The Harding Challenge wraps up: A brief history of long-lasting impact through innovation in philanthropy
Claudia and David Harding
In 2019, when David and Claudia Harding made their landmark £100m gift to St Catharine’s College and the University of Cambridge, it was the biggest single gift made to a university in the UK by a British philanthropist.
It’s so important to have a scheme like the bursary; it really makes a difference in everyday life. It alleviates the financial stress of asking my family for money and helps with decisions that really seem trivial to other people, like whether I can join a society or go out with my friends on one day, or even whether I can buy something to aid with my studies.
Undergraduate law student
That, certainly, was milestone enough. But the Hardings also set another record.
£20m from that gift established The Harding Challenge, the first Collegiate-wide matching scheme of its kind in Cambridge’s history. It was an exciting and transformative opportunity to double the impact of new gifts, aimed directly at encouraging giving to student support.
The Harding Challenge meant that any new or lapsed donors to the Collegiate University unlocked, pound for pound, a contribution to the expansion of the Cambridge Bursary Scheme. The donor’s original donation went entirely towards its intended destination, while the money unlocked enabled the Bursary Scheme to expand so that it now supports more undergraduates in financial need.
The Harding Challenge quickly gained momentum and delivered in both unprecedented effectiveness and efficiency. Donors who had never given to the University, or whose giving had lapsed, were inspired by the Hardings’ philanthropic leadership and the opportunity to see their gift have an even greater impact. The first year alone unlocked upwards of £2.7m for students in need across Collegiate Cambridge.
The full £20m now released: a powerhouse for much-needed student support
Five years on, now at the end of the Challenge, we’re reflecting on what this extraordinary gift achieved, who it touched, and why it changed the narrative for philanthropy around Student Support.
From increasing the amount many undergraduates could access to plug gaps in loans for living costs, to helping students more fully participate in University life, to providing grants for first-year students to assist with purchasing necessary resources and equipment, this funding is both easing and enabling the Cambridge student experience as never before.
Numbers and the people behind them: a dramatic increase in financial support for disadvantaged undergraduates
Following a pilot scheme that examined the effectiveness of expansions to the Cambridge Bursary Scheme, the Harding Challenge was launched with full confidence that the approach would be highly effective — and indeed it has so proved.
In four years of impact, the unlocked funds from the Harding Challenge have supported 1,546 undergraduates:
- 735 disadvantaged students have been newly eligible for the Cambridge Bursary Scheme
- 811 of the most disadvantaged students have received an augmented bursary
- On an ongoing basis, the unlocked funds will directly support an average of 438 students each year
With the promise of unlocked funds from the Harding Challenge, all undergraduate Colleges committed to augmenting their contribution to the Cambridge Bursary Scheme, ensuring the sustainability of the expanded scheme — providing more funding to the most disadvantaged undergraduates.
One student, studying law at Trinity College, reflected on the importance of student support to her own experience:
“I come from an area in Birmingham that's in the top 1 per cent of deprived areas nationally on the national index. It’s so important to have a scheme like the bursary; it really makes a difference in everyday life. It alleviates the financial stress of asking my family for money and helps with decisions that really seem trivial to other people, like whether I can join a society or go out with my friends on one day, or even whether I can buy something to aid with my studies.
“As an example, in my first year I wanted to join the Boxing Society; previously I would have had to weigh up whether I wanted to do boxing or something else. But with the bursary’s help, it was an easy decision.”
There has also been a hugely successful expansion of Collegiate Cambridge’s donor pipeline.
In five years, the Harding Challenge has seen:
- 10,800 eligible donors, of whom 6,697 were completely new donors to Collegiate Cambridge
- £48.57m in eligible donations
- £20m correspondingly unlocked for the Cambridge Bursary Scheme
- With an average of 2,300 eligible donors each year
And it’s clear from donor feedback that the Harding Challenge incentivised giving too.
Guy Munz Jones had never given to Cambridge before but was considering supporting student travel bursaries to Asia, having benefited from a similar bursary himself at Selwyn College; it was an experience that had a profound influence on his life and career. On hearing about the Harding Challenge, Guy was galvanised to act and delighted that his gift was eligible for the match: "It was amazing to hear about the Harding Fund. I feel very good that my contribution can support disadvantaged students from the UK to travel to Asia as part of their studies."
Trinity Hall’s first Giving Day in November 2020 raised funds to help students during the College’s 670th year. “Give TogeTHer” was a huge success, raising more than £340,000. As the focus of the Giving Day was student support, the Harding Challenge featured prominently in communications. As a result, 129 first-time donors and 158 eligible lapsed donors were motivated to give. This has made a difference to undergraduates and postgraduates at Trinity Hall and enabled more than £82,000 to be unlocked from the Harding Challenge to support those students in greatest need.
James Jamison (Trinity Hall 2008), a donor to Give TogeTHer, was inspired by the opportunity to double the impact of his gift: “As an undergraduate from a modest background, I greatly appreciated the opportunities and support Trinity Hall gave me, which have made a pivotal difference to my life. So, when I read about the Harding Challenge, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to become a new donor and contribute something back. I feel that this scheme is helping nudge the University in the direction of a more inclusive future.”
What’s next for Student Support? Ambitions, targets, and new generations
There’s no question that The Harding Challenge inspired and energised giving, making it more personal and meaningful for both new and lapsed donors. As they’ve watched their gifts make such a tremendous difference, we hope our supporters will continue to give and that their philanthropic example will in turn inspire others.
Because there’s so much more to do.
We want to see the great minds of now and tomorrow empowered to come to Cambridge, flourish throughout their time with us, and be supported to develop to their fullest potential when they progress to their next step. Thanks to the extraordinary vision and generosity of David and Claudia Harding, this dream is much closer to reality.
Contact
To Find out more about how you can support students at Cambridge or to discuss potential philanthropic partnerships, please contact your College or:
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Philanthropic giving is at the heart of the success of the Collegiate University, enabling us to make discoveries that change the world and to ensure that our students receive an unrivalled education. Cambridge owes its world-leading excellence in research and teaching to the generosity of its supporters. Our history is synonymous with a history of far-sighted benefaction, and the same is as true today as it has ever been.
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Philanthropic giving is at the heart of the success of the Collegiate University, enabling us to make discoveries that change the world and to ensure that our students receive an unrivalled education.
