The FM Area Foundation is celebrating 61 years of philanthropy in Fargo-Moorhead.  Since 1960, families, individuals and organizations have built the community foundation through their generosity. Donations of all sizes have made an impact in communities in Cass and Clay counties, across the state, and beyond. Because of these generous gifts throughout the last 61 years, the FM Area Foundation ha…

The FM Area Foundation is pleased to announce Sher Thomsen has joined its Board of Directors. Thomsen is the co-owner and executive advisor for Black Arbor Capital. She served as president for the United Way of Cass-Clay from 2011 to 2016, where she led a strategic shift in the organization’s investment strategy and evolved their business model. Thomsen has spent the last 20 years in leadership r…

We are saddened by the appalling acts against the Moorhead Fargo Islamic Center that took place over the weekend. Senseless hate crimes, such as these, do not belong in our community. At the FM Area Foundation, we believe in creating a more welcoming and equitable community for everyone. Because of these reasons, we have chosen to provide a grant to the Moorhead Fargo Islamic Center in support of…

Your client’s fund at the FM Area Foundation can be an ideal recipient of estate gifts through a will or trust, or through a beneficiary designation on a qualified retirement plan or life insurance policy.  Bequests of qualified retirement plans can be extremely tax-efficient. This is because charitable organizations, such as the FM Area Foundation are tax-exempt. This means, the funds flowing di…

COVID-19 has significantly impacted nonprofit operations across the country and hampered nonprofits’ ability to help their communities during a crisis in which millions of people are in need. The National Council of Nonprofits reports widespread damage to nonprofits’ programs, services, supplies, staffs, and budgets due to the pandemic and current economic challenges. This means, nonprofits need p…

For many donors, the importance of a multi-generational family philanthropy plan is high on the radar, especially in the wake of 2020’s eye-opening events highlighting the importance of rallying around important social and community priorities. How do you know when a client’s family is a strong candidate for more formal philanthropic planning, beyond simply budgeting for annual gifts to charity? …

Executive Director, Eric Wilkie, is featured in the February issue of Fargo INC! magazine. He shares about his experiences in the nonprofit sector and his new role with the FM Area Foundation.  An excerpt from Fargo INC! magazine:  Wilkie has been working in nonprofit for 20 years. Half of those years have been spent in the trenches of the nonprofit world, helping to directly impact the lives of…

The Fargo Lions Club is commemorating its 100-year anniversary. To celebrate, the club is facilitating a public art project to be funded by the community and then donated to the City of Fargo. This project will honor the spirit, determination and cooperation of all who volunteered to protect the community from historic flooding in 1997 and 2009 by filling and laying sandbags. The project is called…

The FM Area Foundation is pleased to announce Matt Leiseth has joined its Board of Directors.       Leiseth is President of Hornbacher’s, with stores located in Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo. Leiseth's career began at Hornbacher’s in 1991 as a bagger and continued with positions of increasing responsibility. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Concordia College …

In response to the increased demands being placed on local healthcare workers, the FM Area Foundation recently partnered with the Offutt Family Foundation to create the Coffee for Healthcare Heroes Fund to show support and appreciation for the important work being done. The purpose of the fund is to support, caffeinate and bring joy to frontline healthcare heroes working in the hospitals in the F…