Dakota Medical Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESSImpact Training and Coaching: The High Impact Institute's ultimate goal is to help individuals and organizations unlock their potential to serve. The High Impact Institute works to help charities build a systematic approach to fundraising and a high impact approach to Board-CEO-team leadership. The High Impact Institute also serves as a co-host and fundraising coach for charities in Giving Hearts Day, one of the first and longest running giving days in the United States. Since 2008, Giving Hearts Day has helped charities raise more than $226 million to improve health and quality of life in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. DMF Center for Excellence & Innovation: In March 2013, DMF opened a newly-constructed 18,800 square foot building as a gift to the community serving as a nonprofit community center to educate and train area nonprofits, as well as a gathering space for local nonprofits. In 2023, 228 nonprofits used the facility at little or no cost for nearly 500 training, education, and retreat events with more than 8,000 community members in attendance. Since March 2013, over 1,500 nonprofits have utilized the space for over 3,300 events with nearly 100,000 combined attendees.Due to ever-increasing demand, the Foundation determined it was time to expand its ability to serve and bring together significantly more people and organizations. In April 2024 the Foundations moved into their new headquarters at 4321 20th Ave. S. in Fargo. After sixteen months of renovation the doors of the new DMF Center of Excellence were opened in August 2025. DMF sees the approximately 90,000-square-foot campus as an enduring gift to the community. It was designed to become a regional destination where people gather to develop healthy life habits, build high-performing organizations, and access meaningful learning opportunities. The facility is used to host in-person and virtual events, community learning opportunities, and serves as the home of Impact Foundation, the Alex Stern Family Foundation, North Dakota Dental Foundation, Optometric Foundation of North Dakota, Peace Academy, North Dakota Safety Council, Giving Hearts Day, Lend A Hand Up, High Impact Boards, and more than 100 donor-advised funds. GivingHeartsDay.org: This technology platform allows charities to accept online contributions from donors, share their stories, and engage volunteers. The website received several upgrades including an update to the admin features to improve charity satisfaction, functionality and overall user experience. The platform also leveraged a stress testing environment to refine high-performance system architecture.Giving Hearts Day Initiative: Together, with Impact Foundation and the Alex Stern Family Foundation, Dakota Medical Foundation hosts an annual 24-hour giving day to boost charity awareness and volunteering and giving in our region. Since inception in 2008, Giving Hearts Day has generated contributions for charities across North Dakota and northwest Minnesota totaling almost $226 million. In fiscal year 2025, Foundation staff along with the new GHD mascot, Henry the Heart, led and coordinated the complex undertaking of managing 619 charities in helping raise $31.6 million dollars from nearly 41,000 donors who made 86,590 donations and experienced the region's most generous day. Six charities raised more than $1 million each. 310 region wide businesses engaged in GHD by either promoting, donating, encouraging employee donations, distributing GHD gift cards or hosting goods drives. Food and goods were collected and distributed by 159 locations. 8,105 gift cards were distributed. 484 acts of service were reported and pledged. Giving Hearts Day 2025 featured the second annual Live Giving Hearts Day show which was hosted by local TV station WDAY and aired region-wide featuring a mix of charity profiles, live interviews, and giveaways were featured. The Foundations have provided nearly $7.75 million in matching fund gran

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 90.6%; rating input score 91
• Program expense ratio: 92.2%; rating input score 92
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 95%; rating input score 95; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 70.3%; rating input score 70; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 32.1%; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.17; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.2; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 11.8%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 14% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings