RESOURCE OUTLINE
Preparing for Your Donations
FAQs
THE GHD ESSENTIALS PATH
Requirements
• GHD application and good-standing verification
• Paid subscription
• Attend or view GHD Kick-Off training
• Profile and Stripe account set up
• Minimum $3,000 self-raised match
Communication
• GHD emails on required items and important updates
• Access to “Giving Hearts Day Community” private Facebook group
Benefits | Capacity Building
• Access to helpful GHD campaign, fundraising resources and templates, and fundraising campaign tips
• Access to community collaboratives
• Safe and secure year-round online giving platform
• Low processing fees on online giving platform
Benefits | Community Building
• Region-wide GHD marketing and media buy to raise awareness
– Newspaper
– Radio
– TV
– Outdoor
– Digital
– Social media (3.65M impressions, 2.14M reach, 1.6M engagement)
• Year-round social media campaigns that highlight charities across the region (9,425 Facebook followers)
• Nearly 41,000 donors gave on GHD 2024
• On average, donors give to about two charities
• More than $195 million raised for local charities since 2008
• Training and toolkits provided to help you share your story
• More than 500 Giving Hearts businesses and 800 Giving Hearts volunteers engaged
Calendar ESSENTIALS PATHWAY
Note: This calendar is your one-stop shop for important deadlines and steps toward a successful giving day. Any additional trainings will be announced via email.
Essential To-Dos
Apply to Participate in Giving Hearts Day 2024
Monday, June 17-Thursday, Aug 15, 2024
Complete the GHD 2024 charity application
Wednesday, Aug . 213, 2025 New charity orientation (Recording will be available)
Pay Giving Hearts Day 2025 Subscription (Via check or credit card)
Friday, Aug 30, 2024
Subscription due and Stripe account set up due
Attend or View a Giving Hearts Day Kick-Off Training: Select One Below
Thursday, Sept 12, 2024 Giving Hearts Day Kick-Off Fargo, ND + Hybrid
Wednesday, Sept . 18, 2025 Giving Hearts Day Kick-Off Minot, ND
Thursday, Sept 19, 2024 Giving Hearts Day Kick-Off Bismarck, ND
Thursday, Sept 26, 2024 Giving Hearts Day Kick-Off Grand Forks, ND
Create Your Charity’s Online Profile
Wednesday, Oct . 30, 2024 Create and/or update your charity’s online profile page
Promote Early Giving
Monday, Jan 13-Thursday, Feb . 13, 2025
“Subscription & Stripe” tab in Admin Portal or via check
or in-person in Fargo, ND-Location to be announced
available in GHD overview emails
“Charity Information” tab in Admin Portal
.GivingHeartsDay .org
.GivingHeartsDay .org
Let your supporters know they can give their GHD gift to your organization anytime between Jan 13 and Feb 13! Ends 11:59 p m CT on Thurs ., Feb 13 GivingHeartsDay .org GivingHeartsDay .org
Report Your Self-Raised Match Amount
Monday, Jan 27, 2025
Minimum $3,000 in self-raised match gift report due By 5 p m CT
Have Fun on Giving Hearts Day 2025!
Monday, Feb 3, 2025
Start entering check donations received for GHD early giving
“GHD Match” tab in Admin Portal Admin GivingHeartsDay org
“Add GHD Check” tab in Admin Portal Admin GivingHeartsDay org
Friday, Feb . 7, 2025 GHD donation reconciliation orientation video available On-demand “Resources” tab in Admin Portal Admin .GivingHeartsDay .org
Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 Giving Hearts Day 2025 12 a.m.-11:59 p.m. GivingHeartsDay.org
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 Celebrate with your team, thank your donors, and get some rest!
Admin Portal URL: Admin .GivingHeartsDay .org Join the GHD Email List: bit .ly/GivingHeartsDayEmails
HOW YOUR DONATIONS WILL BE RECEIVED
Learn about all the ways your donors can give
Urgency and convenience are two critical elements when it comes to a successful fundraising campaign, and Giving Hearts Day has both. The urgency comes from the event being live online for only 24 hours, driving participation because a donor feels he or she has to act soon knowing that they could miss the opportunity to participate on such an impactful day for their favorite causes. The ability to make a match pledge, give online, or simply drop a check of any amount off to their favorite nonprofit organization creates a set of convenient options that make it easy for a donor to fulfill their wish to support your cause.
Contributions can be accepted in five ways:
1. MATCH PLEDGE
• Received prior to the event or pledged in good faith to be matched.
• Contributions go directly to your charity (You will report all match gifts at Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org in January 2025)
2. ONLINE (EARLY GIVING AND DAY-OF GIVING)
• Received on Giving Hearts Day, or from Jan. 13 - Feb. 13, 2025, to be processed in real time and counted toward your Giving Hearts Day total.
• All contributions made at GivingHeartsDay.org.
• Contributions released to your charity via Stripe deposit.
3. CHECK
• Received prior to or on Giving Hearts Day.
• Dated for the day of Giving Hearts Day: February 13, 2025. If this isn’t possible, please have Giving Hearts Day written in the memo line or include an attached intent letter.
• Contributions go directly to your charity (You will report your check donations at Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org on Giving Hearts Day with instructions provided by the Giving Hearts Day team) and should be written out to your charity.
4. BUSINESS EMPLOYEE MATCH
• A pledge made by a business that counts toward your Giving Hearts Day total in real time.
• Employee contribution(s) matched through a custom link on GivingHeartsDay.org that is set up for the business by the Giving Hearts Day team.
• Contributions released to your charity via Stripe deposit after Giving Hearts Day when funds have been received from the business(es).
5. GIFT CARDS
• Purchased prior to Giving Hearts Day by businesses or individuals.
• Redeemed on GivingHeartsDay.org by the donor.
• Contributions released to your charity via Stripe deposit after Giving Hearts Day.
The following pages provide additional details for receiving contributions on Giving Hearts Day.
MATCH PLEDGE
An amount pledged or given on the condition that it is matched by what is raised on Giving Hearts Day itself. Gifts should be counted as match ONLY with the donor’s implicit intent for the gift to be used as match.
How to Report Your Organization’s Match Amount
Match funds are managed by the organization. It is on the honor system and reported through your admin portal:
• Enter your total raised on Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org in January 2025.
• A page will be available in the admin portal in January to populate your match report, including the name, and amount of each match donor.
• Your organization’s match amount must be reported by January 27, 2025.
• Please do not enter match funds as gifts on Giving Hearts Day itself. Match checks should not be entered on Giving Hearts Day with your day-of check donations, and match donors should not make match credit card contributions on Giving Hearts Day or during early giving. Match funds are already programmed into our system and are being automatically counted on Giving Hearts Day in your organization’s total. Adding those funds in a second time on Giving Hearts Day means those dollars are being counted twice.
ONLINE
Donations can be made online with a credit card throughout the day on Feb. 13, 2025 at GivingHeartsDay. org or through early giving. Early giving allows donors to give their Giving Hearts Day gift ahead of time and it will still count toward your Giving Hearts Day total. All gifts that are given at GivingHeartsDay.org between January 13 and February 13, 2025 will be Giving Hearts Day gifts.
Donations through GivingHeartsDay.org have an extremely low processing fee of 3.25% + $0.30 per cart. This fee is charged by Visa, MasterCard, and Discover, and collected by Stripe, the payment processor for the site.
How to Receive Online Donations
To receive donations online, your profile page must be connected to Stripe. If you are a new participating organization, you will need your organization’s bank account information to connect to Stripe. This connection allows your donations to be deposited directly into your organization’s bank account. Our Giving Hearts Day website guide will walk you through connecting to Stripe if you are a new organization to Giving Hearts Day.
How to Track Donations
You can track your donations two ways:
• Donor reports can be downloaded through your admin portal. You have the ability to filter by date range, donor name, campaign, and Giving Hearts Day year.
• Stripe allows you to download donor reports and you are able to filter by date range.
CHECKS
Simply accept a check from donors. Ensure the check is dated for Giving Hearts Day: February 13, 2025, or “Giving Hearts Day” written in the memo line. You will make a copy or take a picture of each check and upload it via a link emailed to you by the Giving Hearts Day team the day before Giving Hearts Day, which will be also available in your admin profile. You may then deposit check donations into your bank account.
How to Report Checks
Before you enter a check, be sure of the following details:
• The check is made out to your charity.
• The check is dated February 13, 2025, or has “Giving Hearts Day” written in the memo line or accompanying documentation to show that the intent of the check is for Giving Hearts Day.
• The check is not a match gift check.
1. Login to the admin portal at Admin.GivingHeartsday.org and click on the “Add A Giving Hearts Day Donation” tab. Please note, this won’t show in your portal until Feb. 3, 2025. Be sure you have your login credentials before February 13, 2025. (If you are having difficulty setting up or accessing your portal, please contact the Giving Hearts Day team at GHDinfo@DakMed.org.)
2. Enter each check of $10 or more individually. We want to be sure we accurately track each individual donation.
3. The business field and note field are the only optional fields in the “Add a Giving Hearts Day Donation” feature. You will only be able to select your charity name from the drop-down list.
4. Check, and double-check, the dollar amount you enter for proper commas and decimal placement. Once a check donation is entered, you will not be able to change or remove it yourself. (If you have any questions about this or have difficulty with this step - please contact the Giving Hearts Day team at GHDinfo@DakMed.org.)
5. The feature to add a check for Giving Hearts Day will be enabled on February 3, 2025, and will be turned off at the end of Giving Hearts Day.
6. Be sure ALL checks are entered by the end of Giving Hearts Day. Checks received the following day cannot be entered or included in your online total. If you do receive a check after February 13, 2025 that was intended to be a Giving Hearts Day gift, cash it and thank the donors for their support. However, the amount cannot be included in your official Giving Hearts Day total.
Donors may drop off a check at Dakota Medical Foundation’s office for your organization. Any checks that are made out to your organization that are received at Dakota Medical Foundation’s office on Giving Hearts Day will be entered on your behalf, so they are reflected in your total. The checks will then be mailed to your organization the following week so you may cash them.
Businesses and donors have the option to write one check for the combined total of donations they wish to make to multiple charities they support, and then drop that check off at Dakota Medical Foundation. If a business or donor asks to distribute one check total to multiple organizations and your organization is one of the recipients, the Giving Hearts Day team will enter the amount designated by that business or donor on your organization’s behalf, so it is reflected in your organization’s total for the day. However, those funds will be paid out to you after an internal audit of all check entries is completed after Giving Hearts Day. You will receive those funds electronically via Stripe distribution.
BUSINESS EMPLOYEE MATCH
Businesses can participate in Giving Hearts Day by matching their employees’ donations electronically. The employer can set match parameters around the dollar amount per employee they will match, as well as how many employees they will match.
The employer receives a custom link that employees use to enter the site, make their donation, and see their employer’s match within their Giving Hearts Day shopping cart. This allows the employee to see the impact of the full gift and allows the match to be made in real time and count toward your organization’s Giving Hearts Day total.
How to Receive Business Employee Match Donations
These matching contributions will count towards your total but will be released to you after Giving Hearts Day via Stripe deposit, after funds have been collected from the business.
The contributions will show up on your donation report in your admin portal and in your Stripe account in lump sums based on the total amount in match donations that your organization has received.
How to Track Donations
You can track your donations by running your donor report in Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org. The donor report will show the details of the employee(s) who made the donation, along with how much of their donation was matched by the employer, and who their employer is.
GIFT CARDS
Businesses and individuals can purchase pre-paid gift cards for recipients to use on Giving Hearts Day. These cards can be redeemed during the early giving period January 13, 2025 through February 13, 2025, on GivingHeartsDay.org. In the event that the recipient fails to use their card’s balance on Giving Hearts Day, the unused funds go to an organization(s) pre-designated by the card purchaser.
How to Receive Gift Card Donations
These contributions will count towards your total but will be released to you after Giving Hearts Day via Stripe deposit, after the internal auditing process is complete.
The contributions will show up on your admin report and in your Stripe account in lump sums based on the total amount of donations that your organization has received.
How to Track Donations
You can track your donations by running your donor report in Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org. The donor report will show the details of who redeemed the card along with how much of their total donation was covered by the card and by the donor. You will also be able to see who originally purchased the gift card.
When a donor purchases Giving Hearts Day gift cards, they must choose one organization that unused gift card funds will be applied to. Unused gift card funds will be entered by the Giving Hearts Day team and will count towards your total if your organization is the designated charity for any unused gift card funds.
MATCH GUIDE
Understanding and explaining match dollars
HISTORY OF THE GIVING HEARTS DAY MATCH
Every organization that participates in Giving Hearts Day is required to raise at least $3,000 in match gifts prior to the event. A “match” is an amount pledged or given on the condition that it is matched by what is raised on Giving Hearts Day. To fully understand how this powerful concept came to be, it’s important to know the history.
In 2008 Dakota Medical and Impact Foundations launched a bold new endeavor to create the region’s first giving day for health-related charities. It was and remains an innovative concept, as this day was conceived before the 2012 launch of Giving Tuesday and many other prominent giving days known around the country.
To bolster support for the causes participating in this innovative pilot event, Dakota Medical Foundation provided match funding to all participating organizations. It was soon apparent that the online giving day concept was going to catch on, and other charities began to request entry into Giving Hearts Day. In accord with a desire to keep the match, these nonhealth-related organizations suggested they could raise their own match from generous donors in the community to participate in Giving Hearts Day. Once again, an innovative idea was tested and it was transformational. Like many great innovations in history, it was by happenstance that something incredibly impactful was uncovered. The organizations that raised their own match to participate in Giving Hearts Day were highly successful. Their donors were engaged like never before, and they saw an increase in major gifts through the match requests that happened prior to the day, and by donors that matched gifts from the community on Giving Hearts Day. This history has facilitated great growth for major gift support both prior to Giving Hearts Day and on the event day. Charity after charity has experienced breakthroughs with major gift requests, the return of lapsed donors, and new donors added to organizations’ lists because of this innovative approach. Simply put -- the match opportunity enables your organization to accelerate results.
THE MATCH OPPORTUNITY ENABLES YOUR ORGANIZATION TO ACCELERATE RESULTS
The conditions surrounding Giving Hearts Day lead to a groundswell for fundraising success. This event combines a highly visible opportunity for giving by joining with others, a deadline that generates urgency, and a chance to match or be matched in contributions. Millions of dollars have been raised in match and major gifts on Giving Hearts Day, ranging from first-time gifts of more than $1,000, to matching donations of more than $500,000. Each year, new stories are written of transformed lives because of major donors on Giving Hearts Day.
Again, fundraising totals are counted as dollar-for-dollar raised. For example, if your organization secures $10,000 in match funding prior to Giving Hearts Day and raises $7,000 on event day, the award-eligible and website total amount would equal $14,000, $7,000 raised on the day matched by $7,000 of your available $10,000 match funding. “Excess” match funds are commonly contributed to the charity by match donors regardless of the sum raised, and your organization may benefit from the full $17,000 toward your valuable mission. However, to keep accounting accurate and to avoid any miscommunication on the website, these “excess” match dollars are not counted by the hosts toward your organization’s overall total raised on the day, nor do they count towards Giving Hearts Day awards and incentives. The next page provides a breakdown of the essential elements associated with match.
RAISING
All participating charities must raise at least $3,000 in matching funds that have been raised specifically for Giving Hearts Day (designated by donors to be counted as a match).
REPORTING
Your organization needs to report the amount of match funds you have raised by January 27, 2025. Your organization is responsible for recording your raised match amount into your profile at Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org, in the tab that will be available beginning in January.
WHAT IS COUNTED
Your Giving Hearts Day event totals are calculated using a dollar-for-dollar match. If your match amount exceeds the total of online and check gifts, only the amount that was truly matched is counted for prizes and incentives. (However, donors often give match unconditionally, and your organization may benefit from the entire gift regardless of what is raised online, even if it is not reflected in your total). Match dollars begin showing in the total you see on your dashboard beginning with the first dollar raised online on Giving Hearts Day.
Below are two examples to illustrate what is counted for your organization’s official Giving Hearts Day total.
Mentioning matching gifts in fundraising results in a 71% increase in the response rate and a 51% increase in the average donation amount.* 84% of survey participants revealed they’re more likely to donate if a match was offered.*
Raising LESS than your match on event day
https://nonprofitssource.com/online-giving-statistics/
2025 GIVING HEARTS DAY AWARDS
The spirit behind Giving Hearts Day awards is that of celebration. Our awards are designed to recognize organizations that reach higher than they thought possible. These awards are intended as a tool to assist your organization to drive team participation, to think creatively, and to excite your donors with possibilities.
The Giving Hearts Day team is excited to announce the 2025 awards! The awards tie back to the “Three R’s” (Retain, Recruit, Reach) that our GHD Advanced resources and trainings focus on. The table below summarizes the Giving Hearts Day 2025 awards.
Awards summary LEADERBOARD
Top 3 in New Donor Growth
Top 3 in Donor Retention
New! Top 3 in Fundraising Growth
Top 5 in Fundraising
$6K, $4K, $2K Leaderboard! Top three organizations that have the largest percentage growth in new individual donors.
$6K, $4K, $2K Leaderboard! Top three organizations that have the largest retention rate percentage (second-time gifts from donors who gave on Giving Hearts Day 2024).
$6K, $4K, $2K Leaderboard! Top 3 organizations that have the largest fundraising growth percentages.
$10K, $8K, $6K, $4K, $2K Leaderboard! Top five fundraisers within three budget categories.
Donor Dynamo $500 Organization with the highest number of individual donors.
Newbies! Donor Dynamo
Backyard & Beyond
First-time Giving Hearts Day participant with the highest number of individual donors.
$500 Donors from the most US states, North Dakota cities and Minnesota cities.
Spark Plug $500 All first-time participants that raise $30,000 or more.
GoBig Fundraising
$500 First-time Giving Hearts Day participant that receives the largest gift from a single donor.
Please note: Fundraising totals are counted as dollar-for-dollar raised. For example, if your organization secures $10,000 in match funding prior to Giving Hearts Day and raises $7,000 on event day, the award-eligible and website total amount would be $14,000. Your organization may benefit from the full $17,000 should a donor agree to give the full match amount anyway, but to keep accounting accurate and to avoid any miscomputation on the website, “excess” match dollars are not counted toward an organization’s overall total raised on the day. Please see Matching Gifts on page 11 for details.
Award details
LEADERBOARD AWARD DETAILS
Giving Hearts Day wants to recognize leaders with excellence in donor growth and retention!
Top Three in New Donor Growth - 1st Place: $6,000; 2nd Place $4,000; 3rd Place: $2,000
Recruit | Retain | Reach
Description: Top three organizations that have the largest percentage growth in new individual donors. New Donor Growth percentages will be calculated from Giving Hearts Day data. A minimum of 100 donors must have given to the organization last year to be eligible for award.
Top Three in Donor Retention - 1st Place: $6,000; 2nd Place $4,000; 3rd Place: $2,000*
Recruit | Retain | Reach
Description: Top three organizations that have the largest retention rate percentages (second-time gifts from donors who gave on Giving Hearts Day in 2024). Retention rate percentages will be calculated from Giving Hearts Day data; self-reported retention rates will not be used for calculating these awards.
*A minimum of 100 donors must have given to the organization last year to be eligible for award.
Top Three in Fundraising Growth - 1st Place: $6,000; 2nd Place $4,000; 3rd Place: $2,000
Recruit | Retain | Reach
Description: Top three organizations with the largest increase from their previous year’s Giving Hearts Day total. A minimum of $30,000 must have been raised last year to be eligible for this award.
Top Five in Fundraising - 1st Place: $10,000; 2nd Place $8,000; 3rd Place: $6,000, 4th Place: $4,000; 5th Place: $2,000
Recruit | Retain | Reach
In the Top Five in Fundraising award, we have three budget categories to fairly represent the wonderful charities participating in Giving Hearts Day. The budget categories are based on annual operating budget as reported in charities’ Giving Hearts Day applications.
1. $250,000 and below
2. $250,001 to $999,999
3. $1,000,000 and above
AWARD DETAILS
Donor Dynamo - $500
Recruit | Retain | Reach
Description: Organization with the highest number of individual donors.
Donor Dynamo, Charities New to Giving Hearts Day - $500
Recruit | Retain | Reach
Description: First-time Giving Hearts Day participant with the highest number of individual donors.
Backyard & Beyond - $500
Recruit | Retain | Reach
Description: Call on your support others from... all over the place! Winners have contributions from the most U.S. states, North Dakota cities, and Minnesota cities.
Spark Plug - $500
Recruit | Retain | Reach
Description: All first-time participants that raise $30,000 or more.
GoBIG Fundraising - $500
Recruit | Retain | Reach
Description: First-time participant that receives the largest gift from a single donor.
FAQS Giving Hearts Day Charity FAQs
This section outlines a list of frequently asked questions that charities have regarding Giving Hearts Day. You will see questions organized into the following sections:
• Technology & Website Information
• Checks
TECHNOLOGY & WEBSITE INFORMATION
I lost/forgot my password. How do I reset it?
Go to Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org and click on Forgot Password. Enter your email address and the system will send you a new password. If you don’t receive this email, contact GHDInfo@DakMed.org.
Is there a way to disable email alerts on Giving Hearts Day?
• Match
• General Information
Will the direct link to our profile page that I have on my website work on GHD?
Yes! Direct charity links do work on Giving Hearts Day. Make sure your donate buttons lead donors there.
Can I refund donations on my own?
Yes, your email settings are customizable in your profile on Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org. Once signed in, click on Team Setup and User Settings and scroll down to Email Settings.
How do I change administrators? Can my organization have more than one administrator?
Go to Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org and click on Team Setup. Under the Users heading you can add or delete any users. If you have had staff turnover and don’t have access to the password or email address that is attached to your profile, please email us at GHDInfo@DakMed.org. There is no limit to the number of admins you can have.
How can I change my email address to log into my account?
Log into your profile on Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org and click on the Team Setup tab. Find your name in the Users section and click on the settings icon that looks like a gear. This will allow you to edit your user information.
Are there fees associated with donating on GivingHeartsDay.org?
A fee of 3.25% per total donation plus 30 cents per cart is assessed to cover credit card provider charges, the technology platform, and processing incurred through our technology partner. Donors will be asked if they would like to cover this in addition to their donation in the checkout process. Donors will receive a tax receipt for the full donation amount. Including the processing fee if they choose to pay it.
No, if you need a donation refunded please let the staff at Impact and Dakota Medical Foundation know and we will process that refund for you. On GHD, we will have a contact form specifically for you to let us know about any issues. This form link will be emailed to you the week of GHD.
How do I know if my subscription is current?
Your subscription status can be found on Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org under the Subscriptions and Stripe tab. This will show if the subscription has been paid yet.
CHECKS
When do I report my checks? How do I report my checks?
You will add your organization’s checks into the system on Giving Hearts Day with instructions we will email to you in February. A photo of your check should be submitted to Dakota Medical Foundation by 11:59 p.m. on February 13, 2025 using a link that will be emailed to you. Your checks will then be counted in your GHD fundraising total.
What is the criteria for accepting checks on GHD?
You may accept any check made out to your organization, dated February 13, 2025 or with “Giving Hearts Day Gift” in the memo line or accompanying documentation, for $10 or greater. These checks can be added to your profile on Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org.
When will the uploaded checks show up on our dashboard in our donation records?
Your organization is responsible for entering your own check totals on Giving Hearts Day. Once you add them using the Add a GHD Donation feature on Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org they will show up on your donor reports.
How do I know if a business brought a check to DMF for me on GHD?
Any checks that come to DMF are entered on GHD including business checks. On your donations report the “Business Gift” column will be checked if the gift is from a business. If it says “Impact” in the “admin_user” column, it was entered by the DMF/Impact team on your behalf.
Should we report our match checks with our other checks on GHD?
No, match checks will be reported by you by January 27, 2025 and should not be entered as gifts on Giving Hearts Day.
What is my GHD subscription used for?
The Giving Hearts Day Subscription includes all of the tools for your success on Giving Hearts Day, including the following:
• Complimentary access to trainings, webinars, and small-group strategy sessions
• A technology platform that allows you to showcase your mission and accept donations on both Giving Hearts Day and throughout the year
• Downloadable Giving Hearts Day tools and resources
• Opportunities to engage in individual fundraising and coaching sessions, virtually or in-person
• Ability to list your needs for new and used goods and volunteer opportunities year-round
MATCH
Does Dakota Medical Foundation provide a match to every organization participating in GHD?
No. The majority of matching dollars are raised by the nonprofits from their own generous donors. Every organization is required to raise a minimum $3,000 match for Giving Hearts Day. Dakota Medical Foundation hosts the day, provides administrative support, and offers matching funds to a limited number of health-related nonprofits within the DMF service area. To view the DMF service area please visit https://dakmed.org/dmf-history
Can match funds be paid via credit card?
Your donor can pay you in any way that your organization is able to collect donations. If your donor chooses to pay match with a credit card to GivingHeartsDay.org, it can’t occur on Giving Hearts Day.
Do you release my match total to the public?
Neither Dakota Medical Foundation nor Impact Foundation will share your match amount with the public. You may do so if your organization chooses.
How is match calculated on Giving Hearts Day?
Your organization’s match amount is added into the GHD system before Giving Hearts Day. If you receive a DMF match, our team will add it for you. If you raised your own match you will need to add it to your GHD profile at Admin.GivingHeartsDay.org. See page 11 for more details.
G ENERAL INFORMATION
How and when will we receive donations made on GHD?
All donations that are made online that day and early giving will be deposited directly to your bank account via Stripe. Stripe will deposit your online GHD donations into your bank account in 3-5 business days. Your first Stripe deposit may take up to 7 days if you are a first-time participating organization. Any match funds, business checks or personal checks that come to DMF on GHD will be processed at DMF and released after GHD after our audit process is complete. While you will not have those funds immediately on GHD, they will be counted in your total for GHD and will be available on your donations report. See pages 6-9 for more details.
How and when will I receive any awards that my organization won?
Any awards you have won will be distributed after GHD. They will be entered by the Giving Hearts Day team in your GHD total.
Is there some information on what to do if a donor contacts us with issues on the day of Giving Hearts Day? Like some troubleshooting of “What to do if happens?”
Yes, please utilize the GHD Donor FAQ, in the next section, or email GHDinfo@DakMed.org.
Does my organization need to issue tax receipts to individuals who donate on GivingHeartsDay.org? Whenever someone donates on GivingHeartsDay.org they receive a receipt from our system that can act as a tax receipt. We encourage you to reach out to the donor to thank them, but a tax receipt is not necessary. You will however, need to receipt for checks.
Giving Hearts Day Donor FAQs
This section outlines a list of frequently asked questions that donors have regarding Giving Hearts Day. You will see questions bucketed into the following sections:
• General Information
GENERAL
INFORMATION
What is Giving Hearts Day?
• Making a Donation
Giving Hearts Day is a 24-hour giving event for over 600 charities across North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.
Giving Hearts Day encourages the public to find a charity to love and the excitement of this annual event helps charities elevate awareness and cultivate donor relationships. We’ve taught thousands of people from hundreds of area charities how to better tell their mission stories, promote online giving, and lead conversations with donors, prepping them for a one-day home run and giving them a fundraising system they can use all year long. They’ve learned a whole system for attracting donors, building a sustaining donor base, and raising major gifts. It is co-hosted by Dakota Medical Foundation, Impact Foundation, and Alex Stern Family Foundation.
Who can participate in Giving Hearts Day?
Nonprofits with a 501(c)3 designation in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota are eligible to apply, we want to see all donations stay local to enrich our communities. Additionally, we review all applicants to be sure that each organization is a valid nonprofit and prepared to run a successful Giving Hearts Day campaign. Each charity builds enduring relationships with their donors and continues to build new ones.
Does Dakota Medical Foundation provide a match to every organization participating in GHD?
No. Dakota Medical Foundation hosts the day, provides administrative support, and offers matching funds to a limited number of health-related nonprofits within the DMF service area. The majority of matching dollars are raised by the nonprofits from their own generous donors. Every organization is required to raise a minimum $3,000 match for Giving Hearts Day. They raise these funds through their existing relationships, helping to build lifelong donors for their organization.
MAKIN
G A DONATION
Who can donate?
Anyone with a debit or credit card and access to the internet can donate. A minimum donation of $10 is required.
• Technical Information
Checks dated February 13, 2025, and received by February 13, 2025, and made directly to the charity, can be accepted by organizations on Giving Hearts Day.
* If you would like to make a donation of $10,000 or greater, please contact Amanda Sayre at ASayre@DakMed.org for concierge service.
Who will receive my contact information?
Only Dakota Medical Foundation and the charity you have donated to have access to your information. Your credit card information is never stored and your personal data will not be shared with or sold to any outside vendors or third parties. You have the option of making your donation anonymously.
Do I need an account on GivingHeartsDay.org to donate?
No, you have the ability to check out as a guest. However, creating an account will allow you to store your donor information year over year and print your receipts for tax purposes.
How do I reset my password?
Click on the “Donor Sign In” button in the upper left hand corner at GivingHeartsDay.org and then click on “Forgot Password?” The system will then prompt you to enter the email address your account is linked to and send you a new password.
Can I contribute to more than one nonprofit at a time?
Yes! GivingHeartsDay.org has a cart feature that allows you to donate to up to 25 organizations in a single transaction. On the homepage of GivingHeartsDay.org, simply type in the organization name and amount you want to donate. Click the “Add another donation” button to add additional nonprofit donations to your cart.
Once you have added all of the organizations to your cart you would like to donate to, fill out the rest of the donation form with your contact and billing information. You will receive one email receipt that will list all of the nonprofit organizations you donated to.
If you would like to donate to more than 25 charities, a second transaction will be necessary.
How do I request a duplicate tax receipt?
If you create an account, you can log in any time at app.givingheartsday.org/#/signin to print past receipts.
*This feature is not available on Giving Hearts Day, but you can visit the site at a later date and retrieve your receipts. You can also enter your email address and request to receive receipts via email, regardless of if you have a donor account. You will find that feature on the “Contact Us” page of GivingHeartsDay.org.
Is GivingHeartsDay.org safe?
Yes. Credit card transactions are secure and backed by the PCI Level 1 secure service provider certification, the highest level of internet security.
Is my donation on Giving Hearts Day tax-deductible?
Yes! All donations are tax-deductible. You will receive a receipt via email immediately following your online donation.
Are there fees associated with donating on GivingHeartsDay.org?
There is a fee of 3.25% per total donation plus 30 cents per cart assessed to cover credit card provider charges, the technology platform, and processing incurred through our technology partner. You will be asked if you would like to cover this in addition to your donation in the checkout process. Donors will receive a tax deduction on the full donation amount, including this processing fee if you choose to cover it.
How do I redeem my Giving Hearts Day gift card?
Your Giving Hearts Day gift card can be redeemed in the checkout page below your contact information. Just add the code from the back of your card and hit the “Apply” button. This will reduce your out-of-pocket amount by the value of your gift card.
Why can’t I find the organization I want to give to?
A list of participating charities can be found at GivingHeartsDay.org. You can also search by organization name, keyword, or zip code. If you still cannot find the organization, you can contact the organization to see if they are participating this year.
Will my tax receipt and credit card statement reference each charity that I donate to on Giving Hearts Day? Your receipt will show each of the charities that you have given to. Your donation will show up as a charge to Giving Hearts Day on your credit card statement.
Can I make donations through my business?
Yes. The checkout page includes an optional field that reads “Business Name”, where you can indicate if your donation is made on behalf of a business.
* If your business is giving $10,000 or greater, please contact Amanda Sayre at ASayre@DakMed.org about concierge giving.
TECHNICAL
INFORMATION
Which internet browsers are compatible with GivingHeartsDay.org?
While all internet browsers are compatible, it’s important to use an updated version of your web browser.
Can I make a donation on my mobile phone or device?
Yes! Our website is mobile-friendly!
There was an error with my donation. What should I do?
If you find an error on your receipt or have accidentally made an incorrect charge, please contact the Giving Hearts Day team at 701-271-0263.
My credit card has been declined. What should I do?
First be sure that you have entered your credit card number correctly. Depending on the size of your donation, your credit card company may see that you are making an unusual charge and may not allow you to process your donation. Please contact your credit card company in regard to any issues with your card. If there are no issues with your card, please contact the Giving Hearts Day team at 701-271-0263.
What should I do if my donation is taking an unusually long time to process?
Please do not click the “Submit Donation” button more than once. Your donation should process in 30 seconds or less. During peak donation times, you may experience a longer than usual processing time. Please check your email for a donation receipt. If you do not see one, please contact the Giving Hearts Day team at 701-271-0263 to see if we have record of your donation before trying again.
Who do I contact if I need help?
Call the Giving Hearts Day team at 701-271-0263 or go to GivingHeartsDay.org and click on the Contact Us tab. You will be able to submit an online form to the Giving Hearts Day team.
Wishing you and your team a wonderful Giving Hearts Day 2025!
Questions? Email GHDInfo@DakMed .org .