Altru’s Gift to the Future of Grand Forks

When a community builds something for its children, it’s never just about bricks and beams. It’s about identity, pride and the kind of future we want to shape together. That’s exactly why Altru Health System’s founding gift to the Grand Forks Children’s Museum is so extraordinary.

Altru could have placed its own name on the building, as many organizations

would have. Instead, they chose something far more meaningful: The Grand Forks Children’s Museum.

• A name that belongs to the community.

• A name that centers children, families, and educators.

• A name that reflects the heart of who this museum is for.

This choice says everything about Altru’s values.

Altru’s gift is rooted in care and community and that’s who they’ve always been. More than a healthcare system, Altru is a neighbor and a partner. They are the steady presence that families turn to in moments of joy, uncertainty, and everything in between. Their mission, making a difference for those they care for, reaches far beyond medical care. It lives in the belief that strong communities grow from strong families, curious children, and places where learning and connection can flourish.

By choosing to name the museum after the city rather than themselves, Altru made a statement that resonates deeply: This museum belongs to Grand Forks. It belongs to the families who will walk through its doors. It belongs to the future, our children’s future.

Their generosity ensures that the museum will open as a place of wonder, creativity, and belonging This museum will be a place where every child can explore the world around them and discover their own potential.

When the museum opens, it will be a STEAM‑based destination unlike anything in the region. Children will dig into hands‑on science, build and engineer, create art, climb through the GROW maze, and explore the LAND and SKY zones inspired by the landscapes and industries that shape our region. Yet, beneath the excitement of exhibits and architecture lies something even more important: a commitment to nurturing the whole child, socially, emotionally, intellectually, and creatively. That commitment is shared by both the museum and Altru.

Altru’s support reflects a powerful truth: health is not only about medical care. It’s about environments that help children thrive. It’s about giving families places to connect. It’s about building resilience, curiosity, and confidence. This partnership with Altru strengthens our entire Grand Forks region. By investing in the museum, Altru is investing in stronger families, healthier communities, brighter futures…making a generational impact. This partnership between healthcare, education, and community leadership is a model for what it looks like when a region comes together to build something transformative.

While the museum will proudly carry the name The Grand Forks Children’s Museum, the entryway will honor Altru’s leadership and generosity, a welcoming threshold that reflects the care and commitment behind their gift. It’s a fitting symbol: families will step into the museum through a space shaped by an organization that has cared for this community for generations.

Construction on the museum begins this spring. Doors open in 2027. Thanks to Altru’s founding support, the museum will open not just as a building, but as a promise… a promise that Grand Forks believes in its children, invests in its families, and builds boldly for the future.

Altru’s gift reaches far beyond philanthropy. It becomes a legacy: a testament to who we are as a community and who we dream our children will grow to be, embodied in a name that honors the place we all call home.

Thank you, Altru.

Katie Mayer, Executive Director, Grand Forks Children's Museum