Founders Day Challenge

The Founders Day Challenge is a 24-hour fundraising event on November 5, 2021 that encourages Rensselaer alumni or alumnae, current students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends to support scholarship initiatives.

Gifts of every size help current students by supporting the Rensselaer experience. Your participation, combined with the entire Rensselaer community, makes a big impact!

Alumni giving in particular is a metric used by many external groups and publications, including U.S. News and World Report, in compiling college rankings. It is a marker of alumni satisfaction in their alma mater. The higher the rankings, the more valuable the degree—so everyone benefits when everyone participates!

If you are not able to find the fund you would like to support, please select the Area of Support of your choice, then select "Other" in the Fund Designation drop down menu, and type in the fund name you wish to support. We will ensure your gift is designated appropriately.

Yes! Parents, faculty/staff, and friends are encouraged to participate in the Founders Day Challenge. When prompted in the giving form, you select the role you most closely affiliate with.

Donors are encouraged to support the Rensselaer Annual Fund (where the need is greatest), scholarship, student relief funds, fraternities and sororities, the COVID-19 testing initiative, or any cause you feel most passionate about!

Absolutely. The information collected during the event is only used by Rensselaer, and it will not be sold or shared with any third-party organizations. Your credit card information will not be stored.

Because the Founders Day Challenge is a limited-time giving campaign, we strongly encourage you to make your gift online. This is the only way to assure your gift will qualify for matches and challenges taking place throughout the event. If you would like to make a gift by phone, please call (518) 276-6055, but we cannot guarantee these gifts will count toward giving matches and challenges.

In order to process the donation, we are unable to accept payments below $1.00.

Thank you for your enthusiasm! We will begin counting Founders Day Challenge gifts at 12 a.m. EDT on November 5. We hope you can return then to make your gift before then, but if your schedule doesn't allow, please visit giving.rpi.edu/now at any time to show your support!

Thank you for being a part of the Rensselaer donor family! We appreciate your commitment and encourage you to make another gift during the Founders Day Challenge to help us meet our donor goal. We also need you to help promote the Founders Day Challenge to others.

We encourage you to share the images and messages that you will find on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. Send an email to classmates, post on your Facebook page, tweet, blog, visit your coworkers, and encourage your friends. By helping to spread the word, you are making a difference for Rensselaer students!

If you are not able to find the fund you would like to support, please select the Area of Support of your choice, then select "Other" in the Fund Designation drop down menu, and type in the fund name you wish to support. We will ensure your gift is designated appropriately.

Yes! Those are just suggested amounts. Please type in any amount over $1 in the white box underneath "Amount."

Your credit card will be charged immediately.

Yes, contributions to Rensselaer support the university and are eligible for income tax charitable deduction as allowed by law. You will receive an email confirmation that may serve as your receipt for tax purposes.

Yes, Rensselaer will send you a gift receipt via email for tax purposes.

Please call (518) 276-8546 or email our Gifts Processing Office during regular business hours, EDT.