 23, 2024, Bismarck, ND — The North Dakota Community Foundation (NDCF) has been selected by the Otto Bremer Trust (OBT) as a philanthropic intermediary partner to administer and distribute funds through its new Community Responsive Fund. Under the new partnership, NDCF will work closely with OBT to administer $1.5 million in funds for grants up to $75,000 to support local organizations that directly respond to immediate challenges and opportunities in the state.

NDCF will serve as a local expert to ensure that the Otto Bremer Trust is increasing the positive impact in the regions it serves by providing guidance on and administering grants from OBT directly to the organizations within North Dakota that are providing effective services and programs.

Download the full news release here . . . 

 


Scott Nicholson

NDCF Welcomes Nicholson and Wadsworth

January 11, 2024—  Scott Nicholson and Nicole Wadsworth have joined the staff of the North Dakota Community Foundation (NDCF). 

Nicholson is the organization’s new Development Director for Southeastern North Dakota and will be establishing an office in Wahpeton.  A graduate of North Dakota State University with a degree in Business Administration, Nicholson was previously the Community Banker Team Lead at Bremer Bank in Breckenridge. He has served on the Richland-Wilkin Community Foundation’s Advisory Committee for two years.

Nicholson will be replacing Jana Berndt as the Development Director for the Richland Wilkin Community Foundation (RWCF).  Berndt has served in that role on a part-time basis since November of 2020. 

 

Nicole Wadsworth

Nicole Wadsworth is the new Executive Assistant for NDCF’s office in Dickinson, North Dakota.  She has an associate’s degree from Dickinson State University and is currently working toward her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.  Wadsworth has previously worked as an Office Manager for companies in North Dakota and California.  She will assist with organization, reporting, and other administrative tasks of NDCF’s Dickinson office, which supports communities, donors, and funds in western North Dakota.

 

 

 

 

 


NDCF Announces More Than $383,000 in Grant Awards from Second Round of Grid United's Community Investment Program

North Plains Connector logo

Bismarck, ND., December 12, 2023 – The North Dakota Community Foundation (NDCF) is pleased to announce it has awarded $383,689 in grants from the Grid United Community Investment Program (CIP) to nonprofit organizations in southwestern North Dakota in its second grant round.  

The CIP will support the six North Dakota counties in which Grid United’s North Plains Connector – a transmission line connecting the U.S. eastern and western electric grids in Montana and North Dakota – will be located.  These counties are Golden Valley, Slope, Hettinger, Grant, Morton, and Oliver.

NDCF utilized the local community foundations under its umbrella in this part of the state to distribute the CIP grant dollars.  Each community foundation has an advisory committee of five to nine residents who know and understand the needs in their area.  Committees reviewed grant applications and recommended awards to those projects and programs that would have the greatest impact.

The grant awards for the second grant round by community . . .  download the full news release here


NDCF Celebrates Impact of Local Community Foundations

November 8, 2023 ─  The North Dakota Community Foundation (NDCF) is celebrating the work of its local community foundations during National Community Foundation Week, November 12-18. Community Foundation Week, created in 1989 by former president George H.W. Bush, recognizes the work of community foundations throughout America and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to address community problems.

“Our local community foundations understand area needs and are in the best position to address the issues their community faces,” said Kevin Dvorak, President and CEO of NDCF. “They are a valuable tool in funding projects and programs and provide a way for residents to give back to their area, with built-in flexibility to meet the changing needs of the community.”

NDCF currently administers community endowment funds for 69 local community foundations in North Dakota, as well as a variety of other types of charitable funds including scholarships, donor-advised funds, and organizational endowment funds, which support specific charities in the state.

Download the full news release here.


NDCF AWARDS $207,850 IN GRANTS

October 23, 2023 . . . The North Dakota Community Foundation has awarded $207,850 in grants from its Statewide Greatest Needs (Unrestricted) Fund to 56 organizations across the state working to improve the quality of life for state residents.  

“Our philosophy has always been to let the people in North Dakota tell us what they need, we don’t tell them what WE think they need,” said Kevin J. Dvorak, President & CEO of NDCF. “These grant awards represent a wide variety of  projects and programs across our state that improve the quality of life for area residents and we are happy to help fund them.” 

The NDCF Board of Directors reviewed and discussed 87 grant applications at their meeting in September to make the determination of awards.  Grant awards are listed below by general area of the state. If the location is not obvious in the organization name, it has been added.
 

Download the full listing of grantees here.


NDCF Announces Over $300,000 in Grant Awards from Grid United's Community Investment Program

September 1, 2023 — The North Dakota Community Foundation (NDCF) is pleased to announce it has awarded $313,500 in grants from the Grid United Community Investment Program (CIP) to nonprofit organizations in southwestern North Dakota so far this year.

Grid United is an independent transmission company that builds new long-distance, interregional transmission lines to enhance grid reliability and resiliency. The CIP will support the six North Dakota counties in which Grid United’s North Plains Connector – a transmission line connecting the U.S. eastern and western electric grids in Montana and North Dakota – will be located.  These counties include Golden Valley, Slope, Hettinger, Grant, Morton, and Oliver.

NDCF utilized the local community foundations under its umbrella in this part of the state to distribute the CIP grant dollars.  Each community foundation has an advisory committee of 5-9 local residents who know the needs in their area.  Committees reviewed grant applications and recommended awards to those projects and programs that would . . . 

Download the full news release here.


NDCF Awards More Than $8 Million in 2022

May 15, 2023 . . . The North Dakota Community Foundation (NDCF) has announced that it awarded over $8 million in grants and charitable program expenses in 2022.  The organization was founded in 1976 to improve the quality of life of North Dakotans through charitable giving and promoting philanthropy. 

NDCF currently manages over 850 charitable funds, including 69 local community foundations in the state and over 150 scholarship funds for North Dakota students.  It also administers organizational endowment funds, donor-advised funds, school foundations, and special interest funds for individuals and nonprofit organizations across North Dakota. It has awarded over $99 million in grants since its inception and ended 2022 with more than $113 million in net assets.  The organization has offices in Bismarck, Larimore, Dickinson, and Wahpeton, North Dakota.

Download the full news release here.

Download the 2022 Annual Report here.