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About the Cavalier Community Foundation

The Cavalier Community Foundation was established in 2005 to support charitable programs in the Cavalier, ND area.  It provides a method of receiving donations and distributing grants to benefit projects or nonprofit organizations in the Cavalier area. The Foundation is affiliated with the North Dakota Community Foundation, which is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under IRS code 501(c)(3) and North Dakota Law.

The Cavalier Community Foundation is managed locally by a group of volunteers whose main activities are building the fund and recommending grants annually. 

Local Advisory Committee

Margaret Bjornson-Holm, Chair
Robert W. Vivatson
Kari Helgoe
Drew Olafson
Pam Clarksean
Kaye Furstenau
Duane Deraas
Jered Kemnitz

Contact

Margaret Bjornson-Holm
c/o Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 271
Cavalier, ND 58220

701-265-4805

Email Margaret

or contact Amy Stromsodt (701-795-1531), Development Director with NDCF.

Annual Reports

2024

2023

2022

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails a high quality, age appropriate book to all registered children, addressed to them, at no cost to the child’s family. Currently, 125 children in Pembina County aged 0-5 receive a book each month.

Playground equipment at the City Park

The Cavalier Community Foundation has awarded over $80,000 in 131 grants since its inception in 2005. Recent grant awards are listed below.

Grants Awarded in 2024

  • Cavalier Ambulance Service, Inc - $1,240 for Paramedic Recruitment
  • Cavalier Area Chamber of Commerce - $1,000 for Music & Art in the Park
  • City of Cavalier - $3,500 Cavalier Public Pool remodel
  • Faith in Action Health Coalition - $1,000 Volunteer travel stipends
  • Growing Hope in Pembina County - $750 help with financial assistance
  • Pembina County Historical Society - $290 Museum Bell Garden
  • Pembina County Memorial Hospital Foundation - $1,000 Surgery Department "Neptune S" equipment

Grants Awarded in 2023

  • Cavalier Area Chamber of Commerce - $1,000 for Music & Art in the Park
  • Cavalier City Park - $4,500 for Playground Equipment
  • Growing Hope in Pembina County - $1,000 for help with financial assistance
  • Pembina County Historical Society - $750 for Totem Pole placement in Community Orchard
  • Pembina County Memorial Hospital Foundation - $1,000 for HVAC upgrade for Pembina County Memorial Hospital

Grants Awarded in 2022

  • Pembina County Memorial Hospital Foundation:  $2,000 for a shuttlebus for Wedgewood Manor
  • Northeastern ND Heritage Association:  $1,000 for the Akra Hall stage curtain project
  • Growing Hope in Pembina County:  $1,000 for Assisting Residents with Cancer
  • Cavalier Area Chamber of Commerce:  $1,000 for Music & Art in the Park
  • Faith in Action Health Coalition:  $1,000 for volunteer travel mileage stipends
  • Pembina County Imagination Library:  $750 for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library support
  • Pembina County Historical Society:  $750 for landscaping near entrance sign
  • Off the Charts Music Event:  $500 for their festival

Grants Awarded in 2021

  • Cavalier Park Board - $500 for Fuller-McKechnie Trail Signs
  • Growing Hope in Pembina County - $1,000 to Assisting Residents with Cancer
  • Northeastern ND Heritage Association - $725 for Nordic Folk Art & Kid's Storyteller
  • Pembina County Backpack Program - $1,500 Program Support
  • Pembina County Imagination Library - $750 for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library support
  • Pembina County Memorial Hospital Foundation - $1,500 Mac Vu360 Resting ECG Machine Upgrade

Grants Awarded in 2020

  • Pembina County Memorial Hospital Foundation - $2,000 for COVID-19 Related Home Services
  • City of Cavalier - $1,200 for Baseball Field of Dreams Renovation Project
  • Faith in Action Health Coalition - $1,000 to Support Faith in Action activities
  • Pembina County Imagination Library - $750 for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library support
  • Pembina County Memorial Hospital Foundation - $1,250 for a FAST Ultrasound Machine
  • Northeastern ND Heritage Association - $500 Archive & Artifact Storage & Display

Grants Awarded in 2019

  • Cavalier Area Chamber of Commerce - $250 to Print New Community Brochure
  • Cavalier PTO - $400 for Missoula Children's Theater 2020
  • City of Cavalier - $1,100 Purchase Swim Platform, Pickleball Set, Splash Pond & Portable Youth Pitching Machine
  • Faith in Action Health Coalition - $1,000 for Travel Stipends for Volunteers
  • Love One Another Now (L.O.A.N.) Program - $750 Purchase Socks & Undergarments for Low Income Families
  • Northeastern North Dakota Heritage Association - $1,000 Archive & Artifact Committee Storage Program
  • Pembina County Historical Society - $600 Siding St. Anthony's Church Bell Tower
  • Pembina County Imagination Library - $500 for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library support
  • Pembina County Public Health - $400 for Bright Futures Child Health Program

The Cavalier Community Foundation has given grants to support the Cavalier Music & Art in the Park events.

Apply for a Grant from the Cavalier Community Foundation

Guidelines

  • Grants shall be limited to organizations that serve the community of Cavalier
  • The Cavalier Community Foundation will not provide funding for day-to-day operations
  • Grants will be given on an annual basis. Multi-year grants will not be funded
  • Grants to religious organizations will be limited to those activities which are non-denominational and serve the entire community
  • The Cavalier Community Foundation will not fund entire projects
  • Applications must be received by April 30th
  • Grant awardees will be notified by June 15th of each year as to funding status

In funding decisions, the board will consider the following:

  • Organizational management and integrity
  • Level of local involvement and support
  • The number of Cavalier residents to be served
  • The impact of the grant on the success of the project
  • Community need

Deadline: April 30


How to Apply:

We made it easy for you to apply online for a grant!

Step 1 - Review

Review the grant guidelines above to make sure your organization qualifies.

Step 2 - Register

Create an account on our Grants Portal. You will need your organization’s name, EIN, and executive officer's name. Be sure to write down your user name (email address) and password.

Step 3 – Complete Your Application

After registering or logging in, you will arrive at the application section. Click “Apply” to the right of the grant program to which you wish to apply. If you do not see your desired grant program on the list, contact our office. You will be able to save your application and return later to complete it.

Click here for more detailed instructions and tips for using our online grant system. (PDF)

Other Funds Managed by NDCF in the Cavalier Area

Alice Olson Byron Memorial Music Scholarship The fund was established in 2010 with a gift from the family of Alice Olson Byron and the Alice Olson Memorial Fund, to assist students who have graduated from a Pembina County, ND high school to continue their post-secondary education.  Preference will be given to students who are pursuing a music major, but anyone actively involved in music may qualify as well.

Margaret Geiger Green Memorial Scholarship: The fund was established in 1986 in memory of Margaret Geiger Green by her family. The scholarship will assist a graduating senior from the Cavalier High School. The award will be made after successful completion of the first term as a full time college student.

Andvari Hallson Cemetery Association Endowment Fund:  Established in 2010 by the Andvari Hallson Cemetery Association to support the Historic preservation of the Andvari Hallson Cemetery.

Cavalier Community Clubhouse Project: Established in 2013.

Cav-Landic Trail Non-Endowment Fund:  Established in 1999 in support of the Cav-Landic Trail in Cavalier

G.B. Gunlogson Estate Operating Endowment Fund:  Established in 1995 by the estate of G. B. Gunlogson, a former North Dakotan, to support the work of the North Dakota Community Foundation

Icelandic State Park Fund:  Established in 1986 by G. B. Gunlogson to support the Icelandic State Park

Laurel & Betty Koehn Family Charitable Endowment Fund:  Established in 2012, to support the philanthropic goals of the Koehn family.

Pembina County Historical Society Endowment Fund:  Established in 1992 to support the work of the Pembina County Historical Society.

Save Our Screen Fund:  Established in 2012, the purpose of the Save Our Screen Fund is to provide monies for the costs associated with the renovation/upgrade of the historic Theatre in Cavalier. Grants from the fund will be used to update/preserve the historic Cinema Theater in Cavalier, ND.

Skuli Pall Benedictson Endowment Fund:  Established in 1995 by the estate of Skuli Pall Benedictson in support of the Icelandic State Park.

South Pembina Cemetery Fund:  Established in 1989 to maintain the historic South Pembina Cemetery.

St. Anthony's Church Endowment Fund:  Established in 2008 in support of the St. Anthony's Church located on the Pembina County Museum grounds near Cavalier, ND.

Plan Your Legacy

Making a lasting difference in our community or for future generations may be easier than you realize.  With very simple language in your will or trust, you can help the Cavalier Community Foundation (CCF) continue to support important projects and programs in our area forever.

Gifts to the CCF are carefully invested by our partner foundation - the North Dakota Community Foundation - to generate a  permanent source of charitable income.

If you have children or other relatives, you can leave a portion of your estate to them and a percentage to the CCF. Doing so provides for your heirs while honoring your charitable values.

Brothers Russell and Dale Brown left gifts to the communities of Lisbon and Milnor, ND, in their estate plans.

Getting Started

1.  Download our free Estate Planning Guide - it contains helpful information and things to consider as you develop your own unique plan.

2.  Reach out to a Cavalier Community Foundation committee member to learn more about the charities and needs in our area.

3.  Consider discussing (confidentially) your vision with our NDCF gift planner Amy Stromsodt.  She has many years of experience helping donors create their charitable vision and better prepare for their discussions with financial planners. Amy's cell is 701-741-3193 or you can email her at Amy@NDCF.net.

4.  Contact your professional advisors (financial planner, attorney and/or accountant) and ask for help in establishing a charitable gift to our foundation.

5.  Make sure your will or living trust is up-to-date and reflects your charitable goals.

6.  Consider notifying the charitable organizations about the gift you plan to leave them.  They will appreciate your generosity and will want to know what you’d like them to do with your eventual gift if it isn't clear.

Language for Your Will or Living Trust

Susanne Mattheis wished to support several different charitable organizations in Bismarck after she passed. NDCF helped her craft a plan that accomplished her charitable goals and provided long-term support to the Public Library, Symphony Orchestra, and five other local entities.

If you would like to include the Cavalier Community Foundation in your will, here is some sample language to consider:

“I give and bequeath to the North Dakota Community Foundation (Tax ID Number 45-0336015), a qualified charitable organization under IRS 501(c)(3), located in Bismarck, North Dakota, ___________ (a percentage of the estate, specific dollar amount, or remainder of estate) for the Cavalier Community Foundation, a permanent component of the North Dakota Community Foundation.”

*  Be sure to contact your legal advisor.

 

There are many other ways to make a deferred gift to your community, including

  • Making NDCF (and your specific community fund) the beneficiary of your life insurance policy, IRA, 401K, or commercial annuity
  • Establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity with NDCF
  • Other more sophisticated tools, depending on your unique situation

To investigate options and learn more about how other North Dakotans have given back, visit our planned giving website at www.NDCF.net/Plan.