Provides support to people and businesses affected by coronavirus pandemic   In times of disaster, our community comes together. The people of Fargo-Moorhead have proven this time and time again. The past few weeks have been challenging as we all navigate the coronavirus pandemic, social distancing and the temporary closure of many facilities; however, our community is once again rising to the o…

The FM Area Foundation recently activated its Community Response Fund of Cass and Clay Counties to address the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic in the Fargo-Moorhead area. The Foundation initially funded the Community Response Fund with $25,000 and is now committing an additional $250,000 as a challenge grant to the community. Grants from this fund will go to qualified nonprofit organizat…

The FM Area Foundation has activated its Community Response Fund of Cass and Clay Counties to respond to the impact of COVID-19. The purpose of this fund is to collect donations from individuals, families, businesses, private foundations, and the like, to support immediate and long-term recovery efforts following a community crisis or disaster. The Foundation is currently collecting donations to …

When available, donations from IRAs are one of the best charitable giving tools after tax reform. They completely avoid the standard deduction and give the donor a full dollar-for-dollar benefit. For federal tax purposes, qualified distributions up to $100K from an IRA made directly to charitable organizations are excluded from the owner’s gross income, if the distributions are made on or after t…

Most taxpayers won’t accumulate enough itemized deductions to exceed the new standard deduction. But if they plan deductions to be incurred over every other (or every third) year, they may periodically exceed the standard deduction and secure a tax benefit for their charitable donations in that “bunched” year. The key is pushing some deductions off to a future year and then, in that year, acceler…

The FM Area Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of three new legacy funds—the Immanuel Kant Endowment Fund I, Immanuel Kant Endowment Fund II and the Immanuel Kant Music Fund. These funds established in April of 2018 through Dr. Immanuel J. Wilk’s revocable living trust will benefit the Temple Beth El endowment fund, as well as graduate students in the chemistry departments at NDSU…

When families embark on a journey to make philanthropy a part of their lives across generations, it often starts with simple concepts: Having fun as a family, getting in touch with nature, being authentic and open about values, donating canned goods or clothing to families in need, recycling cardboard and aluminum cans, celebrating every birthday and holiday with a big cake and a gift to charity,…

Whether it’s January, May, or September, it’s always a good time to check in on your budget. So how do you factor in your charitable giving? To get started, consider planning your social impact budget around three points—amount, timing, and category. 1. How much? That’s the $64 question. Or more, depending on your budget. The first thing to keep in mind when setting a budget for supporting you…

Lakes & Prairies Community Action Agency purchases new building to expand program offerings Lakes & Prairies Community Action Partnership works with and for low-income children, families and seniors throughout the area. They help people take the journey from barely surviving to fully thriving in our community by connecting them to opportunities, providing information and offering progra…

A new charitable fund was recently established through the FM Area Foundation to support the Fargo-Moorhead area in perpetuity. On Jan. 5, 2016, at the age of 92, Roland Stenerson passed away leaving an unrestricted gift in the amount of $509,658 to the FM Area Foundation and ultimately his community. The Roland Stenerson Designated Fund, created by Stenerson in 2009, was funded by proceeds fr…