About John & Elaine Andrist Trust

The John and Elaine Andrist Charitable Trust was established in memory of the long-time Crosby, ND residents. John was born and raised in Crosby, the son of a newspaper publisher and a stay-at-home mom. Elaine was born at Wildrose, the eldest daughter of pioneer Divide County farmers. They met while attending Crosby High School, fell in love, married and raised five children in their beloved hometown. John ran the local newspaper, The Journal, and in retirement spent more than 20 years as  North Dakota state senator. Elaine kept the home fires burning. Together they developed a passion for philanthropy, with particular affinity to Crosby and Divide County causes, as well as to the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation.

The trust established in their memory provides grants to a qualified project in Crosby, Divide County and northwest North Dakota. Since the Trust’s inception, $2.1million has been allocated to community projects in northwest North Dakota.

The John & Elaine Andrist Charitable Trust’s community investments are administered by the Northwest North Dakota Community Foundation. The next opportunity to request funds from the John & Elaine Andrist Charitable Trust will close on April 30, 2024. Successful applications will align with the Trust’s focus areas, which include: Arts, Culture, & Creativity; Community Development; Economic Development; and Innovation.

Supported Projects

2024
CYCLE 1

  • Divide County School District: $ 3,500 for the backpack program that sends students home with food for the weekend.

  • International Music Camp: $ 5,670 tuition for Divide County Students

  • Long X Arts Foundation: $ 2,500 funding for local musicians & sound technicians for Farmers Markets.

  • Divide County Dollars for Scholars: $2,100 For a new laptop and software.

  • Crosby Kids Daycare: $5,000 for Astro Turf for infant and toddler play area.

  • NDNA Kids Scoop:$ 50,000 for the continuation of Kids Scoop. $50,000 matching funds grant for the expansion of Kids Scoop across the state.

  • Minot Symphony Orchestra: $3,342 for the Northwest North Dakota outreach tour.

  • Crosby Park District:$10,000 to replace chain link fence at the main baseball field.

  • North Dakota Museum of Art: $ 20,000 for part 2 of teaching photography and video to students in Crosby.

  • Meadowlark Arts Council: $ 10,000 funding support for a 25th anniversary of Meadowlark Arts Council and management of Dakota Theatre.

  • Meadowlark Arts Council: $20,000 matching funds grant for maintenance and operation of Dakota Theatre.

  • Strengthen ND : $ 25,000 to support a feasibility study.

  • Noonan Fire District: $12,000 for a remote fire suppression monitor.

  • Prairie Tumbleweeds: $50,000 as a 3-to-1 match grant for building an addition.

  • James Memorial Art Center: $500 to support the 2024 Art Fest.

  • ND News Cooperative: $36,000 for ND Poll Funding.

  • Opdahl Cemetery: $ 3,000 for landscaping.

  • Wildwood Park: $ 7,000 for equipment to maintain and improve trails.

  • Divide County Historical Society: Up to $5,000 as a 1 to 1 challenge grant for replacement doors on a storage building.

2023
CYCLE 2

  • Divide County Public Library: $13,000 for the remodeling of the public library.

  • Concordia Lutheran Pack Rats: $ 1,000 for newborn layettes for newborns in need through Trinity Hospital in Minot.

  • Crosby Blue Line Club: $ 8,000 for the Mural at the Community Center.

  • Crosby Senior Citizens Center: $1,500 for the refinishing of the hardwood floor.

  • Prairie Tumbleweeds Association: $1,000 for shower stall doors in the locker rooms at the Prairie Tumbleweed Center.

  • Northern Lights Villa: $19,920 for a walking path and landscape for Elaine’s Garden.

  • Prairie Public: $40,000 for the Great American Folk Show with Tom Brosseau.

  • Divide County Historical Society Busy Bees: $1,000 for entertainment and family activities.

  • Maah Daah Hey Trail Association: $19,980 to restore over 3 miles of the MDH trail.

2023
CYCLE 1

  • Northwest Chorus: $10,000 to support the annual Northwest Chorus Holiday Program.

  • Divide County Food Pantry: $5,000 to fund our local food pantry.

  • Journal Publishing, Inc: $50,000 continued support for delivery of Kid Scoop News.

  • Long X Arts Foundation: $ 2,500 to support summer outdoor entertainment.

  • Crosby Kids Daycare: $1,000 for outdoor play space for infants and toddlers.

  • Minot Symphony: $ 3,360 Northwest North Dakota Outreach Tour.

  • Divide County Historical Society: $ 2,388.75 to purchase Tractor Kiddie Train.

  • Westby Rural Fire Protection District: $ 12,000 to purchase an outbuilding for the Fire Department.

  • Society of St. Stephens: $ 10,000 to help with a new food pantry building.

  • Crosby Blue Line Club: $3,850 to add a stadium drink & food countertop to the railing in the Andrist Arena in the Crosby Community Center.

  • Divide County Traveling Basketball: $1,500 to establish a non profit for the organization.

  • Divide County Historical Society: $5,000 to help make repairs to the Pioneer Village Hanisch building.

  • Great Plains Food Bank: $6,000 Hunger relief for Divide and Williams Counties.

  • International Music Camp: $15,000 to help with new staff housing.

  • International Music Camp: $6,100 for new programming support.

  • Journal Publishing, Inc: $15,000 for America Reporter.

  • Northwest Juvenile Drug Court: $1,000 Positive Community Involvement for youth and families.

  • Upper Missouri Bible Camp: $50,000 to provide fresh food and more camp scholarships.

  • Prairie Tumbleweeds Association: $5,000 to purchase covered pit blocks.

  • Prairie Public: $ 98,000 to support the Great American Folk Show with Tom Brosseau.

2022
CYCLE 2

2022
CYCLE 1

  • Crosby Blue Line Club: $ 7,600 to purchase a Zamboni Edger.

  • Crosby Country Club: $15,000 for new grounds equipment.

  • Divide County Ambulance District: $15,000 to replace aging equipment and bringing the equipment up to the state standards.

  • Fort Buford Sixth Infantry Regimented Association: $ 5,000 for Sixth infantry uniforms and marketing materials.

  • Heart Spring Community Healing Center: $ 9,611 A new hope for Parkinson’s: The four legs of healing.

  • International Music Camp: $10,000 to purchase of a new all purpose utility vehicle.

  • James Memorial Preservation Society: $ 3,500 to support an entertainer for Art Fest 2022.

  • Journal Publishing, Inc: $ 50,000 to distribute Kids Scoop News to 3,600 students in NWND 2022-2023.

  • Long X Arts Foundation: $6,800 to provide musical entertainment for weekly, free community events in Watford City.

  • Maah Daah Hey Trail Association: $20,680 Matching Funds for 2022 Recreation Trail Project.

  • North Dakota Museum of Art: $25,000 to support the augmentation of the Rural Arts Program.

  • Northwest Sportsman Club: $ 6,500 for roof repairs and interior energy efficient insulation.

  • Powers Lake Lions Club: $10,000 Construction of a community splash pad.

  • St. Luke’s Hospital: $23,638.60 Bariatric, Transport, Vital Signs, Fluid Warmer.

2021
CYCLE 2

  • North Dakota News Cooperative: $150,000 over three years to provide original, in-depth journalism for use by media outlets statewide.

  • Prairie Public: $90,000 to support The Great American Folk Show with Tom Brosseau.

  • City of Noonan: $30,000 to install a new community playground.

  • Minot State University Development Foundation: $30,000 to complete renovations of MSU Summer Theater’s outdoor amphitheater.

  • Divide County Historical Society: $20,000 to build a new exhibit.

  • Crosby Moose Lodge: $14,800 to install new flooring in the dining room.

  • Williston Area Visual Artists: $10,600 to conduct a regional art project focused on COVID-19 recovery.

  • Upper Missouri Ministries: $5,000 to support Divide County students to attend Camp UMM.

  • Mouse River Players: $3,000 to complete theater renovations.

  • Crosby Senior Citizens: $3,000 to install a new air conditioning unit in the senior citizens center.

  • American Legion Auxiliary: $2,500 to support Divide County girls to attend Girls State.

  • Divide County School District: $2,410 to purchase a new sound system for the school’s auditorium.

  • Crosby Blue Line Club: $2,000 to support the annual silent auction.

  • Northwest Juvenile Drug Court: $2,000 to provide community involvement incentives.

2021
CYCLE 1

  • Alkabo Sports Club: $26,000 to repair the roof on the historic Alkabo School building.

  • Crosby Blue Line Club: $15,000 to support needed repairs and upgrades for ice operations.

  • Crosby Rural Fire Protection District: $35,000 to construct a new joint fire and ambulance service hall.

  • Divide County Area Dollars for Scholars: $4,500 for increased promotions and marketing of the scholarship program.

  • Divide County Ambulance Service: $15,000 to construct a new joint fire and ambulance service hall.

  • Dakota Roots Hockey School: $2,000 to provide scholarships for Divide County youth.

  • Family Crisis Shelter: $5,000 to support emergency dental services for local survivors of domestic violence.

  • Fortuna Rural Fire Protection District: $22,500 to obtain a new wildland response unit.

  • Great Plains Food Bank: $5,000 to support the mobile food pantry in northwest North Dakota.

  • International Music Camp: $15,000 to support Divide County youth attendance at “IMC On The Road”, which is mobile music programming, across North Dakota.

  • Minot Symphony Association: $5,000 to support free attendance for Divide County residents to the Heartland Marimba Quartet performance.

  • Prairie Tumbleweeds: $3,000 to purchase new fitness equipment and air scrubbers.

  • State Historical Society: $20,000 to install new playground equipment at Fortuna’s Writing Rock site.

  • University of Mary: $10,000 to produce “Voices of the Badlands”, a theatrical production.

2020 CYCLE 2

  • Crosby Country Club: $31,000 to complete the course’s irrigation system.

  • Columbus Rural Fire Protection District: $15,000 to purchase a Polaris Ranger UTV with an air foam system for enhanced firefighting.

  • Crosby Park District: $15,000 to purchase a WIBIT Aqua Track and swimming pool yoga mats for the pool.

  • Divide County School District: $9,715 to purchase and incorporate art equipment into current STEM programming.

  • International Music Camp: $4,270 to increase their capacity to deliver concerts digitally.

  • Crosby Senior Citizens: $4,000 to install a handicap accessible ramp.

  • Tioga Community Library: $3,000 to create a searchable digital archive of more than 117 years of Tioga newspapers.

  • Northwest Juvenile Drug Court: $1,000 to incentives and positive community involvement of youth and parents.

2020
CYCLE 1

  • Journal Publishing, Inc.: $60,500 to support community journalism during COVID-19 and beyond.

  • International Music Camp: $25,000 to support their COVID-19 Stabilization Fund, which will allow for continued operations during and beyond the pandemic.

  • Divide County Museum & Historical Society: $20,000 to construct a new building to house and display the Charlotte Mehmke Collection of steamers, gas tractors, and other items.

  • Upper Missouri Lutheran Bible Camp: $15,000 to support safe alternatives and connections for campers during COVID-19.

  • Wildrose Golf Association: $8,000 to replace sand greens with astroturf on the Wildrose golf course.

  • Farm Rescue: $5,000 to support the operations of Farm Rescue that benefit western North Dakota farmers in need.

  • Prairie Tumbleweeds: $3,000 to replace aging windows in their facility.

  • Veterans Rock Project: $3,000 to support a monument to commemorate veteran’s and the military in Divide County.

2019
CYCLE 2

  • BIO Girls: $500 to support the implementation of self-esteem programming for adolescent girls (ages 7-12) in Divide County.  “Beautiful Inside and Out” (BIO) is a 12-week program combining life-skills curriculum, small-group mentoring, and physical activity in a positive, inclusive environment.

  • Burlington Recreation Commission: $500 to support the construction of a new splash pad in Burlington. The newly operational splash pad is supporting residents of all ages in Burlington to build community and continue to recover from the devastating 2011 Souris River Flood.

  • City of Columbus: $3,000 to support the construction of Columbus Cougar Park. Columbus Cougar Park will be the result of renovations and improvements to the former Columbus High School lot, and it will provide for youth in the community to play and improve beautification efforts.

  • Divide County School District: $5,000 to support the purchase of STEM equipment and implementation of STEM activities. With this support, the Divide County School District will gain the ability to assemble STEM classroom kits and make a 3-D printer available for students that will facilitate hands-on lessons integrating science, technology, engineering, math, and art.

  • International Music Camp: $2,100 to support camper scholarships for Divide County youth.  International Music Camp is a summer school of fine arts that offers a wide array of cultural study for students and adults.  Through grant support, scholarships will be provided to six youth in the Divide County area to attend.

  • Meadowlark Arts Council: $18,000 to support repairs and upgrades at the Dakota Theater in Crosby.  The Meadowlark Arts Council has already received grant funds to support restroom accessibility upgrades and, with the support of the Andrist Trust, the organization will be able to incorporate more renovations to worn flooring, marquee, and aged furnace.

  • NW Outdoorsmen: $4,000 to support operations for one year. NW Outdoorsmen supports individuals with disabilities to enjoy the outdoors and own and operate an accessible house for those visiting the area to stay.

  • Skabo Lutheran Church: $25,000 to match contributions from the community to support building repairs of the historic church.

  • Northwest North Dakota Community Foundation: $10,000 to establish the Relief Fund for recovery and resilience activities tied to COVID-19 and the downturn in the oil and gas industry.

2019
CYCLE 1

  • Divide County Quarterback Club: $150,000 to support the construction of a new gymnasium for youth in Crosby;

  • Upper Missouri Ministries: $10,000 to support children of all abilities to attend Bible Camp;

  • Crosby Kids Daycare: $10,000 to support exterior beautification of the facility;

  • Divide County Food Pantry: $10,000 to support the purchase of food for distribution to people in need;

  • Divide County Public Library: $5,000 to support the growth of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library;

  • Divide County Fair Board: $5,000 to support the purchase of new bleachers;

  • Crosby Blue Line Club: $1,000 to support the purchase of skate sharpening equipment; and

  • Prairie Tumbleweeds Association: $1,000 to support the installation of a new air conditioning unit and doors.

2018

  • North Dakota Bar Foundation: $100,000 to support a biography to be completed on Chief Justice/Justice of the Supreme Court Gerald VandeWalle.