The Challenge

Challenge for Charity (C4C), a cornerstone of the UW Foster School of Business MBA experience, demonstrates Foster students’ commitment to civic consciousness. Each year, UW MBAs donate hundreds of hours and raise tens of thousands of dollars for the Special Olympics Washington (SOWA) and the Boys and Girls Clubs of King County through our Best of the Northwest Auction & Gala. Since 1986, 10 West Coast MBA programs have competed annually to obtain the coveted “Golden Briefcase” through volunteering, fundraising and participation in a sports weekend. UW has won the golden briefcase for seven out of the past eleven years.

Foster Contributions

• Volunteered 15,082 hours with our charities over the past ten years
• Raised over $1,085,000 to date
• More volunteer hours at B&G Clubs than any other single company or group
• Among Special Olympics Washington’s top 10 donors for the past four years

Community Impact

• Support the Special Olympics Washington sports programs year-round, including the Winter Games event
• Support Boys & Girls Clubs after school program and club activities

About our charities

Special Olympics Washington

Special Olympics Washington provides year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. By participating in sports, physical fitness and healthcare education programs, Special Olympics Washington athletes increase self-confidence and social skills, improve physical and motor skills, and have better success in leading more productive and independent lives.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of King County

The mission of the Boys and Girls Clubs is to inspire and enable young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.  The Boys and Girls Clubs of King County has 13 clubs located around the county that provide kids with character and leadership development, focusing on three areas: academic success, good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyles.

University District Food Bank

For more than a quarter of a century, the University District Food Bank has worked to prevent hunger in Northeast Seattle neighborhoods by providing needy individuals and families with food and access to a network of community resources that helps them achieve self-sufficiency. Each week, more than 1,100 families receive the groceries they need to prepare nutritionally balanced meals at home. In 2010, the food bank had more than 54,200 customer visits and distributed over 2.2 million pounds of food