$29 million. 41,000 donors. 88,000 donations.
These are numbers we could have only dreamed of when we started Giving Hearts Day 17 years ago. And they’re only possible when an entire region rallies behind a cause.
That was our biggest takeaway this year as we took some time to reflect: just how many people it takes to make Giving Hearts Day what it is and how grateful we are for each and every one of them.
We’re grateful for the charities that work tirelessly year-round to deliver on their important missions and bring tens of thousands of donors to the “Super Bowl of Giving.”
We’re grateful for the donors, who are the true lifeblood of the day and continue to show up year after year to fund and support this important work.
We’re grateful for the hundreds of Giving Hearts businesses that understand the importance of creating a give-back culture in their workplaces and helped make the Giving Hearts Day Food Drive a massive success this year.
We’re grateful for our dozens of media partners — from Bismarck to Bowman and everywhere in between — that shine a light on and amplify the stories of nonprofits and those they serve.
And last, but not least, we’re grateful for our staff and board members, who make it all happen and each year come up with new, creative ways to spread the joy of giving throughout the region.
Speaking of that, we wanted to take this opportunity to extend our sincere gratitude to Dana Mogck, Kerstin Kealy, and the teams at WDAY-TV and Forum Communications, who were all integral to launching the inaugural Giving Hearts Show this year. We hope it brought the fun and excitement of the day to people across North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, and we’re very excited for what it will become in the future.
We hope Giving Hearts Day offers the community a respite from the constant negativity and distractions that surround us every day and gives people something truly positive on which to focus their time, talent, and treasure. Each year, it’s a much-needed reminder of how many good people are out there.
On behalf of the Alex Stern Family Foundation, Dakota Medical Foundation, and Impact Foundation, thank you for being a light.