Most of us feel compelled to do something about poverty. When we do, we inject ourselves, our efforts, and our programs into a community’s on-going process of economic development. 

That process is: complex, Long-term, community specific, and locally-driven.

We, on the other hand, as outsiders, are: imperfectly informed, culturally and geographically distant, and engaged for relatively short-duration.

When you put those realities together, it’s fair to ask: “Is it still possible to make a responsible and effective difference?” 

Yes. 

However, it is going to require us to become more mindful.

We believe the Two Dollar Challenge (TDC) is a good place to start.  

Why?

1. The TDC is first and foremost an educational exercise.

TDC’s real power is in raising questions. By living within unaccustomed constraints, participants begin to experience discomfort, reflect on their assumptions, and cultivate empathy and humility.

2. The TDC addresses multiple aspects of poverty.

Participants are asked to go beyond the constraint of living on $2 per day for food and hygiene products. Among other rules, participants are asked to choose a spigot on campus as the one and only place for participants to gain access to water, and to boil water before consuming it. Through these constraints (and others) we create interdependence among the participants. Building shelters, gaining reliable access to water, and being able to make bulk purchases at the grocery store requires cooperation. By creating the need for cooperation, we build a community.

3. We question ourselves and the effectiveness of our efforts.

With our community in place, we have a space where participants find the comfort to honestly ask themselves “why am I here?” and “what do I hope to accomplish?” They also find the confidence to challenge each other’s assumptions and preconceived notions regarding poverty. Every discussion (which we have many) is an opportunity to probe deeper into the complexity of the process of economic development and our role (if any) in that process.

Each year the TDC sends forward participants steeped in critical thinking skills, highly attuned to the possible inadequacies of their efforts to take on poverty, and humbled by their participation.

We believe that this is a good starting point for anyone who wants to think seriously about poverty.

Our Beliefs

1. The practice of economic development should also focus on changing our behavior.

The practice of economic development is, for the most part, focused on changing the behavior of the poor—creating opportunities and incentives for the poor to invest in themselves and in their futures, families, and communities. This is crucial. However, we believe that it should also be focused on changing our behavior—creating opportunities and incentives not only to act, but also to critically reflect on our role (if any) and on the methods we use to participate in the process of economic development.

2. Our efforts to address poverty must be guided by what works, not just what feels good.

In a world of scarcity, every unit of aid, effort, and passion that is misdirected is a lost opportunity to support a family’s path out of poverty. There is no doubt that our efforts to take on global poverty often feel good. Indeed, our rewards are many. But we must also ensure that our efforts work for the poor—that is, that they expand economic opportunities and improve everyday living conditions.

3. We cannot help anyone with good intentions…alone.

Economic development should be about building relationships with those we wish to partner with through a mutual process of learning about and from one another. This process should be accompanied by critical self-reflection, prompted by recognizing the validity of perspectives that challenge our own. It should also be accompanied by self-doubt. We should constantly be questioning ourselves and our motivations.

The Two Dollar Challenge is one way we practice these beliefs—testing our assumptions, confronting our limitations, and opening ourselves to new ways of seeing.

Our Limitations

The Two Dollar Challenge strives to provide an approximation of living in poverty. As such it has numerous imperfections, some of which are outlined here.

1. We are in a stable society.

Even while attempting to experience some of the obstacles of poverty, participants can expect relative safety. There are no hordes of bandits roaming across campus, and there is continuous access to campus security. On a larger scale, there is no immediate risk of political upheaval, and we can trust those in authority to provide support. Those assigned to protect us will do so; they will not prey upon us. There are no impromptu checkpoints with officials coercing bribes from participants.

2. Participants still have access to a wealth of resources.

Participants can retreat to the comfort of dorms during inclement weather. We maintain access to health care, including immediate emergency care and follow-up services. Our environment is largely disease-free, with no threat of malaria or waterborne illnesses. Boiling water before consumption is a rule, not a life-or-death necessity.

3. We know there is an end just around the corner.

At some point during the week, every participant thinks something along the lines of: “Just two more days.” That countdown provides comfort and makes it easier to continue. For many, this becomes one of the most profound realizations: those living in poverty do not have an end date. This is why the experience works—it sparks empathy and humility.

We believe that the Two Dollar Challenge offers participants a starting point for learning about the harsh realities of poverty. We hope that each participant leaves with a stronger desire to engage more deeply with issues of poverty.

As participants, we remain aware of the shortcomings of this exercise. We also recognize that even a limited glimpse can be moving and worthwhile. Above all, we are transparent: the TDC is an educational simulation, not a lived reality. It is a tool for reflection, not a replication of poverty.

Our History

The Two Dollar Challenge began in a classroom.

In 2006, Dr. Shawn Humphrey asked his economics students at the University of Mary Washington to try living on two dollars a day for a week. The following spring, that exercise became the Two Dollar Challenge in his Economic Development class.

At first, our focus was raising awareness and funds. Students partnered with organizations like Kiva and Students Helping Honduras, raising thousands of dollars and even helping launch La Ceiba, a student-run microfinance institution in Honduras. Soon the Challenge spread across campus, then to other universities, and eventually to national forums like the Clinton Global Initiative University.

But over time, something shifted. What stayed with us was not the dollars raised, but the conversations, the discomfort, and the perspective we gained. The Challenge was transforming us — making us more self-aware, more reflective, and more humble about what it really means to “make a difference.”

That’s when we realized the true value of the Two Dollar Challenge: it’s not a fundraising tool, but an educational experience. It is less about solving poverty and more about questioning ourselves — our assumptions, our roles, and our responsibilities.

Today, the TDC continues as an invitation: a place to begin rethinking poverty, power, and our place in the story.

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Our story, our beliefs, our limitations, and our history all point to the same truth: The Two Dollar Challenge is not about ending poverty in a week. It is about beginning a deeper journey of reflection, humility, and solidarity. That is where real change starts.