Cal Football Fans Hit $1 Million Donation Goal in a Day and a Half

There are additional goals to raise $250,000 for an additional matching donation for the California Golden Bears.

Via Crowdfund Berkeley

Cal football fans stepped up to the challenge after being asked to raise $500,000 to get a matching $500,000 for $1 million. The fundraising campaign was supposed to take a week—the goal was reached within a day and a half. That would lead to an additional $1 million raised for Tosh Lupoi and the Bears, on the verge of the very critical transfer portal period from January 2 to 16.

Ron Rivera has issued an additional challenge: An additional $250,000 match will be coming for the Golden Bears via the Cal San Francisco Grid Club if donations reach $750,000. An additional $180,000+ has been raised in the last day. You can donate here.

Cal has now raised $688,808 for 862 donors. That would lead to $1.38+ million raised based on matching campaigns.

Additionally, the Calgorithm has been its usual creative self, reporting donations from all across the globe to fill in the world map.

Can Cal fans show they’re ready for the next generation and keep the donations flowing? Can more stretch goals be hit before the start of the Hawaii Bowl? How much can actually be raised for the program during the holiday season?

Here’s the full letter from Cal GM Ron Rivera expressing his appreciation for Cal fans:

Cal Family,

You continue to amaze me!

As Tosh prepares for tomorrow’s first round of the College Football Playoff, I wanted to reach out on his behalf to share that we are incredibly proud of our efforts towards the Fight for California - Cal Football Matching Challenge. Reaching our goal in less than 48 hours has been nothing short of incredible!

It’s been so inspiring that the San Francisco Grid Club has pledged an additional $250,000, unlocking another $250,000 matching gift!

To everyone who has already played a part in this achievement, thank you. We wouldn’t be here without your support.

For those still considering a gift, now is the moment to make an impact. Together, we can provide Cal Football with the resources needed to attack the 2026 Transfer Portal!

Let’s keep the momentum going and continue to Fight For California!

Ron Rivera
General Manager, Cal Football