Giving Day Challenges

November 5, 2025

Challenges provide the opportunity for teams to compete for funds in a variety of categories and time-blocks. Donors can make gifts to the general challenge fund or create their own. The minimum amount for additional challenges is $1,000. Challenges are most successful when there are multiple levels of winners, at least first and second. This encourages other teams to continue to push and do outreach even if there is another team doing extremely well and likely to win. Challenges are some of the biggest drivers of success on Giving Day.

Challenges in yellow: Funds are awarded to the projects with the most donors in the specified time period.

Indie 100 & 500: Funds are awarded to the team with the most unique donors giving $100+ or $500+ gifts.

Slug Power: Funds are awarded to the teams with the most undergraduate alumni donors.

Slug Family: Funds are awarded to the teams with the most family and community donors (non-alumni and non-student donors)

Slugs Elect: Funds are awarded to the teams with the most current student donors.

New Recruit: This challenge is limited only to teams who have not participated in Giving Day before. Funds are awarded to the team with the most donors.

Social Butterfly: Funds are awarded to the team with the best social media post.

Best in Show: Funds are awarded to the team with the best video.

Division Leaders: Funds are awarded to the academic division with the highest percentage of alumni donors.

College Pride: Funds are awarded to the college with the highest percentage of alumni donors.

Ambassador Showdown: Funds are awarded to the team with the highest number of gifts attributed to ambassadors.

Level Up: a project is automatically awarded $100 when it crosses the 50 donors threshold. A project is automatically awarded $500 when it crosses the 150 donors threshold.

For questions, reach out to Jenna Hurley at jehurley@ucsc.edu.

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