Grand Forks area nonprofit organizations hope to make Valentine's Day a holiday for giving.
The day has been branded Giving Hearts Day by the Dakota Medical Foundation and the Impact Foundation, both based in Fargo. It is promoting a "virtual fundraising event" for nonprofit organizations it selected for participation.
The foundations developed the website www.ImpactGiveBack.org for people to donate online to their preferred organizations and to save charities the effort of setting up their own capacity to collect money through websites, according to a news release.
The single-day event promoting 140 groups also saves them the trouble of organizing their own promotions.
Last year's Giving Hearts Day generated about $1.2 million for organizations, said Jennifer Thompson, director of development for the Dakota Medical Foundation.
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The Northlands Rescue Mission in Grand Forks is one of the local participants.
The Coffee Company at 2100 S. Columbia Road is encouraging giving to the charity and will have a computer available on Tuesday for people to make donations. The business will give away drinks, gift cards and coffee beans for donations of $10 and more.
Mission staff and volunteers dressed in heart costumes will try to pull people into the cafe.
"We are encouraging people to look for the giant hearts," Mission Director David Sena said.
Donations to the mission of $10 or more will be matched by sources who have pledged up to $9,000, according to Sena. His goal is to raise $25,000 on Tuesday, he said.
Giving Hearts Day sponsors will give incentive grants to the charities with the most fundraising success, most donors and most creative promotions and other categories.
In addition to the mission, other participating charities in the area are the Community Violence Intervention Center, the Northland Christian Counseling Center, the Grand Forks Parks and Recreation Foundation, the Prairie Harvest Mental Health, The Third Street Clinic abd the UND College of Nursing, according to Thompson.
More information about giving on Tuesday is available at www.ImpactGiveBack.org .
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Reach Bjorke at (701) 780-1117; (800) 477-6572, ext. 117; or send e-mail to cbjorke@gfherald.com .
