Matches and Challenges

Overall Matches and Challenges

Matches are funds that are set up before UW Giving Day that allow you to double the impact of your gift. Challenges are similar but are generally based on the number of donors. Once a threshold is reached, the fund is unlocked.

A 1:1 match doubles your money, so if you give $100, the area you designate for that gift gets $200.
A 2:1 match triples your money, so if you give $100, the area you designate for that gift gets $300.

Below are matches and challenges that are overall incentives that a majority of donors can participate in, regardless of what campaign or fund they are giving to, as well as other types of matches and challenges. All matches and challenges are first-come first-served based on the starting time. There are additional unit-specific matching funds—check the campaign you are interested in to see if they also offer a match.

Click here to download a pdf version of this list of overall matches and challenges.

All gifts need to be made online via our Giving Day website to be eligible for a match or challenge. Gifts made via check or phone donation during Giving Day cannot participate in a match or challenge.

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

12:00 PM

McMurry Kick Off Match – $500,000
2:1 match, $5,000 max gift, one gift per donor.
All match dollars for an endowment will go toward the expendable side of the endowment, not the corpus.
Provided by McMurry Foundation.

Overall Giving Day Donor Challenge – $25,000
Campaigns with the highest donor counts when Giving Day ends will receive monetary prizes in 1st through 10th places. Campaigns for overall colleges are not eligible to participate (Business, A&S, etc.). 1st: $6,000, 2nd: $5,000, 3rd: $4,000, 4th: $3,000, 5th: $2,000, 6th: $1,500, 7th: $1,000, 8th: $1,000, 9th: $1,000, 10th: $500.
Provided by UW Foundation Board.

Student Organizations Donor Challenge – $10,000
Student Organizations with the highest donor count at the end of Giving Day will win following prizes: 1st: $2,000, 2nd: $1,700, 3rd: $1,400, 4th: $1,200, 5th: $1,000, 6th: $800, 7th: $550, 8th: $500, 9th: $450 10th: $400.
Provided by UW Foundation Board.

Club Sports Donor Challenge – $10,000
Teams with the highest donor count at the end of Giving Day will win following prizes: 1st: $2,000, 2nd: $1,700, 3rd: $1,400, 4th: $1,200, 5th: $1,000, 6th: $800, 7th: $550, 8th: $500, 9th: $450, 10th: $400.
Provided by UW Foundation Board.

Fraternity and Sorority Life Donor Challenge – $10,000
The fraternity or sorority with the highest donor count at the end of Giving Day will win following prizes: 1st: $2,000, 2nd: $1,700, 3rd: $1,400, 4th: $1,200, 5th: $1,000, 6th: $800, 7th: $550, 8th: $500, 9th: $450, 10th: $400.
Provided by UW Foundation Board.

Athletics Donor Challenge – $10,000
Teams with the highest donor count at the end of Giving Day will win following prizes: 1st: $2,000, 2nd: $1,700, 3rd: $1,400, 4th: $1,200, 5th: $1,000, 6th: $800, 7th: $550, 8th: $500, 9th: $450, 10th: $400.
Provided by UW Foundation Board.

Alumni Donor Challenge – $10,000
If 2,023 UW alumni donate, it will unlock a $10,000 challenge fund for the Alumni Association.
Provided by UW Foundation Board.

3:00 PM

UW Trustee Scholarship Match – $200,001
A minimum gift of $100 will be matched $500. Applicable only to gifts made to scholarship accounts. (Scholarship accounts that can be spent for additional purposes outside of pure scholarship awards do not quality for this match.)
All match dollars for an endowment will go toward the expendable side of the endowment, not the corpus.
Provided by UW Board of Trustees.

UW Foundation Board 3pm Match – $60,000
1:1 match, $1,000 max gift.
Provided by UW Foundation Board.

President Seidel’s UW Faculty/Staff Match – $50,000
1:1 match, $1,000 max gift. Eligible only for gifts made by faculty and staff.
Provided by the President’s Office and UW Foundation Board.

Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Match – $20,000
1:1 match, $1,000 max gift. Eligible only for gifts made by UW alumni with graduation years between 2013 to 2023.
Provided by UW Foundation Board.

Thursday, October 26, 2023

12:00 AM

UW Foundation Board Midnight Match – $12,000
1:1 match, $1,000 max gift.
Provided by UW Foundation Board.

??:00 AM

UW Foundation Board Mystery Match –$30,000
1:1 match, $5,000 max gift.
Provided by UW Foundation Board.

Unit-specific Matches and Challenges

The funds below in bold with an asterisk have unit-specific matches and challenges, in addition to the matching listed above. The links below will go live on Giving Day at 12 p.m. noon on Oct. 25.