Choice Bank Donates $628,000 to North Dakota Nonprofits
Choice Bank has donated $628,000 to 20 different nonprofits in North Dakota supporting affordable housing and community development needs. The donations were made possible through a partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines’ Member Impact Fund. The Member Impact Fund contributed $3 to every $1 donated by Choice Bank, tripling the impact of the donation.
Choice Bank was able to submit grant applications on behalf of multiple organizations that directly impact our North Dakota communities. These donations will help support critical needs, such as a $200,000 gift to Beyond Shelter to provide affordable housing, $56,000 to the Walsh County Job Development Authority to complete the construction of a youth-focused community center, $20,000 to the Steele Volunteer Fire Department to construct additional storage and training space, and much more.
“At Choice Bank, we are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life and economic viability of families and businesses in the communities we serve,” Jay Lies, Chief Banking Officer, said. “Investing in our communities and bettering the places we live have always been our primary focus. This support from the Member Impact Fund has allowed us to not only deepen our community support, but to also actively make a difference in the lives of our neighbors.”
FHLB Des Moines created the Member Impact Fund in 2023 to provide support and funding to targeted communities within its district. In 2024, the fund was increased by $10 million. “We are thrilled to partner with our members and local organizations to empower them to make their communities vibrant places to live and work,” says Kris Williams, president and CEO of FHLB Des Moines. ”An important part of our mission is to enable our members to meet the housing, business, and economic development needs of the communities they serve. The Member Impact Fund is another way we fulfill that.”
Bettering the places we live is one of our core values and these donations will help create more vibrant places to live and work. We’re dedicated to supporting the families and businesses in our communities. Learn about our People First history here.
Donation Details
Able Inc.: $10,000
Dickinson, ND
Able Inc. is dedicated to empowering men and women with intellectual disabilities, providing support in their homes, workplaces, and communities. Choice’s donation will go toward the renovation of a building that will create businesses that provide employment for people with intellectual disabilities.
Affordable Housing Developers Inc: $10,000
Dickinson, ND
Affordable Housing Developers Inc. (AHDI) is committed to developing, preserving, and managing safe and affordable housing for lower-income households in North Dakota, particularly in rural communities. Over the past 25 years, AHDI has provided over 450 units of affordable housing across 17 communities. This donation will be used to address the shortage of over 12,000 affordable rental units in the state, by enhancing AHDI’s capacity through staff retention, training for regulatory changes, and assisting rural communities in assessing their affordable housing needs.
Beyond Shelter, Inc.: $200,000
Fargo, ND
Beyond Shelter, Inc. is committed to improving lives by developing and maintaining housing for those most in need, with a 20-year history of serving communities’ affordable housing needs. This donation will enhance Beyond Shelter’s capacity to serve North Dakota’s affordable housing needs more effectively and efficiently, and to deliver on its mission to produce affordable housing developments.
Cass Clay Community Land Trust: $10,000
Fargo, ND
The Cass Clay Community Land Trust (CCCLT) is committed to addressing the major barriers facing the region’s workforce, namely transportation, child care, and affordable housing, by ensuring access to sustainable, permanently attainable, owner-occupied housing. This donation will be used for a consumer-driven project that provides affordability gap funds to income-qualified CCCLT homebuyers, thereby expanding the housing stock options and enabling them to select homes that best meet their needs.
Community Violence Intervention Center Inc.: $20,000
Grand Forks, ND
The Community Violence Intervention Center (CVIC) is on a mission to end interpersonal violence within two generations by providing vital safety and healing services to adults and children experiencing domestic or sexual violence. This combined donation will be used to assist low-income individuals impacted by domestic/sexual violence, providing employment counseling, supportive services like housing and budgeting assistance, case management, and transitional housing.
Crystal Community Boosters: $12,000
Crystal, ND
Crystal Boosters is a community organization dedicated to raising funds for local needs, with a current focus on maintaining the Roadside 66 store, a vital resource for the community. The funds raised will be used to purchase and continue the operation of the Roadside 66 store, ensuring its role in the community and the provision of 3-5 jobs.
Dickinson Area Community Foundation: $10,000
Dickinson, ND
The mission of the DACF is to improve the quality of life for residents through charitable giving and philanthropy. This donation is a direct contribution to the Dickinson Area Community Foundation Endowment – Dickinson Special Needs Fund which is a fund dedicated to supporting local projects and organizations that support low- to moderate-income families.
Grand Forks Gladiators Wrestling Club: $16,000
Grand Forks, ND
The Grand Forks Gladiators Wrestling Club is dedicated to providing community development services to low- and moderate-income individuals, with a focus on introducing and developing wrestling skills among the youth. The donation will provide scholarships to those who cannot afford tournament fees, club practice fees, or travel expenses.
Hoople Community Center Inc.: $100,000
Hoople, ND
This donation will support the construction of a multi-purpose community center, which includes a kitchen and food service area, to be used as a gathering space for hosting events.
Hopeful Beginnings: $20,000
Grand Forks, ND
HOPEful Beginnings is a child care facility with a mission to help strengthen their children physically, socially, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. This donation will build a fund to offer scholarships and sibling discounts for families in need and also be used to increase pay to staff who have a degree.
Kids Choice Inc.: $10,000
Walhalla, ND
Kids Choice Daycare is dedicated to providing childcare services for infants through school-aged children and is the only licensed daycare within 30 miles of the community. With the closure of the only other certified daycare in Walhalla, Kids Choice is expanding to accommodate 8 additional children and hire 2 new staff members. This donation will support these expansion efforts, ensuring continued child care for the community.
Matthew’s Voice Project: $10,000
West Fargo, ND
Matthew’s Voice Project (MVP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting high school students experiencing homelessness, providing them with the essentials needed to stay in school and graduate. They fill the gap in students’ needs by supplying critical items for daily life, such as gas cards, hygiene products, and blankets. This donation will support MVP’s annual backpack drive, providing 100 backpacks filled with essential items and food gift cards.
Rebuilding Together Greater Bismarck-Mandan Area, Inc.: $12,000
Bismarck-Mandan, ND
Rebuilding Together Greater Bismarck/Mandan Area is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly, people with disabilities, and families with children, by rebuilding houses and communities using volunteer labor and donated materials. This donation will fund projects such as installing walk-in bathtubs, replacing roofs, and installing wheelchair ramps.
Red River Community Housing Development Organization: $32,000
Grafton, ND
The Red River Community Housing Development Organization is dedicated to housing and community development projects. Currently, they are addressing the childcare shortage in Walsh County, identified as a childcare desert. Choice’s donation will be used to renovate a building in Grafton into the Walsh County Daycare, potentially adding 25-30 childcare slots and removing Walsh County from the childcare desert status.
ShareHouse: $10,000
Fargo, ND
The ShareHouse Foundation is committed to developing financial support for personalized addiction recovery services, with a focus on overcoming housing barriers for Substance Use Disorder patients. Choice’s donation will be allocated to the Recovery Living Housing Program to assist with its growing expenses, ensuring the continuation of providing safe, affordable housing and case management services for low-income individuals in transition.
Steele Volunteer Fire District: $20,000
Steele, ND
The Steele Volunteer Fire Department provides local individuals, families, and businesses with assistance and critical services in times of need. This donation will help the Steele Volunteer Fire Department add a 50′ x 100′ addition onto their current fire department building to store their fire trucks and equipment and provide a training space for their volunteers.
United Way of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks, and Area, Inc.: $10,000
Grand Forks, ND
The United Way of GF/EGF provides essential services such as emergency shelter, housing assistance, and food supplies to low- and moderate-income individuals in Grand Forks and surrounding communities. Their mission is to ensure basic needs, foster financial stability, and promote the growth and development of children. This donation will be used to address homelessness and hunger, prioritizing stable housing for families with children at risk.
Walsh County Job Development Authority: $56,000
Grafton, ND
The Walsh County JDA Foundation supports Kids Alley, both striving to strengthen their community through family unity, hard work, and fostering creativity in youth. Kids Alley’s mission is to provide a year-round safe environment that promotes family and community togetherness, physical activity, imaginative play, and learning for families in Grafton and surrounding communities. The donation will aid in completing Kids Alley, including the purchase of flooring, seating, interactive play items, and STEM-based learning exhibits.
Women’s Alliance Inc.: $10,000
Dickinson, ND
Women’s Alliance, Inc., also known as the Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center (DVRCC), has been serving Southwestern North Dakota for nearly 40 years, providing safe shelter and support services to victims of domestic violence and their children. This donation will be used for immediate needs at the shelter, such as replacing essential items, purchasing new eyewear, and funding activities for children.
YWCA Cass Clay: $50,000
Fargo, ND
YWCA Cass Clay operates as an emergency shelter for women escaping domestic violence, providing continuous support and a variety of onsite programs. They also offer the largest and most robust supportive housing services program in North Dakota, focusing on survivors of violence. This donation will be used in 2024 to replace 20 outdated staff computers, ensuring efficient service delivery and enhanced safety and security for the women and children they serve.