The Countdown is Officially On!
Giving Hearts Day–February 12th, 2026, is officially 126 days away!
On this single February day, tens of millions of dollars will be raised, thousands of volunteer hours will be given, and countless lives will be changed.
And, as anyone who has taken part in this game-changing event will tell you, it’s one of the great win-win-win propositions of all time.
What’s more, if you do it right, it’s also a time for your charity, your staff, and your board to SHINE!
To help you, we’ve developed a five-step blueprint that you, your staff, and your board can follow to make the most of this year’s Giving Hearts Day (and we will zero-in on steps 1-2 this time, and 4-5 next time.)
Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Dreaming
Repeat after me: Everything begins with a big dream and a specific goal.
Not just A big dream and specific goal, but rather THE big dream and specific goal.
And the more vivid the dream and the more specific the goal, the better.
Here’s why dreaming big (and setting a specific goal) matters.
Put simply, when you articulate your GHD dream and set a specific goal, you immediately turn the invisible into the visible!
And this is when the magic happens.
In fact, a century of science tells us that when people can actually see (in their mind’s eye) what a better tomorrow looks like, they’ll take action to make it happen.
Said differently, a breathtaking dream (with a specific desired destination) is the kindling and spark that sets everyone’s hearts ablaze.
So how do you know if your charity’s GHD dream is big enough and your goal is specific enough.
Three words: Trust your gut.
In fact, veterans of GHD will tell you, if your charity’s Giving Hearts Day dream gets everyone’s gut rumbling and hearts beating a little faster, you’re officially in the game.
Step 2: Teaming
Once you’ve officially articulated your charity’s big, hairy, audacious dream and goal, it’s now time to surround yourself with GREAT people—the kind of game-changers who will help you get the job done.
And when you think about GREAT people, we encourage you to conjure up an image of those who have “it”.
You know what I’m talking about.
People who have “it” are high-energy, wicked-smart, motivated, effective AND fun!
And here’s the most important thing you need to know about adding these people to your team.
There are always great people hiding right in plain sight who are just waiting to be asked to do something GREAT.
Let me say it again.
Talented people just need to be asked—and that’s where you and your board members come in.
Here’s how you can make this happen.
When you run across someone who has “it”, don’t be shy to employ the following simple, non-threatening question:
- Any chance we could have a cup of coffee sometime?
- Any chance I could pick your brain?
- Any chance you have a few minutes to chat?
And when they say “YES!”, you now have the perfect opportunity to share your GHD dream and pitch the biz.
Oh, and one more thing.
All you need is ONE person to take you up on your offer.
With this in mind, here’s a question for you and you board to chew on:
- Who’s the one person you’d absolutely love to have become a part of your team?
Step 3: Say ‘Thank You’ the Right Way
Imagine for a moment that a person chooses to donate a few of their precious, hard-earned dollars to your charity.
Now imagine that this donor is writing their check.
As the pen hits the paper, they are thinking about how their donation is going to make someone’s life better. In addition, they’re also thinking about the hundreds of other wonderful people who support your organization that they are now joining.
Now imagine that time goes by and this person hasn’t heard from you.
They wonder is their check arrived—so they log in to their bank account.
Seeing that it was cashed, they feel like they’ve been treated like an ATM.
Then a few more weeks go by and they receive yet another donation request from your nonprofit.
Now officially miffed, they begin telling everyone around them about their experience with your charity.
Don’t think this happens?
Well, get this: It’s why 65% of first-time donors never give another gift to your charity.
Sixty-five percent.
This is why you need to make sure that each of your donors is properly thanked!
(And with Giving Hearts Day just 126 days, now is the time to get this done!)
As a quick aside, there is very much a “right” way to make sure that your sentiment of gratitude hits the mark.
All you have to do is remember the acronym T-H-A-N-K-S.
T= Timely: Has the donor (no matter what level) been acknowledged within the 48-72 hours of the receipt of their gift.
H= Handsome: Is the “Thank You” note on high-quality material and error-free? Is the phone call clear, polished, and professional?
A= Authentic: Does the content of the acknowledgment speak directly to the individual? Is it unique? (e.g., not a form letter or robo-call). It is written with a deep sense of gratitude?
N= No Strings Attached: Is the acknowledgment free from any other requests for additional gifts and support?
K= Kind-Hearted: Will the note make the person FEEL good and that they are part of a group of special, like-minded people?
S= Specific: Does your note confirm that the donor’s gift has been assigned to a specific program, project, or initiative? Does it acknowledge, specifically, how their gift will help those in need?
Extraordinary Impact
In this week’s High Impact Boards eNewsletter, we’ve covered the first three steps of making your Giving Hearts Day dream come true.
Next week, we’ll take a look at steps 4 and 6.
In the meantime, we encourage you to begin taking the first three steps we outlined above to heart.
Said another way, it’s never too early to get started on your Giving Hearts Day campaign.
And while you are rolling up your sleeves in the coming days, we want you to remember this:
Failure is not the opposite of success…it’s part of the success!
Will you have areas where you make some mistakes? Absolutely.
Will there be times when you don’t quite reach your goal? No doubt.
Will there be times when you wish you had a do-over? We can guarantee it.
But it’s all part of the process.
In fact, the single most important thing you can do in to simply GET STARTED.
By using the previously mentioned steps as your guide, those who’ve gone before you will tell you, “You’ll figure it out!”
But you have to do the work.
And if you do, the results will far exceed your wildest dreams.
Thanks for all you do—the final two steps will revealed next time.
Don’t miss it!
