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.