Connecting

PEOPLE & PURPOSE

At the FM Area Foundation, they don’t call it “making a donation;” it’s “making an impact.” They’ve been doing that in Cass and Clay counties for over 58 years for nonprofits and charitable causes. The FM Area Foundation, your community foundation, has been bringing together members of our community and helping them make a greater impact with their charitable dollars. They currently manage over 360 charitable funds and since 1960 they have granted over 40 million dollars in our community.

It’s the foundation’s tagline: Connecting people and purpose.

“Historically we’ve done this in a very personalized and one-on-one way,” says Lexi Oestreich, program officer at the FM Area Foundation.

Now, they’re launching a tool to do this on a much larger scale.

The idea behind this new giving platform, called the grant catalog, is to inspire people to give this holiday season by highlighting the needs of local nonprofits. The website will showcase a variety of charities and share information about projects and programs that need support in the areas of basic human needs, education, community building and the arts. This interactive platform will allow online donations and track, in real time, gifts and progress being made towards each fundraising goal.

Launching in early November, the grant catalog will be available online through their website, areafoundation.org. “This kind of crowdfunding site for nonprofits will help expand their reach by not only letting people donate a gift, but also letting them know the specific needs of our nonprofit sector,” Oestreich says. The initial grant catalog fundraiser will run through the end of the year, focusing on holiday giving. Subsequent fundraisers will be offered in 2019.

The platform gives donors the chance to learn about a wide variety of needs in our area and the opportunity to broaden their scope of giving. “It will help donors feel more of a connection to what they’re giving to,” says Greg Diehl, development officer. “Donors want to make a difference, not just a donation.” The grant catalog will allow like-minded donors, through their giving, to collectively address current needs in the community and make a difference today.

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The foundation also helps donors set up charitable funds, provides resources to professional advisors, administers a number of scholarship funds, assists nonprofits through capacity-building trainings, and supports community initiatives. The foundation also provides assistance to donors regarding the ND Charitable Income Tax Credit and the IRA Charitable Rollover programs.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED in working with the FM Area Foundation or have any questions, please contact Lexi Oestreich or Greg Diehl at 701-234-0756.