Fifteen area nonprofit organizations in southwest North Dakota are getting ready for their Annual “Giving Hearts Day” fundraising efforts. Giving Hearts Day is a 24-hour online fundraiser for over 575 nonprofits in North Dakota and Western Minnesota. All the excitement takes place the second Thursday of February – this year it happens on Thursday, February 8th!
Giving Hearts Day began in 2008, when the Dakota Medical Foundation and Alex Stern Family Foundation saw a need to foster educational growth for nonprofit organizations in our area. The Impact Foundation was then formed to help nonprofit organizations promote their campaigns online, network with other nonprofits and attend regular coaching sessions by trained fundraising professionals. Historically, Giving Hearts Day has raised over $164 Million the last sixteen years! Last year was the best so far, with 41,907 donors helping nonprofits raise $26.1 Million!
Fifteen area nonprofits are Members of the Impact Foundation and have banded together to share the good news about “Giving Hearts Day” and the good work that each contributes toward their mission. The fifteen area nonprofits in the Southwest North Dakota Giving Hearts Consortium include: West River Health Services Foundation, Enchanted Highway Foundation, Home On The Range, Camp ReCreation, Badlands Ministries, Benedictine Living Community-Dickinson, Best Friends Mentoring, Assumption Abbey, Jacobson Memorial Hospital Foundation, Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates, Heartview Foundation, Dakota Children’s Advocacy Center, House of Manna, CHI Health at Home-Hospice and Sunrise Foundation.
West River Health Services Foundation provides fundraising and development services for West River Health Services and Western Horizons Living Centers as they provide comprehensive health and wellness for citizens and visitors in Hettinger, Mott, New England, Bowman, Scranton and Lemmon, SD. This year for their Giving Hearts Day, you decide where your $10+ gifts go: Ambulance, Grateful Givers Club, Physician Recruitment Endowment, Healthcare Heroes Endowment, Western Horizons Living Centers, Surgery Center and more. So far, $130,000 has been raised in matching funds. Now to “match the match!” Onward!
Enchanted Highway Foundation has been formed to sustain the Enchanted Highway’s World’s Largest Metal Sculptures for future generations to experience. This 32-mile stretch of enchanted highway in southwest ND, between Regent and I-94, is home to eight amazing metal sculptures – geese, fish, deer, pheasants, a grasshopper, Teddy Roosevelt, a Tin Family and now, the new 105-foot long “Dragon” and 50-foot high “Knight.” Giving Hearts Day gifts can go to their Endowment or Non-Endowment Funds.
Home On The Range is an operating and therapeutic ranch for abused and neglected teenage boys and girls in Southwest ND. They use their natural resources of the land, buildings and animals in their programming to give hope and healing to children. The donations from Giving Hearts Day this go round will ensure children receive the care, guidance and programming they need to be healthy and successful.
Camp ReCreation is a summer camp dedicated to serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Located in Richardton, this life-changing experience instills endless quality values in those who participate and volunteer. Giving Hearts Day gifts will help Camp ReCreation touch hearts through fun-filled weeks of learning, loving and living.
Badlands Ministries is a Christian camp and retreat center operating in the Badlands of ND since 1928. In addition to providing summer camp programs and year-round retreats for over 2,000 youth and adults, they also host over 2,400 guests for family reunions, weddings and ministry retreats. No child is ever turned away from camp for financial reasons. A donation on Giving Hearts Day is a gift of camp to an area youth when they need it most, many times changing lives.
Benedictine Living Community-Dickinson is a faith-based ministry of senior living caring located in Dickinson. Their skilled nursing and rehabilitation services are nationally recognized and 5-Star Rated. This Giving Hearts Day their goal is to raise $118,000 to purchase a handicap-accessible AWD passenger van. Your support is a lifeline for the seniors who call Benedictine Dickinson home.
Best Friends Mentoring is a nonprofit mentoring program under the supervision of the Western Wellness Foundation. They serve area youth (ages 6-16) who would most benefit from an additional source of guidance. Each mentor is a role model who dedicates one hour each week to offer consistent guidance, friendship and encouragement. Giving Hearts Day gifts help continue offering these services at no cost to the families receiving services.
Assumption Abbey is a community of Benedictine Monks in western ND. Their community goal is to provide a place of refuge, serenity, hope and peace through their life of prayer, work and conversion. Giving Hearts day donations will be utilized for furnishing a chapel at one of their schools in Bogota, Columbia.
Jacobson Memorial Hospital Foundation supports Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center and its clinics in Elgin, Glen Ullin and Richardton in their vital, lifesaving mission. “Wishes for 2024” from Giving Hearts Day will assist in raising funds for Jacobson Memorial Hospital in Elgin – including new hospital beds, recliners, a new bathing system and ambulance equipment.
Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates (CHWHA) has been leading the fight to save the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. They work daily with North Dakota’s state and federal legislators. The law firm of Eubanks and Associates has been retained to make sure the horses remain wild and free in the Park.
Heartview Foundation, a private nonprofit alcohol and drug treatment and education organization, operates in Dickinson, Cando and Bismarck. Since 1964, Heartview has been a beacon of hope for over 30,000 patients from the USA and Canada. The 16-bed residential facility in Dickinson opened its doors in July, 2023. In 2024, Heartview is dedicated to further expanding their Dickinson facility to offer vital outpatient services.
Dakota Children’s Advocacy Center believes that the best interests of the child victim should be protected as a case proceeds through the investigation and prosecution stages and beyond. Their mission is to provide a safe, family-friendly environment that promotes hope, health and healing to traumatized children and their families.
House of Manna was started in 1989 in Dickinson by Jean Stall after a family lost their home to fire. Jean collected essential items and gave them to the family. The mission that began in Jean’s basement, now serves 800 people a week with essential household items, clothing and food. They serve all judgement free without proof of income.
CHI Health at Home-Hospice are devoted to providing client-centered care within their home setting. They offer skilled services such as Registered Nurses, Therapy, CNA, Social Work and Chaplain Care. Hospice is a special way of caring for people who are seriously ill with the emphasis on comfort care and symptom control rather than curative treatment. CHI Health at Home relies on community support to continue the programs that have such an impact for clients and families.
Sunrise Foundation has been based out of Bowman, ND since 1984. They provide financial assistance and support to all aspects of healthcare in their service area (Bowman, Slope, Harding and western Adams Counties). Their Giving Hearts Day gifts will be used for assisting all areas of their community healthcare system, including facilities, loan repayments and healthcare scholarships.
All of these nonprofit organizations in southwestern ND are trying to help their communities in their own unique ways. We hope you will consider a gift of $10 or more to one or more of these nonprofits on Giving Hearts Day. Just go to givingheartsday.org and search for the organization(s) you’d like to support. If you’d like to “schedule a gift” ahead of Giving Hearts Day, you can go to the same website and select “Schedule a Gift” between January 2nd and February 8th. Of course, you can always give any time to any nonprofit organization. We are all grateful.
Article submitted by Southwest North Dakota Giving Hearts Day Consortium