giving for good bismarck

In partnership with supporters across the Bismarck region, we are fueling leading-edge technology, enhancing care and accelerating new breakthroughs. Along with patient programs and facilities like our NICU, our BeHEARD program and the Sanford Cancer Center in Bismarck.

Last year, we put $2.2 million in philanthropic gifts to work across the Bismarck region. Read more in the 2025 annual report.

Give for the Bismarck Region

Local Priorities

Philanthropy is an integral part of the care provided at Sanford Health. The Sanford Health Foundation in the Bismarck 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.

Cancer

This year, hundreds of local patients count on the Sanford Cancer Center in Bismarck. Through philanthropy, we provide travel assistance for qualifying patients who drive significant distances for care, offer complimentary wigs and head coverings, upgrade equipment to offer access to lifesaving MRIs and 3D mammograms, and so much more.

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Children

The Sanford Children’s Hospital Bismarck supports local infants, kids and teens everyday through child life services to help kids cope with the fear and uncertainties of hospitalization, financial assistance to help families with costs not covered by insurance, lifesaving pediatric equipment like ventilators and monitors, and so much more.

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Leadership Connection

A monthly Bismarck region update from Todd Schaffer, MD, president & CEO of Sanford Bismarck.

August 2026

Every year, we are humbled by the generosity of thousands of local donors who support our mission with gifts of cash, donations of appreciated stock or commodities, grants from donor advised funds and more. As the region’s largest nonprofit healthcare system, I can’t overstate the important role these gifts play in fueling our work every day, from supporting lifesaving equipment and technology to advancing research and innovation to powering vital programs and services patients rely on. But today, I’d like to reflect on the significance of a different kind of gift: one we may not receive for years, or even decades. A planned gift is more than a financial commitment. It’s an expression of love for future generations. When a donor chooses to include Sanford Health in their will or estate plan, they’re doing more than investing in the healthcare of tomorrow, they are ensuring that future patients and families across our region will have access to the world-class care they need, close to home.

What makes a planned gift especially powerful is the vision behind it. A planned gift is an expression of trust, purpose and a desire to make a lasting difference. As we observe National Make a Will Month, I can’t say thank you enough to the many local donors who have included Sanford Bismarck in their wills or estate plans. Please join me in celebrating their visionary generosity and in recognizing the impact their legacies will have on the future of healthcare for our region.

Todd Schaffer, MD

Bismarck’s Signature Events

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

The Blueway GalaLearn More

Blueway InvitationalLearn More

Airwaves for KidsLearn 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 Bismarck region and inspire others to give for good today!

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