Annual Reports

2022

Kenmare Firefighters with the Thermal Imaging Camera purchased with a grant in 2020.

The Kenmare Area Community Foundation has awarded more than $69,000 in 75 grants since its inception in 2009. Recent grant awards are listed below.

Grants Awarded in 2022

• Society of St Stephens Food Pantry - $2,000 for restocking food shelves and freezers
• Kenmare Wheels and Meals - $2,000 for a service vehicle for all services
• Kenmare Dollars for Scholars - $1,500 for scholarship funding
• Kenmare Public School District - $1,500 for concessions update/refresh
• Donnybrook Park District - $1,280 for city park improvements

Grants Awarded in 2021

• City of Donnybrook - $2,100 for Community Center Sprinkler System
• Kenmare Food Pantry - $2,500 for Beautification Project
• Society of St Stephens Food Pantry - $2,000 for Grocery Items.
• City of Kenmare - $700 for Chair Inventory

Grants Awarded in 2020

• Kenmare City Fire Dept - $1,500 Thermal Imaging Camera
• Kenmare Food Pantry - $1,000 Kenmare Summer Arts
• Society of St. Stephens Food Pantry - $1,000 Restocking Shelves & Freezer
• Tolley Fire Dept - $3,035 E-Dispatch Service

Grants Awarded in 2019

• City of Kenmare - $1,000 Doggy Waste Stations
• Kenmare Park District - $1,690 Downtown Park Square Playground Addition
• Kenmare Wheels and Meals - $1,000 Steam Table
• Society of St. Stephens Food Pantry - $2,000 Backpack Program
• Trailblazers 4H Club - $500 Project Kits for Ward County Achievement Days
• Ward County Public Library, Kenmare Branch - $500 Summer Reading Program

KACF provided a grant to the Tolley Fire Department for E-Dispatch services in 2020.

Apply for a Grant from the Kenmare Area Community Foundation

Granting Guidelines 

• Grants shall be awarded only to those organizations designated by the IRS Code as 501(c)(3) non-profit tax exempt groups, or government agencies.
• Grants shall be awarded to organizations within Kenmare and surrounding communities, as determined by the Advisory Committee.
• Grants to religious organizations will be limited to those activities which are non-denominational and serve the entire community.
• Applications shall be due by June 15 of each year.

Funding Priorities 
High Priority 

• Projects or programs that benefit a greater number of residents
• Requests that demonstrate applicant will seek or has secured other funding sources

Low Priority 

• Requests for operating funds or day-to-day expenses
• Requests for multiple-year funding

Deadline: June 15

How to Apply

Step 1 - Review

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

Step 2 - Register

Create an account on our Grant 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.

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 Kenmare Area Community Foundation (KACF) continue to support important projects and programs in our area forever.

Gifts to the KACF 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 KACF. 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 Kenmare Area 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 Kara Geiger.  She has many years of experience helping donors create their charitable vision and better prepare for their discussions with financial planners. You can reach Kara at 701-222-8349 or you can email her at Kara@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 Kenmare Area 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 Kenmare Area 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.