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

Dakota Medical Foundation

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 $226 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.

- J. PATRICK TRAYNOR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DAKOTA MEDICAL FOUNDATION

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 $226 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

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.