Powers Lake Area Community Foundation Grants

The Powers Lake Community Foundation, a component fund of the North Dakota Community Foundation (NDCF), was established by concerned local residents to provide sustained financial support to vital community projects in the Powers Lake area. NDCF is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization under IRS Code 501(c)(3) and North Dakota law. It handles investment, accounting, auditing, and gift processing services, which allows the Powers Lake Community Foundation to focus on promoting its mission and distributing grants to impactful local initiatives. The foundation operates through a dual-structure funding model. The primary fund is the Powers Lake Community Endowment, which awards annual grants to community service organizations and qualifies for a 40% North Dakota income tax credit for individuals or couples donating over $5,000, or for any amount donated by corporations. This endowment is intended to grow over time to support increasingly significant community needs. In addition, the foundation manages Non-Endowment Project Funds, which are earmarked for immediate use by specific local projects, including ambulance, fire, school, watershed, preschool, and historical preservation. While these gifts qualify as federal charitable deductions, they do not qualify for the North Dakota tax credit. The foundation’s grant program opens annually from July 1st through September 29th. Funding is awarded competitively and is based on urgency, community impact, and fund availability. Grants are restricted to organizations with 501(c)(3) status or government agencies. Projects that serve the broader Powers Lake region, or a larger segment of county residents, are prioritized. Sample fundable projects include playgrounds, tree planting, school technology needs, food pantry programs, healthcare facility improvements, and public safety enhancements such as ambulance and fire services. Certain types of projects are given low or no priority. National organizations, day-to-day operational expenses, or religious activities that are not non-sectarian and community-serving receive low priority. Individual scholarships, multi-year funding pledges, or projects related to political lobbying or activities likely to cause significant public controversy are not eligible for funding. Applications are submitted through an online grant portal. Interested applicants must first review the grant criteria, then register with organizational and executive officer details. After registration, applicants can access and complete the application form. Grants may be awarded partially or fully, at the advisory committee’s discretion, and extensions or additional deadlines may be added. Questions regarding the application process may be directed to Kevin Carlson at kevrcarlson@yahoo.com or to the community inbox at powerslake@ndcf.net. For anonymous donations, estate planning, or contributions involving non-cash assets, applicants may contact John Heinen, NDCF Western ND Regional Director, at (701) 590-4614 or via email at John@NDCF.net.

Applicants are encouraged to focus on urgent, high-impact community-wide needs.