Dakota Medical Foundation continues providing upon its mission

The Dakota Medical Foundation, coming off a very successful Giving Hearts Day, continues to give back to the communities it serves through different programs at the Foundation, which is based in Fargo.

Pat Traynor, Executive Director of the Dakota Medical Foundation and the Impact Foundation, says they have been busy, regardless of what the COVID-19 pandemic has been doing to the country.

“We have been offering training and coaching in a new, digital environment,” Traynor told WZFG’s Steve Hallstrom on The Nightly Review Saturday night.

As an example, last week, the foundation offered training from the Small Business Administration on the CARES Act, which was recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump. Traynor says he had members of the North Dakota staff of the Small Business Administration in to provide the training.

The foundation recently conducted a survey of the charities it serves. That survey shows that more than 20 percent of the charities anticipate their organization losing more than $10,000 due to missed fundraising opportunities. In addition, two-thirds of the charities have had to cancel an event.

“Once fundraisers have been canceled, the dollars have dropped that “feed” the charities,” Traynor said.

Dakota Medical Foundation, in the same survey, found that 60 percent of the charities cannot offer a work-at-home option, due to the type of work they do.

In the past week, Traynor says the foundation has issued $200,000 in grants to food pantry and shelters, along with mental health service providers, this past week. These were locations all across North Dakota.

“There will be more grants in the future,” he said.

In addition, the foundation purchased 5,500 N95 masks to distribute to Churches United, New Life Center and people shadowing people with disabilities. Traynor says the foundation will continue to order more masks.

The region has been supportive of the foundation.

“We are blessed to work in a generous region,” Traynor says. More than $600,000 has been received for charities.