giving for good bemidji

For patients at the Sanford Joe Lueken Cancer Center, the Sanford Bemidji Medical Center and beyond, your generosity makes all the difference. Together, we’re powering new insights, driving breakthroughs and providing patients and families with world-class, comprehensive care close to home in the Bemidji region. We’re saving more lives thanks to the addition of the new PET/CT digital imaging system at the Sanford Joe Lueken Cancer Center and the regions first Mobile Mammography Unit.

Last year, we put over $3.2 million in philanthropic gifts to work across the Bemidji region. Read more in the 2024 annual report.

Give for the Bemidji Region

Local Priorities

Philanthropy is an integral part of the care provided at Sanford Health. The Sanford Health Foundation in the Bemidji region plays a crucial role in supporting specific programming for patients and staff, upgrading essential equipment, and funding special projects tailored to meet the needs of our communities.

Child Life

Join our efforts to help make unplanned pediatric health care journeys easier for local families through the region’s new child life program. These services provide necessary emotional support, reduce stress, improve outcomes and help kids get better, faster.

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Cancer

More than 3,000 of our neighbors across the region turn to the Sanford Joe Lueken Cancer Center every year. Donors support costs of lifesaving MRIs, services like nurse navigation at no cost to patients, complimentary wigs and head coverings, advanced technologies for cancer prevention, detection and treatment, staff education, and so much more

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Behavioral Health

In the last 10 years, the Sanford Bemidji Mobile Crisis Transportation saw a 316% increase among adults needing psychiatric crisis services and a 338% increase among children. Philanthropy supports psychiatric services at the Sanford Bemidji Crisis Center, scholarship and internship opportunities for local students in behavioral health fields, community and school-based programming to expand mental health screening and access, and so much more.

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Leadership Connection

A region update from Karla Eischens, president & CEO of Sanford Bemidji.
November 20, 2025

As I prepare for retirement, I’ve been reflecting on the milestones achieved, all the lives transformed and all the healthy futures we’ve helped make possible. Through it all, I see one constant: support from friends like you. Because of you, our dream to transform health care across Northern Minnesota has come to life in beautiful ways. Through enhanced cancer care at the Sanford Joe Lueken Cancer Center, broadened cardiovascular care through expansion of the Heart and Vascular Center and additional access to behavioral health through the region’s first crisis center. And this year, we launched the region’s first mobile mammography unit. So many additional care opportunities achieved — all because of friends like you. We’ve come so far, but there’s still more to do to meet the growing and changing needs of our region.

Our most pressing need right now is for child life services. Child life helps kids and families navigate the fear and stress of an injury or unexpected diagnosis through therapeutic play, education and guidance. With your help, Bemidji region’s first child life program will be launched in 2026. To all those who have already supported this effort — thank you! Your support means the world to a child and their family . If you have not yet gotten involved, I encourage you to learn more and join this work today.

Together, we can bring this impactful project across the finish line for kids and their families in our region. This holiday season — and always — we are grateful for you.

Karla Eischens

Bemidji’s Signature Events

Below are a few of the signature events we host in the Bemidji region. To see more events in Bemidji, visit our calendar.

Pours for a PurposeLearn More

PETALLearn More

Other Bemidji EventsLearn More

Get Involved through Fundraising

At Sanford Health, our doctors, researchers and caregivers are working to bring health, hope and healing to more than 1.2 million people across the Upper Midwest. With you on our team, we can accelerate our race to uncover new breakthroughs, develop new treatments and create meaningful programs that support patients and their families.

Launch your fundraiser in the Bemidji region and inspire others to give for good today!

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