The North Dakota 4-H Foundation is participating in the 2016 Giving Hearts Day, a 24-hour online fundraising event on Thursday, Feb. 11, that benefits nonprofit organizations in North Dakota and western Minnesota.

“Thanks to the generous support of donors throughout North Dakota, the first $4,550 raised will be matched,” says Meredith Gilroy, North Dakota 4-H Foundation executive director.

The North Dakota 4-H Foundation secures and manages financial resources to enhance and expand the state’s 4-H program. Funds raised will support state and local 4-H leadership development and educational opportunities in areas of animal and plant science, consumer and family science, healthy lifestyle education, engineering and technology, environmental and earth sciences, citizenship and personal development, communication and expressive arts.

Research shows that youth who participate in 4-H do better in school, and they are four times more likely to contribute to their communities and two times more likely to make healthier choices, Gilroy says.

Supporting the North Dakota 4-H Foundation on Giving Hearts Day is an easy, three-step process:

• Visit https://impactgiveback.org
• Click “Donate”
• Choose the 4-H Foundation of North Dakota

The first Giving Hearts Day was in 2008. It generated 1,452 online donations totaling $325,000 for local nonprofit organizations. In 2015, the eighth annual Giving Hearts Day event generated 30,528 donations to 287 charities and raised $6.96 million.

NDSU Agriculture Communication - Feb. 3, 2015