The (603) Challenge

Global Impact: 800 community-based projects spanning 25 countries and 5 continents

A Thank You From Carsey School Director Michael Ettlinger

Capital Connection: Working with and connecting students to policy leaders in D.C. and across the nation

Check out the 2021 Carsey Annual Review

April 8-12, 2022

The #UNH603 Challenge is your chance to give back! It’s a university-wide fundraising drive during which you can give directly to the areas of UNH that have supported you, or that you just really enjoy and value.

If you can, now is the time to donate to the Carsey School of Public Policy – or to any of your favorite areas of UNH. Thank you!

Carsey Area Challenge: If the Carsey School can reach 60 online donors by the end of the Challenge on April 12, 11:59 p.m. EST, our generous underwriters will kick in an extra $25,000 to support student scholarships. To help us achieve this goal, donate early in the Challenge and encourage others to contribute to Carsey student scholarships so we can hit that 60-donor mark! Thanks to our underwriters David Dixon '86, Eric Herr, Brian McCabe '92 & Loren McCabe '90, 91G for making this Area Challenge possible.

Tuesday, April 12 (starting at 12:00:01 a.m. ET) – Grand Finale Bonus Challenge: Tuesday, April 12, is the final day of The (603) Challenge and there is one last chance to increase the impact of your gift. The Grand Finale Bonus Challenge will give an equal portion of $75,000 to all donors who make an online gift on April 12 who haven’t already during this year’s 603 challenge. Every new donor making a gift on April 12, in any amount, will receive a split portion of $75,000.

Friday, April 8 – Tuesday, April 12 – Cat Scratch Bonus Challenge: If you were one of the lucky recipients to get a #UNH603 ‘Cat Scratch’ ticket in the mail, scratch yours off to reveal if you are a winner. There are a total of 100 winning tickets, each one earning a $100 bonus added to the donor's online gift during the challenge. Be sure to check your mailbox and claim your bonus by making a gift.

Matching Funds (Up to $300 per Donation): What makes this fundraising drive even more special is that a group of generous underwriters pledge matching support (for 2022, it’s up to $300 per donor until the $300,000 in matching funds run out), allowing your gift to go even further! The matching funds are available at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, April 8.

Monday, April 11: NH Numbers Bonus Challenge – The #UNH603 Challenge is announcing The NH Numbers Bonus Challenge, today only. Here is how it works: The first 603 donors who make an online gift today with a total amount containing the numerals 6, 0, 3—in any order—and haven’t already given during this year’s challenge will have a $50 bonus added to their gift.

Tuesday, April 12: Grand Finale Bonus Challenge – Today is the final day of The (603) Challenge and there is one last chance to increase the impact of your gift. The Grand Finale Bonus Challenge will give an equal portion of $50,000 to all donors that make an online gift today who haven’t already during this year’s challenge.

Friday, April 8 – Tuesday, April 12: Cat Scratch Bonus Challenge – If you were one of the lucky recipients to get a #UNH603 ‘Cat Scratch’ ticket in the mail, scratch yours off to reveal if you are a winner. There are a total of 100 winning tickets, each one earning a $100 bonus added to the donor's online gift during the challenge. Be sure to check your mailbox and claim your bonus by making a gift.

UNH (603) Webpage

Check out the 2021 Carsey Annual Review

Donate to Carsey

Meet MCD Student Sofia Ashooh '22G

Sofia Ashooh ‘22G began her career in Washington, D.C, before applying to the Peace Corps and working as a Youth and Community Development Specialist in Morocco, where she lives today.

Meet MPP Student Alex Stern '21, '22G

What makes the Carsey School’s Master in Public Policy (MPP) program so unique? Student Alex Stern '21, '22G discusses why he chose the MPP and the program aspects that truly have had an impact on his future career.

Meet Carsey Fellow & MPP Alum Ellie Masson '22G

Carsey alum Ellie Masson ‘22G discusses her public policy fellowship with civic engagement group NH Listens (based at the Carsey School). During this year-long fellowship, Ellie received a stipend while working on projects and outreach for NH Listens and diving into policy work at the organization.

Meet MCD Alum Ali Sekou '19G

A 2019 graduate of the Master in Community Development program at the Carsey School, Ali Sekou serves actively within his community as a member of several organizations – including the Concord Library’s Trustees and the Islamic Society of Greater Concord. He was recently named to the New Hampshire Union Leader’s annual 40 Under Forty list of outstanding residents across the state. Learn more about Ali.

Meet MCD Alum Yyokkia Lawson '21G

Yyokkia Lawson has a long history of working in housing and economic development at the community level. Upon returning to her home of Athens, Georgia, several years ago, she became increasingly concerned about the staggering poverty and substandard housing that she witnessed throughout the Southern United States, particularly in rural areas. Learn more about Yyokkia.

Meet MCD Alum Alena Klimas '21G

Alena Klimas of West Virginia focuses on serving rural communities in and around the Appalachia region by connecting small-town nonprofits and community organizations to large national and regional funders and foundations. Her capstone project within the Master in Community Development program maintains a similar focus. Learn more about Alena.

Meet MPP Alum Faith Thompson '21G

Master in Public Policy (MPP) alum Faith Thompson '20, '21G earned her Bachelor’s degree in History and Justice Studies; in 2020, she enrolled in the MPP program at Carsey. Learn more about Faith.

Donate to Carsey

Carsey School News

Deqa Dhalac '13G speaks at an event honoring Maine immigrants.

Breaking Barriers: Carsey Alum Deqa Dhalac ‘13G Inaugurated as Nation’s First Somali-American Mayor

Why not me?...

Article

The Daily Yonder: Racial and Ethnic Diversity of Rural Population Grows by Nearly 20%

Kenneth Johnson and Daniel Lichter...

Article

photo collage of Carrie Portrie and NH Listens team

Carrie Portrie Joins NH Listens Team Full Time as Research Faculty

Carrie Portrie joined the Carsey School’s civic engagement initiative, New Hampshire Listens, in...

Article

More Carsey News

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What is The (603) Challenge?

It is UNH’s annual online fundraiser in which donors support their favorite area(s) of the university for the chance to have their gift matched or amplified. Through the challenge, gifts are matched, up to $200 per donor until the $200,000 in matching funds run out. If you miss out on the matching funds, there are other surprise bonus challenges throughout to help your gift go even further. This is all made possible thanks to a generous group of underwriters.

What are the official rules?

Gifts must be received online between 12:00 a.m. ET on Friday, April 9, 2021, and 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 to be counted as part of the challenge and be eligible for matching and bonus funds. UNH will match gifts in the order of which they are received, and all bonus challenge rules will be made clear when announced. A donor can give to multiple areas and/or give in multiple transactions but will only be matched up to $200 total (until the matching funds run out). Read the official rules

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

Making a gift to UNH, in any way and 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 and join in on an incredible expression of Wildcat pride.

How much should I give?

The amount of your gift is entirely up to you! From $6.03 to $60.03 to $603, gifts of every size can make a difference and help us achieve our goal of record setting participation in this year’s challenge.

What areas can you support?

ANY! That is one of the best parts of the challenge. We encourage you to give to the area(s) you’re most connected to, which could be a college, academic department, athletic team, student organization, scholarships, other programs, or the new Student Emergency Assistance Fund. If you don’t see the specific area you want to give to listed on the site, simply select “other fund” and write in a description.

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 surprise bonus challenges 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 have their own bonus challenges, so supporting them can allow them to earn additional funding if they reach their goal. Check unh.edu/603 regularly for updates and announcements on these bonus challenges and to see a listing of the area bonus challenges you can help support.

The (603) Challenge

April 8-12, 2022

Meet MCD Student Sofia Ashooh '22G

Meet MPP Student Alex Stern '21, '22G

Meet Carsey Fellow & MPP Alum Ellie Masson '22G

Meet MCD Alum Ali Sekou '19G

Meet MCD Alum Yyokkia Lawson '21G

Meet MCD Alum Alena Klimas '21G

Meet MPP Alum Faith Thompson '21G

Some of our Awesome Alumni & Students

Thank you for rising to the Challenge!

Carsey School News

Breaking Barriers: Carsey Alum Deqa Dhalac ‘13G Inaugurated as Nation’s First Somali-American Mayor

Breaking Barriers: Carsey Alum Deqa Dhalac ‘13G Inaugurated as Nation’s First Somali-American Mayor

The Daily Yonder: Racial and Ethnic Diversity of Rural Population Grows by Nearly 20%

The Daily Yonder: Racial and Ethnic Diversity of Rural Population Grows by Nearly 20%

Carrie Portrie Joins NH Listens Team Full Time as Research Faculty

Carrie Portrie Joins NH Listens Team Full Time as Research Faculty

What is The (603) Challenge?

What are the official rules?

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

How much should I give?

What areas can you support?

What if the matching funds run out?

Bonus Challenges

The Grand Finale Bonus Challenge – Wednesday, June 3

The NH Numbers Bonus Challenge – Monday, June 1