Giving Hearts Day is a 24‑hour charitable giving event held every year on the second Thursday in February, focused on donating to nonprofits and community causes, especially in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.

Quick Scoop: What Is Giving Hearts Day?

  • It’s a one‑day online fundraising marathon where people are encouraged to give as generously as they can to participating charities.
  • The day was started in 2008 by Dakota Medical Foundation and Impact Foundation as a way to boost local philanthropy in a concentrated 24‑hour window.
  • It’s now considered one of the longest‑running regional “giving days” in the U.S., with hundreds of charities taking part each year.
  • The date moves slightly each year but always lands on the second Thursday of February (for example: Feb 8, 2024; Feb 13, 2025; Feb 12, 2026).

How It Works (In Simple Terms)

  1. You visit the official Giving Hearts Day site and choose one or more charities to support. Many are regional nonprofits in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.
  1. You donate during the 24‑hour window (often $10+ is the minimum, and gifts are commonly eligible for matching funds from sponsors).
  1. Many charities run their own mini‑campaigns, contests, or challenges during the day to unlock matches or earn bonus funding.
  1. At the end, the event tallies up the total raised; over the years, Giving Hearts Day has collectively brought in hundreds of millions of dollars for participating organizations.

Think of it like a Valentine’s‑season “philanthropy holiday”: instead of just giving chocolates or flowers, you “give your heart” by supporting causes you care about.

Why It’s Called “Giving Hearts Day”

  • The name plays on the idea that when you donate, you’re giving part of your “heart” — your care, love, and compassion — to people or communities in need.
  • It’s intentionally scheduled near Valentine’s Day to tie in with themes of love, generosity, and connection.

What Kinds of Causes Get Featured?

You’ll usually see:

  • Health and medical support (hospice, heart health, mental health, hospitals).
  • Youth and education programs (schools, youth shelters, tutoring, literacy).
  • Poverty and homelessness services (food, housing, emergency aid).
  • Animal welfare, arts and culture, and various local community nonprofits.

Each nonprofit has its own page and story explaining what donations on Giving Hearts Day will help fund, from new resource centers for homeless youth to scholarships or medical programs.

How People Typically Take Part

  • Donating online (the main focus): a quick card payment through the official platform or links shared by charities.
  • Setting up challenges: some supporters encourage friends, family, or coworkers to match their gift or join a giving “chain.”
  • Organizing local events or mini‑fundraisers: schools, churches, and community groups sometimes hold gatherings or activities tied to the day.
  • Spreading the word on social media: charities and donors share progress updates, impact stories, and donation links throughout the 24 hours.

Is It the Same as “Give with Heart Day”?

There’s a similarly named “Give with Heart Day” run by the Heart Foundation in Australia, which is also a 24‑hour fundraising challenge but focused specifically on heart‑disease research and care.

Giving Hearts Day (North Dakota–Minnesota, second Thursday of February) is broader and supports many different nonprofits, not just heart‑related causes.

TL;DR: Giving Hearts Day is a once‑a‑year, 24‑hour online philanthropy event (second Thursday in February) where people donate to a wide range of nonprofits, often with matching funds, as a way of “giving their hearts” to their communities.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.