The (603) Challenge 2023

What is The (603) Challenge?   

UNH’s signature annual fundraising campaign that offers alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends the chance to make a gift to their favorite areas across the university, with opportunities to have their gift matched or further amplified through bonus and area challenges, which are underwritten by generous donors.  

What are the official rules?   

• The (603) Challenge starts on April 2, 2023 at 12:00:01 a.m. ET and ends on April 6, 2023 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET.  
• $300,000 in matching funds are up for grabs at the start of the challenge. Donors are eligible for a dollar-for-dollar match on their gift, up to $300 per donor, until the matching funds run out.  
• To be eligible for matching and bonus funds, gifts must be made online using UNH’s giving form. Unfortunately, due to the automated nature of matching and bonus fund distribution, gifts received offline cannot earn a match of bonus. However, gifts received offline during the dates of the challenge or via specific challenge communications, will count in the results (both overall and for individual areas).
• Matching and bonus funds are distributed in the order that gifts are received through the online giving form but are not dispersed to the respective designations until after the challenge is over.  
• If a donor makes multiple gift transactions, all are eligible for a match until the $300 individual match cap is reached.  
• If a donor gives to multiple designations, matching funds will be distributed to the various designations based on the same percentage distribution of the donor’s total gift amount.  
• A donor giving multiple times to one fund will only count as one donor for that area on the leaderboard and in the overall challenge donor count. 
• A donor giving to multiple areas (either in the same transaction or across multiple) will count as one donor for each area on the leaderboard but only count once in the overall challenge donor count.  

Why should you support UNH during The (603) Challenge?   

Making a gift to UNH, at any time, will help ensure that current and future students have an inspiring, transformative, and educational experience while at UNH. But making your gift during The (603) Challenge specifically allows you to magnify the overall impact of your philanthropy to the areas that mean the most to you, thanks to the opportunity for gifts of any amount to be increased through matching funds, bonus and area challenges. And even better, you are joining in on an incredible expression of Wildcat pride alongside the thousands of others that participate. There are few other times that the UNH community rallies together at this level and it is something special to be a part of.

How do you make a gift to be counted in The (603) Challenge?   

The quickest and easiest method for giving is online, which will make your gift eligible for matching and bonus funds. And when you do so, you’ll have access to additional payment options besides credit/debit card, such as Venmo, PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay. If you prefer to make your gift over the phone you can call 603-862-3694, or if you want to mail your gift it can be sent to the UNH Foundation at 9 Edgewood Road, Durham, NH 03824. Gifts received via any method during the challenge and through specific challenge communications will count in the totals, both overall and for the individual areas, but only online gifts can earn a match or bonus.

What areas can you support?   

ANY! That is one of the best parts of the challenge. UNH encourages you to give to the area(s) you’re most connected to, which could be a college, academic department, athletic team, student organization, scholarship, program, initiative, etc. With hundreds of fund designations to choose from, we are confident you will find an area of interest, however, if you don’t see the specific area you want to give to listed on the site, simply select “other” and write in a description – we’ll be sure your gift is designated accordingly. If your gift cannot be designated as you intend, we will follow up with you directly to confirm the best alternative for your gift. You can also select multiple funds! 

How much should I give?   

The amount is entirely up to you! From $6.03 to $603, gifts of any and all sizes are always appreciated, and because the goal of this challenge is maximizing participation, each gift counts the same in our quest to receive gifts from as many donors as possible.   

Where did the funds to match gifts and issue bonus and area challenges come from?  

UNH is fortunate to have a group of generous underwriters who provide the highly motivating pool of matching funds and issue the bonus and area challenges each year. Their generosity has been the key to this challenge’s success since its inception.  If you are interested in rallying your fellow Wildcats to join you in supporting UNH, you might consider being a member of the Underwriters’ Club too. You can initiate your own match or challenge directly through this site or contact us if you would like to discuss further.

What if the matching funds run out?   

Having your gift matched can have the biggest impact but those funds do run out quick! There will be bonus challenges, separate from the initial match, announced throughout the challenge that will allow you to potentially increase the impact of your gift by having additional funds added to it. Additionally, certain areas across the university have their own challenges, and supporting these areas can allow them to unlock additional funding if they reach their donor goal. Check back regularly for updates on these bonus and area challenges.  

What are “bonus challenges”?   

Thanks to generous underwriters, there are also several opportunities that will be unveiled throughout the challenge, that can help your gift have a greater impact. The exact details of these bonus challenges are a surprise until announced so be sure to check your email, social media and the website for that exciting news. The official rules for each bonus challenge will be announced when they launch and are as follows:  

• Leaderboard Bonus Challenge: The top three areas on each of the three leaderboards (colleges/schools, athletics and university programs) with the most donors at the end of The (603) Challenge will earn additional funds. The first-place finishers will receive an additional $1,500 to their area, second places $1,000 and third places $500.  
• NH Numbers Bonus Challenge: The first 1,000 donors who make an online gift on Wednesday, April 5 (starting at 12:00:01 a.m. ET) with a TOTAL gift amount containing the numerals 6, 0, and 3 (in any order) will receive a $50 bonus added to their gift. Only donors who have not already given to this year’s challenge qualify. Other numerals can be included as long as you have 6, 0, and 3 in the dollars and/or cents. Giving to multiple areas in one gift transaction is permitted, so long as the combined TOTAL gift amount contains 6, 0 and 3. Examples of TOTAL gift amount that will qualify for this bonus include (but are not limited to): $603, $306, $160.30, $60.30, $36.00, $16.03, $6.03, $3.06, etc.  
  
• Grand Finale Bonus Challenge: All donors who make an online gift on the last day of the challenge, Thursday, April 6 (starting at 12:00:01 a.m. ET) will receive an equal portion of $90,000 added to their gift. Only donors who have not already given to this year’s challenge qualify. The bonus amount tacked on to your gift will be dependent on the number of donors that qualify and will be calculated after the challenge is over. Whether you make one or multiple gift transactions and/or give to multiple areas, your bonus amount will be split accordingly.   
  

What are “area challenges”?  

Thanks to generous underwriters who have specified their support to underwrite a challenge for an area, these areas can unlock additional funding if they achieve the donor goal they set for the challenge. The amount of additional funds the area will receive if it hits its goal and the actual goal varies by area but will be noted on the website.   

Are there other ways to get involved in addition to or besides giving?

Yes! The best way to be involved in the challenge beyond giving to it is to spread the word to your fellow Wildcats. Tag them on social media using #UNH603, call, text or email them to let them know this campaign is happening. It’s helpful to share with them why you choose to give back to UNH and encourage them to join you in making a gift to their favorite area(s) of the university for the chance to maximize their impact. There are convenient share buttons on this site and if you want to track your progress, record personal plea videos, or access additional content, sign up to be an advocate via this site.

What if my employer will match my gift?

Matching gift programs through your current or former employer or through your spouse’s employer are another great way to double or even triple your gift. When you make your gift online via this form, you can search to see if any companies you are affiliated with offer a match and by selecting them, you will receive follow-up information on how to claim the match. Thanks for exploring the opportunity to get more funds to UNH besides your own gift.