# Are "challenge grants" for real?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-challenge-grants-for-real/230798
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 24, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-challenge-grants-for-real/230798 "2004-02-24T00:49:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-challenge-grants-for-real/230798/1 "2004-02-24T00:49:51Z")
I get many solicitations from non-profit organizations (NPO’s) asking for contributions. Sometimes they will say that they have a “challenge grant” wherby whatever is contributed by a certain date will be “matched dollar-for-dollar” by some named or unnamed contibutor. Or they will say that if they raise a certain amount by a certain time it will be matched (common on public radio stations).
Some of these NPO’s are very reputable organizations so my skepticism is held somewhat in check.
Why have a challege grant? Why not just make a contribution? If they set a goal amount that doesn’t get met will the party making the grant really withhold the contribution? What’s the deal with these things? Should I just ignore them.
As a lifelong skeptic these things only make me more skeptical.
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### Author:  [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-challenge-grants-for-real/230798/2 "2004-02-24T00:58:30Z")
I looked at Google and found this [page](http://www.wbez.org/support/challenge.asp) on a Chicago NPR station’s web page. It looks like the advantage to a challenge grant is that the donor gets the name of its business said over and over, a neat trick since NPR doesn’t use advertising. And the NPR station gets extra donors through the challenge schtick. Everybody’s happy.
I don’t know for sure, but if it were my business, and a challenge grant wasn’t met, I’d offer it again at a different time and get twice the advertising.