Becoming the most generous region on the planet
Becoming the most generous region
on the planet

"We know you have the heart.
That's why we give you the day."

Dakota Medical Foundation

2024 Giving Hearts Day Rewind Video thumbnail

Each year, Giving Hearts Day is the second Thursday of February
and is one of the longest-running and most successful giving days in the United States.

Since 2008, thousands of generous people like you have donated nearly $195 million
and pledged valuable volunteer hours and
goods to charities on this exciting give-a-thon day!

100% of the money raised goes directly to participating charities.
Charities, businesses, individuals, families, and schools can get involved.
Click the buttons  below to find out more.

When you start or support a charity,
you are telling someone they matter.
You are easing pain. You are inspiring dreams.
Sometimes you are saving lives.

Giving Hearts Day • Media reps and Gate City Bank leader throwing confetti
It's not just a day • It's a year-round effort
• It's not just a day •
• It's a year-round effort •

Giving Hearts Day History

Giving Hearts Day arose in 2008 as a simple and unique fundraising concept: Around Valentine’s Day, offer charities an online giving platform and encourage people to give to charities they love during an intensely-promoted 24-hour giving day.

The vision: As charities raise more money to fulfill their missions, our region’s health and overall quality of life will improve. The Giving Hearts Day online giving platform would enable increased reach and charitable giving.

Back to the past: In 2008, most charities did not have online giving available for their supporters to use. Some developers offered online giving platforms, but these platforms were expensive and limited in function.

Dakota Medical Foundation, alongside the Impact Foundation, invested in developing the Giving Hearts Day online giving platform at ImpactGiveBack.org, now GivingHeartsDay.org,  and offered this platform free of charge to charities who desired to participate in Giving Hearts Day. 

The result: Giving Hearts Day has become one of the country’s longest-running and most successful giving days, providing a platform for North Dakota and northwest Minnesota charities to raise nearly $195 million.

It’s not just a day – it’s a year-round effort. Using skills taught by DMF and the Impact Foundation, charities build a fundraising system they activate up to and on Giving Hearts Day, the energized, 24-hour give-a-thon day!

A day to change lives: Giving Hearts Day has become the region’s day to feed the hungry, nurture the elderly, and educate tomorrow’s leaders

A unique partnership with the
ND Impact Foundation logo

You can’t fund your mission when there’s no money. Without the skills to consistently fundraise for their important work, nonprofits struggle to gain traction. That’s where the Impact Foundation comes in.

Impact Foundation is a capacity-builder. It helps organizations build their fundraising capabilities to thrive and resolve challenges for the long-term, instead of only addressing their current needs. Impact Foundation teaches nonprofits to “fish.” For more than a decade, the foundation’s fundraising training and resources have helped hundreds of regional charities dramatically increase their donor bases and create sound financial footing.

All participating Giving Hearts Day charities have access to Impact Foundation fundraising training every year and most find it so valuable that they attend every year. Whether you’re a beginning fundraiser, a veteran, or somewhere in between, Impact Foundation has valuable knowledge and resources to help you expand your impact.

Cohosts

Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF) has invested more than $100 million in health initiatives and helps nonprofits increase their impact . DMF leads initiatives to create a region of the healthiest people, builds the fundraising success of health-related nonprofits, and invests in new ideas that create widespread health improvement. DMF has been a Giving Hearts Day co-host since 2008.

ND Impact Foundation logo

Impact Foundation works to expand the results of charities through assessments, training, and coaching, particularly around fundraising. It teaches a proven system for fundraising and fosters a network of organizations that shares ideas and best practices that result in leaders increasing their impact exponentially. Impact Foundation has been a Giving Hearts Day co-host since 2008.

Alex Stern Family Foundation

Named for local clothier, banker, and civic leader Alex Stern, the Alex Stern Family Foundation is a foundation that supports Fargo-Moorhead area nonprofits through grants in the arts, social welfare and human services, education, youth recreation, civic projects, and health issues. The Alex Stern Family Foundation has been a Giving Hearts Day co-host since 2014.

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