Founded in Fargo, North Dakota, in 2004, Impact Foundation was created to help charities become extraordinary at improving health and quality of life for those they serve. We do this not only through the products, assessments, and trainings we offer but also by taking a long-term, relational approach with the hundreds of organizations we work alongside. We believe that, by “teaching charities to fish, ” they become far more effective and, most importantly, self-sustaining.

Developing an extensive network of charity partners over the past 20 years has allowed us to not only test our theories and frameworks in a real-world setting but has also allowed us to refine our ideas over time and discard the ones that don’t produce results. It has also allowed us to learn from the charities themselves, as they regularly come up with ideas that we hadn’t considered. This nonprofit “laboratory” affords us a unique perspective in the marketplace.

Fundamental to our approach is the use of mental models that provide charities a framework and common language that everyone within an organization can learn to speak. By providing them with a system, our hope is that the work becomes demystified and that they can make better decisions for their unique organization.

Another essential piece of the Impact philosophy is to recognize our own limitations. We know that we don’t have all the answers, and so we maintain an extensive and diverse roster of coaches and faculty members. With topics ranging from mindset to major gifts to communications and marketing, we aim to put the best of the best in a given field in front of our charity partners.

The ultimate test for these organizations, which we refer to as the “Giving Super Bowl,” is an event that we serve as a co-host for called Giving Hearts Day.

Held each February across North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, Giving Hearts Day is one ofthe most successful and longest-running giving days in the country. When the event started in 2008, 39 charities participated and raised $479,028. As of 2025, 625 charities raised $31.6 million. To date, the day has raised $225 million in total.

From major-gift fundraising to marketing to donor-thanking strategies, hundreds of charities put Impact Foundation concepts and models to the test on this 24-hour day of generosity.

Impact Foundation was formed through the unique partnership of two innovative boards of directors:

1. Dakota Medical Foundation
2. Alex Stern Family Foundation