About Giving Hearts Day

History

2008

Giving Hearts Day inaugural year
39 participating charities
$479,028 raised

2009

47 health-related charities
24 DMF charitable giving funds
Website surpasses 5,000-visitor milestone
$983,812 raised

2010

A single donor gives to 24 organizations
Two organizations receive a $25,000 donation
$1,162,084 raised

2011

GHD expands to charities with non-health-related missions
Fundraising training is fully integrated
$1,542,147 raised

2012

GHD expands to Bismarck
100-charity milestone surpassed
DMF begins to award prizes in a variety of categories
$2,107,311 raised ♥ 6,382 donors

2013

GHD expands to Minot, with help from the Bush Foundation
First year that funding from private donors exceeds DMF match funding
$3,748,214 raised ♥ 8,941 donors

2014

Alex Stern Family Foundation joins as a co-host
Bush Foundation provides funding for further expansion westward in ND
$5,698,302 raised ♥ 11,094 donors

2015

Business partnerships are introduced
250-charity milestone surpassed
GHD expands westward, with Williston charities participating for the first time
$6,967,612 raised ♥ 11,501 donors

2016

Single-largest donation ever is made, a $150,000 gift
Improved technology allows charities to track progress during GHD
$8,309,559 raised ♥ 14,538 donors

2017

DMF awards $30,000 in boosts throughout GHD
New domain, GivingHeartsDay.org
$10,692,653 raised ♥ 21,816 donors

2018

A program is launched for local businesses to get involved
#CountMe TV is born, with an all-day Facebook Live broadcast
$13,157,995 raised ♥ 28,044 donors

2019

First million-dollar day with Fargo-based New Life Center surpassing the mark
Donations are received from all 50 states
$16,292,356 raised ♥ 30,675 donors

2020

Largest single gift is made, a $500,000 donation to Anne Carlsen Center
30 participating schools
$19,199,091 raised ♥ 34,711 donors

2021

GHD Sweepstakes is introduced
Scheduled giving, volunteer sign-ups, and goods pledges are counted toward donation amounts
$22,010,395 raised ♥ 42,272 donors 790 volunteers

2022

$25,000 TikTok Challenge
500-charity milestone surpassed
$26,643,931 raised ♥ 41,117 donors 805 volunteers

2023

3 charities surpass the $1 million mark Fargo Park District Foundation • YWCA Cass Clay • Oak Grove Lutheran School
More than 4 tons of food collected during first-ever GHD food drive
$26,155,280 raised ♥ 41,907 donors
90,351 donations

2024

The Giving Hearts Show is introduced, airing live on WDAY Xtra and the WDAY+ app
Businesses across the region participate by hosting food drives, featuring new mascot, Henry the Heart
$29,276,403 raised ♥ 40,851 donors
87,849 donations

As part of a continual improvement program at Fargo, North Dakota-based Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF), Giving Hearts Day arose in 2008 as a simple but unique fundraising concept: Around Valentine’s Day, ask people to show affection to not only people they love but charities, too.

In the decade-plus since, the event has gone on to become one of the longest-running and most successful giving days in the country, providing a platform for North Dakota and northwest Minnesota charities to raise $195 million.

It’s not just a day, though. It’s a year-round effort. Using skills taught by DMF and Fargo-based Impact, charities build a fundraising system that they put to use on Giving Hearts Day, the “Super Bowl” of giving in the Upper Midwest. It has become the region’s day to feed the hungry, nurture the elderly, and educate tomorrow’s leaders.

Unique Partnership with Impact Foundation

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.

Co-Hosts

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

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.

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.