Creating Incremental Challenges (Per Donor Unlocking)

Incremental challenges, also known as per-donor challenges, unlock match dollars each time a defined number of qualifying donors give. This rewards participation and builds momentum—for example, unlocking funds for every 10 donors.

How per-donor challenges work

Set the challenge type to 'Donors.'
The per_unit field defines how many qualifying donors trigger the challenge.
Each time the required number of donors is reached, the challenge conditions are evaluated.

Setting up a per-donor challenge

When creating a challenge, choose the 'Donors' type and set two key values:

Total challenge amount — the full amount the sponsor commits to the challenge.
per_unit — the number of donors needed to trigger the challenge.

Targeting donors by affiliation

You can target your per-donor challenge to specific groups, such as class years or grades, by selecting available affiliations configured for your campaign.

Editing offline challenges

Offline challenges can be updated after creation. This allows you to adjust the targeting criteria, including modifying the selected affiliations if needed.

Practical tips

Verify the per_unit value before saving, as it controls the number of qualifying donors required.
When targeting specific affiliations, select the appropriate type and values for your campaign.
Take advantage of the ability to edit offline challenges if you need to expand your targeting criteria.

Example use cases

Giving day boost: Unlock funds for every 10 donors to encourage participation and show progress.
Class-year targeting: Trigger a challenge when a certain number of alumni from specific class years donate.
Participation milestones: Set small donor targets (for example, 5 donors) to create visible momentum.

Small participation wins can build significant campaign momentum as donors see milestones being reached.