2 SMU alumni at giving day

Mustang Matcher: Giving day challenge funds

Empower more Mustangs
to support SMU

SMU Giving Day is an annual 24-hour fundraising challenge that drives support for 200+ causes and organizations across SMU. This exciting initiative is fueled by the support of Mustang Matchers who help create fun and incentivized ways for more Mustangs to get involved.

Mustang Matcher 101

Mustang Matchers are donors who fund the matching gifts, challenges and competitions featured during SMU Giving Day. Matching gift challenges and competitions are a great way to get new donors involved in supporting SMU because they help increase the size and impact of new gifts.

Each year, 50+ donors provide up to $1 million in donations in advance of SMU Giving Day. The funds are strategically allocated to support the various challenges and competitions that will be available during the 24-hour challenge. Click here to see examples of previous challenges.

Mustang Matchers double the gifts

mustang matcher 2022 infographic
mustang matcher infographic 2024 by the numbers

Ways to be a Mustang Matcher:

Boost participation by making your donation in advance of SMU Giving Day to the unrestricted Mustang Challenge Fund. Your donation will be pooled with other Mustang Matcher donations. Collectively, these donations are then strategically reallocated to support the various challenges and competitions that incentivize donors during the 24-hour challenge.

Alternately, instead of making a gift to the unrestricted Mustang Challenge Fund, some Mustang Matchers choose to designate their gift to a specific project or fund that will be featured on SMU Giving Day, offering their donation as a matching gift to incentive donors who contribute to this specific project during the 24-hour challenge.

 

Mustang Challenge Funds

Cause-specific Matching Gifts

Gifts made to the Mustang Challenge Fund will be pooled with other Mustang Matcher donations and strategically divided by the SMU team among all of the challenges and competitions available during SMU Giving Day. Challenges will help boost participation from a variety of donors and drive support for all causes participating that day.

Cause-specific matching gifts are used to increase support directly to one cause or program participating in SMU Giving Day. A gift of $5,000 or more can be used to “match” all gifts made to the cause of their choice until the matching amount is exhausted.

Donations of any amount are accepted and will work collectively with all Mustang Challenge Fund donations.

Donations of $5,000 can be used to provide a restricted match to a specific cause.

Donors may request to fund a specific challenge or competition.

Donors may specify matching gift criteria.

Give now

Make a matching gift

 

2025 Goal Deadline Questions?
$1 million in matching gifts and challenge funds Become a Mustang Matcher before March 3, 2025  Contact us at SMUGivingDay@smu.edu
or 214-768-3834
             

 

Challenge Gifts Are Game Changers

Check out a few examples of previous challenges and competitions featured during SMU Giving Day below. Challenges are updated each year based on participating causes and are used to drive activity from a wide array of donors and in support of specific schools, areas and programs within SMU throughout the day.

We’re always looking for new ways to keep our challenges fun and exciting for donors. If you have an idea for a new challenge or competition, please connect with us at SMUGivingDay@smu.edu

One lucky winner will be randomly selected to decide which SMU fund will receive bonus dollars. They must post on social media about SMU Giving Day.

Schools compete to see who can convert the highest percentage of their alumni populations into SMU Giving Day donors before 11:59 p.m. March 11. The winning school will receive an extra donation to its fund.

SMU Athletics Excellence funds compete against each other to acquire the greatest number of gifts before the end of SMU Giving Day. The top three gift-getting funds will unlock reward dollars tiered by rank with the athletic fund in first place receiving the largest reward.

SMU student organizations compete against each other to acquire the greatest number of gifts before the end of SMU Giving Day. The top two organizations will unlock reward dollars. The amount of the reward increases by rank with the organization in first place receiving the largest reward.

Sororities and fraternities compete to see which one can acquire the greatest number of gifts before the end of SMU Giving Day. The winning interfraternal organization unlocks reward dollars for its scholarship or operating fund or, if it is not an active chapter, a fund of its choosing.

In order to incentivize different Mustang groups, such as undergraduate alumni, parents, students, faculty and staff or current seniors, this challenge rewards participation. For instance, if the parent participation goal is set at 1,500 donors, gifts made by parents will be matched up to a set amount as long as 1,500 parents make a gift before 11:59 p.m. March 11.

Power Hours create exciting wins throughout SMU Giving Day. Cause funds that are in the same category compete against each other for the most gifts during a certain time frame. For example, if the power hour for affinity groups is from 1 to 2 p.m., the affinity groups will encourage their donors to make or schedule a gift during that time. The group with the most gifts during that time unlocks reward funds.

This is the big, bold, overarching challenge of the day! The SMU One Day Challenge will unlock a large sum of money if at least 5,000 donors give during the 24-hour period. Once attained, the funds will be distributed to all of the causes that received gifts on SMU Giving Day.