Connecting People and Purpose We help you give back to the community and causes you care about.
Creating a Stronger Community Together The FM Area Foundation is a community foundation created by and for the people of Cass County, North Dakota, and Clay County, Minnesota. We help people establish charitable funds to make a meaningful difference in the communities they love. We work with individuals, families, nonprofits, and professional advisors to inspire philanthropy and maximize impact.
OUR MISSION
WE OFFER:
We help donors maximize their philanthropy to create a vibrant community full of opportunities for everyone.
- Donor Advised Funds
OUR VISION
- Planned Giving Options
Since 1960, the FM Area Foundation has granted nearly $90 million to deserving charities local and beyond. We are dedicated to infusing $250 million into important causes you care about by 2030.
- Tax Benefits
- Scholarship Funds
- And More!
The FM Area Foundation is the first and largest community foundation in the region, managing over $100 million of assets in over 500 separate funds. Created by and for the people of Cass and Clay counties, we work with local donors, businesses, families, and financial institutions to deliver quality results consistently. As your philanthropic advisor, we understand the issues facing our neighborhoods, and the challenges our local charities encounter. We are dedicated to working diligently to provide sound advice and tax-wise solutions for individuals and organizations seeking to connect their passions with a purpose for impact. By partnering with the FM Area Foundation, you are helping to align local resources that will have a lasting effect on the community today, tomorrow, and for years to come.
We are excited about the potential collaboration and positive change we can create together. Please feel free to reach out to us at any time with questions or ideas. Our team is here to support you every step of the way.
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Discover how you can leave a legacy to benefit the charities you love forever. “I like that the dollars are managed and invested with larger pools so that no dollar is being wasted. It’s easy and less work than a private foundation. All I need to do is decide which charity I want to support, call, or send an email to, and 100 out of 100 times it happens. I bring it up all the time to my friends and anyone I meet who is thinking about being generous and I tell them ‘You know what you should do, you should open a fund with the FM Area Foundation.” ~ John Ballantyne & Vicky Berg Current Fundholders
Your Partner in Giving. At the FM Area Foundation, we believe that together, we can accomplish great things. Your commitment to creating positive change aligns perfectly with our mission to create a vibrant community full of opportunities for everyone. As a potential fund holder, you are not just an individual but an essential part of our foundation’s family. Here’s what you can look forward to as you embark on this enriching philanthropic journey with us: EXPERIENCE. Our team brings over 60 years of combined experience in nonprofit and philanthropic causes. We make it easy to give effectively. Our fundholders are doing spectacular things across the philanthropic spectrum, initiating thousands of grants each year. For the fundholder, it’s as easy as choosing where to give, but we add the sophistication of a trusted philanthropic partner with your priorities top of mind. WE’RE FIERCELY LOYAL. We’ll work with you, your family, your business, and your financial advisor to discuss how we can best fulfill your charitable giving interests and needs, while making the most of your philanthropic dollars. We’ll also perpetuate your philanthropic legacy beyond this lifetime, giving recognition to your fund or maintaining anonymity, if you desire. Whatever your cause, we’ll do the research, partnershipbuilding, site visits, and impact assessment to ensure your philanthropy lives on and drives the change you desire.
IMMEDIATE & LONG-TERM IMPACT. As your Community Foundation, our commitment to the stewardship of assets within this region ensures that the charitable goals of donors are met now and for generations to come. We have a well-earned reputation for results within our communities and work to bring fundholders together with nonprofits to maximize social return on investment. LOCAL COMMITMENT & EXPERTISE. With deep roots in our local communities and a board of directors made up of knowledgeable community leaders and volunteers like you, we have a broad understanding of local needs and where there are opportunities to invest in innovative solutions that create lasting impact. We are nimble enough to support those solutions and able to advise you and your family on your philanthropy. TAX ADVANTAGES. As the region’s only Community Foundation, a public charity, your donations qualify for the maximum available deduction for charitable contributions in the year when the gift is made. From simple cash gifts or complex gifts of land, shares, or other appreciated assets your fund grows while your tax obligations decrease.
10 Reasons to Give THROUGH THE FM AREA FOUNDATION
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Personalized service tailored to each individual's charitable and financial goals.
2. Professional staff with expertise regarding community issues and needs. 3. Local organization with deep roots right here in the Cass-Clay community. 4. Offer a variety of giving options. 5. Partner with professional advisors to create effective giving strategies. 6. Benefit the community forever and help create personal legacies through permanent, endowed funds. 7. Maximum tax advantage for most gifts under federal law. 8. Accept a wide variety of assets and can facilitate even the most complex forms of giving. 9. Multiply the impact of gift dollars by pooling them with other gifts and grants. 10. Community convener, catalyst, and funder for positive change.
“We established a donor-advised fund to consolidate assets that will be used for charitable purposes. Doing so has management and tax advantages that make our dollars go further in helping others,” said Ron Saeger. Ron and his wife, Nancy, established the Saeger Family Fund at the FM Area Foundation to benefit organizations working across the spectrum of social justice, human rights, education, and cultural and conservation agencies serving our community, region, nation, and world. ~ Ron & Nancy Saeger Current Fundholders
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Types of Funds The FM Area Foundation offers a variety of funds and flexible options to help you meet your charitable goals. DONOR ADVISED FUND You work with our professional program staff, identifying ways to use dollars from your Donor Advised Fund to address the issues and needs you care about most. You have the ability to change the charity who benefits from your fund each time you recommend a distribution from your fund. We then distribute the grant dollars in your fund’s name or anonymously according to your wishes.
FIELD OF INTEREST FUND You can target your gift to address needs in an area about which you are passionate - the arts, food insecurity, aging, mental health, at-risk youth, etc. You identify the interest area when making your gift; the FM Area Foundation awards grants to community organizations and programs that are making a difference in the area you select.
DESIGNATED FUND At the time you create the fund, you choose the specific nonprofit organization(s), generally to a maximum of five, who will receive the proceeds from the fund on an annual basis. Your onetime selection can help provide ongoing funding for a senior center, museum, homeless shelter, or virtually any 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization.
SCHOLARSHIP FUND You can invest in our community’s future and show students you care, all with guidance and personal services of the FM Area Foundation. You determine the criteria students must meet to receive the scholarship you establish. With your assistance, students achieve their academic and career-oriented goals. UNRESTRICTED FUND Your gift can address ever-changing needs, including future needs that often cannot be anticipated at the time your gift is made. We evaluate all aspects of community wellbeing - basic human needs; arts and culture; community building; education; and many more. The flexibility of your unrestricted gift enables the FM Area Foundation to respond to the community’s most pressing needs, today and tomorrow.
“The FM Area Foundation is a local, knowledgeable resource that can provide them with options and insight into the needs within our community, and they work closely with donors to find ways to give that reflect their goals,” said Sandy Korbel, Senior Financial Advisor at Alerus. “It’s very important to my clients that their philanthropic giving matches their values.” ~ Sandy Korbel, Fund Manager
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Give Now, Give Forever WITH THE 40% TAX CREDIT
You know philanthropy is important, and you know it could help you save on your taxes. But with the North Dakota Charitable Income Tax Credit of 40%, there has never been a better time to give a sustainable, lasting gift. When you give to a qualified North Dakota nonprofit organization or endowment fund, like the FM Area Foundation, you can claim up to a 40% tax credit. The FM Area Foundation can help you make contributions through: Endowment Funds Deferred Gifts Planned Gifts This is on top of the savings you can receive on your federal return by itemizing your qualifying charitable donations. By taking advantage of both the state tax credit and federal tax deduction, you can significantly lower the net cost of your contribution and triple its impact.
As you plan your giving this year, consider how the 40% tax credit can multiply the impact of your gift. Whether you give to an established endowment fund, create a new endowment fund at the FM Area Foundation, or contribute a planned or deferred gift, your money goes farther helping support your favorite charities.
GENERAL TAX BENEFITS EXAMPLE
*Assuming the marginal tax rate on an individual return is as listed and the donor can benefit from itemizing deductions on Federal Schedule A.
24% MARGINAL TAX RATE ON INDIVIDUAL RETURN
**Assuming ND income taxes would be high enough over a 4-year period to use up the credit. (Current year, plus three years carry forward.)
Gift Amount
$5,000
$25,000
$50,000
$720
$3,600
$7,200
ND Income Tax Credit**
$2,000
$10,000
$20,000
Net Cost of Contribution
$2,280
$11,400
$22,800
Federal Estimated Tax Savings*
Talk to your tax adviser about Form ND-1PG for the planned gift tax credit and Form ND-1QEC for the endowment tax credit. This information is provided for educational purposes only. Please consult your own attorney, accountant or financial advisor for advice on your situation.
The FM Area Foundation, in partnership with individuals, families, nonprofits, and professional advisors, works together to maximize philanthropic impact. 409 7th St. S, Fargo, ND 58103 | 701.234.0756 | areafoundation.org