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Funding by state · ND

Grantmaking in North Dakota

379 grantmakers are based in North Dakota. Together they granted $369M across the 2022 and 2023 filings, the 50th most of any state, and kept 82% of it in North Dakota. Funding here stays close to home, the 11th most in-state of any state.

North Dakota's 4,931 nonprofits, by cause, size and age ↓
379
grantmakers
50th of 52
$369M
granted, FY2022 and FY2023
50th of 52
$237
given per resident, per year
36th of 51
82%
stays in-state
11th of 52

The short version

  • 379 grantmakers are based in North Dakota, granting $369M across the FY2022 and FY2023 IRS filings, the 50th most of any state.
  • 82% of grant dollars from North Dakota funders stayed in North Dakota; the rest went to organizations in other states.
  • North Dakota's grantmakers give $237 a year for every resident of the state.
  • North Dakota is a net importer of grant money, its organizations drawing $90M more from other states than North Dakota funders send to them.
  • Grant money reaching North Dakota organizations goes to animals at 4.84× the national rate.
  • North Dakota has 4,931 organizations registered with the IRS as 501(c)(3)s, 63 for every 10,000 residents; 89% of its public charities that report revenue or file the e-Postcard take in under $1 million a year.

Where North Dakota sits among the states

Each dot is a state, sized by its grant dollars. North Dakota is in green.

Given per resident, per year

ND
$103$7,460

Share that stays in-state

ND
0%100%

Net flow with other states

ND
−$4.8B+$3.5B

North Dakota and the other states

North Dakota's organizations draw $90M more from other states' foundations than North Dakota's send out. Switch direction to see who it funds and who funds it.

Largest destinations
  1. Minnesota$21M
  2. South Dakota$8.7M
  3. Iowa$5.6M
  4. Maryland$4.1M
  5. Montana$2.7M
  6. Nebraska$2.4M

Donor-advised funds, related-party transfers and regrants through intermediaries are left out, so these ties show where the state's own grantmakers reach.

$300M stays in-stateNorth DakotaGRANTMAKING$156Mimported from funders elsewhere$66Mexported to orgs elsewhere
North Dakota is a net importer of grant money, $90M more arrives than leaves.

Largest funders based in North Dakota

Grantmakers headquartered in North Dakota, sized by total grants made. Pick one for its dossier.

Organizations in North Dakota that draw the most

The nonprofits in North Dakota that received the most grant money.

Biggest funders reaching in from elsewhere

Out-of-state funders sending the most money to organizations in North Dakota.

What draws money in North Dakota, against the country

Each cause by how much of the grant money reaching North Dakota's organizations it takes, relative to the national rate. Right of the line is overweight, left underweight. North Dakota is most overweight on animals, at 4.84× the national rate. Dot size is the cause's share.

0.25×0.5×national2×4×Education41% · 1.79×Human services16% · 1.52×Animals7% · 4.84×Arts and culture7% · 0.85×Health5% · 0.42×Recreation and sports4% · 2.14×

Where the money goes by org size

Grant dollars to organizations in North Dakota, by the recipient's size, against the national average (the marker). North Dakota sends a larger share to $100k to $1M organizations than the country as a whole, and less to $100M and up.

Under $100k3% vs 1% national
$100k to $1M25% vs 10% national
$1M to $10M27% vs 31% national
$10M to $100M43% vs 33% national
$100M and up1% vs 26% national

Find funders by cause in North Dakota

Who funds each cause in North Dakota, with the largest funders and how to reach them.

The nonprofit sector · ND

North Dakota's nonprofits

North Dakota has 4,931 organizations registered with the IRS as 501(c)(3)s: 4,713 public charities, 1,033 of them congregations, and 218 private foundations. 89% of the public charities that report revenue or file the e-Postcard take in under $1 million a year, and together they report 5% of the sector's revenue. The largest 1% report 50%.

4,931
registered 501(c)(3)s
49th of 52
63
per 10,000 residents
7th of 51
$5.6B
charity revenue, latest returns
51st of 52
32%
file a full Form 990 or 990-EZ
10th of 52

Registered 501(c)(3)s per 10,000 residents

ND
34164

Each dot is a state, sized by its number of 501(c)(3)s. North Dakota is in green.

What they do, by count and by money

Religion is the largest group by number, 25% of North Dakota's public charities and 1% of their revenue. Health is 6% of the charities and 53% of the revenue. North Dakota has 1.56× the national share of recreation and sports charities.

Share of charitiesShare of revenue

The thin mark on the left is the national share of charities in the same cause.

Many small, a few very large

Public charities by the revenue on their latest return. Each band is drawn twice: by its share of the charities on top, and by its share of the revenue underneath.

Charities3,563 reporting revenue or filing the e-Postcard
Revenue
  • Under $50k
    61% of charities · under 0.1% of revenue
  • $50k to $250k
    17% of charities · 1% of revenue
  • $250k to $1M
    11% of charities · 4% of revenue
  • $1M to $10M
    8% of charities · 16% of revenue
  • $10M to $100M
    3% of charities · 39% of revenue
  • $100M and up
    0.2% of charities · 40% of revenue

What the IRS sees

Only charities filing a Form 990 or 990-EZ report their finances. Financial figures about nonprofits, here and in any study built on 990s, describe 32% of North Dakota's public charities.

  • 32% file a Form 990 or 990-EZ
    1,502 charities · 26% nationally
  • 45% file only the e-Postcard (990-N)
    2,136 charities · 54% nationally
  • 23% file no return of their own (mostly congregations)
    1,075 charities · 20% nationally

How new they are

Half of North Dakota's public charities were recognized by the IRS in 2005 or later, and 27% since 2020 (32% nationally). The register lists only organizations still recognized, so the older decades count survivors.

16%
Before 1970
7%
1970s
13%
1980s
8%
1990s
9%
2000s
19%
2010s
27%
2020s

The line across each bar is the national share for that decade. The 2020s are a partial decade.

How they are doing

Financial health of the charities that file full returns, against every state.

37%
ran a deficit
42% nationally · 52nd highest of 52
6.6
months of cash, median
5.4 nationally · 1st highest of 52
15%
in deficit on under three months of cash
18% nationally · 52nd highest of 52

FY2023 returns from 1,727 North Dakota charities filing a Form 990 or 990-EZ and spending $50k or more; cash figures are from the 1,298 full 990 filers among them. The national health report.

Counts, causes, revenue and recognition dates are from the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, which records recognitions through May 2026. A charity is placed by its mailing address. Causes are NTEE major groups, with health's sub-groups folded in; a congregation the IRS has given no NTEE code counts under religion. Revenue is each organization's own latest return, summed, so payments between related organizations are counted on both sides.

Questions and answers

What does it mean for grant money to stay in-state?
It is the share of grants made by funders based in North Dakota that reached organizations also located in North Dakota, rather than organizations in other states. A high share means local funders mostly back local causes; a low one means the money largely leaves.
Is North Dakota a major grantmaking state?
North Dakota ranks 50th of the 52 states and territories by grant dollars from resident funders. The largest grantmaking states are California and New York; the most outward, where money mostly leaves, are domiciles like Delaware.
How can a nonprofit find funders in North Dakota?
Start with the largest grantmakers based in North Dakota, currently North Dakota State University Foundation and UND Alumni Association and Foundation. Out-of-state funders also reach in, led by Sanford Group Return. Grant money reaching North Dakota favors animals above the national rate, so funders active there are worth approaching.
How many nonprofits are there in North Dakota?
4,931 organizations in North Dakota are registered with the IRS as 501(c)(3)s: 4,713 public charities, 1,033 of them congregations, and 218 private foundations. Only 32% of the public charities file a full Form 990 or 990-EZ; 45% file only the e-Postcard, for organizations normally taking in $50,000 or less, and the rest, mostly congregations, file no return of their own. The count is from the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File.
How recent is this North Dakota grant data?
It is read from IRS Form 990 and 990-PF e-file filings for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, the two years with complete coverage. US charity filings lag 12 to 24 months, so this is the most recent complete picture.

More from the funding graph

Read from IRS Form 990 and 990-PF e-file XML for fiscal years 2022 and 2023. A funder is placed by the state on its most recent filing. Grants only: payments into and out of donor-advised fund sponsors, transfers to related organizations, regrants through intermediaries, non-philanthropic payments and grants to individuals are left out. In-state share is among grants whose recipient state is known; ties with other states and the net flow count only grants placed at both ends. Residents are Census ACS 5-year estimates (2019 to 2023). Source: IRS Form 990 downloads.