Giving Days

About Giving Days

Giving Days are a fun and engaging way to raise awareness and funds to support nonprofit organizations that are making the region better for everyone.

These annual events make the most of online fundraising to generate excitement and make giving simple for the many people who participate.

We have helped fund Giving Days throughout the region since 2009. It is another way we are able to support hundreds of organizations throughout our region.

What We Fund

We support Giving Days in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. In 2024, we are expanding this opportunity to include organizations currently hosting or intending to host a Giving Day for organizations specifically benefiting Native communities and organizations.

We will select up to four organizations for Giving Days grants, one for each state in our region and one to focus specifically on Native communities and Native-led organizations.

Selected organizations receive $200,000 annually, of which at least 50% must be used for prizes and/or incentives to organizations. The grant term runs from 2025 through 2028.

This year, we will provide an additional $10,000 to help Giving Day operators build their capacity to connect with and build trust and relationships with more organizations and communities, particularly those that have not been part of previous outreach efforts.

We currently support these Giving Days:

GiveMN

Giving Hearts Day (ND)

South Dakota Day of Giving

Information for Applicants

  • Organizations must be 501(c)(3) public charities or government entities.
  • Organizations must be located and work within Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or the 23 Native nations that share the same geography.

We are looking for organizations that demonstrate:

  • The ability to organize, host and promote a Giving Days program in our region
  • Commitment to building nonprofit fundraising skills through tools and/or support as part of a Giving Day
  • The skills, staffing and community network to reach and equitably serve a broad range of communities and organizations

Applications are due Thursday, May 9, 2024, at noon Central.

Scroll down to preview the application questions in the tabs below.

When you are ready, complete and submit your application online at: tfaforms.com/5111183. Applications should be no more than four pages.

  1. Bush Foundation staff will review applications in May.
  2. Applicants will be notified whether they’ve been selected as a finalist by the end of May.
  3. In June, a Foundation staff member will talk with finalists to discuss the application, learn more about their organization and their approach to Giving Days. We also may conduct reference calls at this stage.
  4. Foundation staff will review finalist applications and any additional information gathered to select grantees by early July. Decisions will be shared mid-July.

If your organization is selected as a finalist, we may request financial materials to include in our staff review. These may include audits, IRS Form 990s or internal financial statements, depending on the size of your organization.

We collect these documents to understand the health and capacity of your organization and to provide better support to our applicants and grantees. We aim to be a resource and provide an open space to talk if there are financial challenges or areas where your organization struggles. Financial health is one of many factors in our decision-making, and we encourage organizations to contact us with questions or concerns.

Contact us at staff@bushfoundation.org, 651-379-2249 or schedule a brief call with us.

2024 Application Questions - Preview

Click through the tabs below to preview the application questions as you prepare. Please submit your responses and application through our online form at tfaforms.com/5111183.

Applications should be no more than four pages.

If you currently operate a Giving Days program

  1. Provide a brief description of your organization.
  2. Provide a history of your Giving Days program. Your answer should include the following:

    - How long have you been operating it?
    - What is the geographic scope of your program?
    - What are your connections to the communities you serve through your Giving Days program?
    - How much has your program raised annually?
    - How many organizations typically participate?

  3. How do you staff Giving Days? Who is involved and what is their role?
  4. What type of support, training and/or guidance do you provide to organizations? This may be in preparation for your Giving Days or other times during the year.
  5. Is there anything you would like us to know about your future vision for Giving Days?
  6. How do you design for equity in your Giving Days program? For any Giving Days, we would like to understand your ideas around how Giving Days can help benefit all underserved communities, particularly Black, Indigenous and people of color, and rural communities. If you are applying this year to operate a Giving Days program supporting Native communities and organizations, we would like to hear your ideas specific to how you structure this work to benefit Native people, communities and organizations in the region.

If you are new to operating a Giving Days program

  1. Provide a brief description of your organization.
  2. What geography or communities do you anticipate serving—Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or the Native communities and organizations that share the same geography? What are your connections to the communities you anticipate serving through your Giving Day program.
  3. Starting, running and hosting Giving Days is a large and likely long-term commitment. Why do you want to operate a Giving Day?
  4. What is your staffing plan? This might include staff at your organization and/or consultants.
  5. What type of support, training and/or guidance do you anticipate providing to organizations?
  6. Is there anything you would like us to know about your future vision for Giving Days?
  7. How will you design for equity in your Giving Days program? For any Giving Days, we would like to understand your ideas around how Giving Days can help benefit all underserved communities, particularly Black, Indigenous and people of color, and rural communities. If you are applying this year to operate a Giving Days program supporting Native communities and organizations, we would like to hear your ideas specific to how you will structure this work to benefit Native people, communities and organizations in the region.