I am thrilled to report that not only did the Cal community meet our challenge grant goal to collectively raise $1m for the California Legends Collective over the Labor Day weekend but they exceeded it! As a group we managed to raise over $1.2 million including matching funds for 21 sports in less than two full business days! You all are the best!!!
Let me take a minute to highlight what made this so incredible. First, as many of us who have been around charitable organizations know, challenges grants are usually highly scripted. By which I mean the vast majority of the money in a typical challenge grant is lined up to be donated before the challenge is even launched. Well not this one. Partially as the result of the chaos surrounding the ACC admission process and partially just because the Riveras, Lance Cooper and myself were inspired to come together to do this somewhat at the last minute, we didn't have a single dime in donations lined up before launch. In fact, we weren't sure if we were going to raise any money at all.
Over 1100 separate donations received in three days. 1100! Multiple people donating to multiple sports (often multiple times). Many of our most generous donors who have been instrumental in helping to fund our efforts to date coming in yet again with new major contributions. And several five figure checks from individuals who not only have not given to the Collective before but really have not donated to Cal athletics in any capacity before. It is so amazing and gratifying to start tapping in to this large portion of our alumni base, who clearly has the means but until recently has lacked the impetus to get involved. We are now seeing that change.
So thanks to Stephanie and Ron Rivera and Lance Cooper and to my wife for not divorcing me for helping fund this. With special thanks to the Riveras for using their large social media presence to help promote it. All of us are poorer this evening because of what the Cal community accomplished but we are all nevertheless delighted. The success of the challenge grant exceeded our wildest expectations.
Thanks as well to Justin Wilcox for smashing North Texas and Mark Madsen for being an indefatigable fundraising / coaching machine. And of course, all the other Cal coaches and administrative personnel who pitched in on behalf of the students.
But last, and most importantly, thanks to you all. You all did this. You were able to create a tremendous level of engagement incredibly quickly given the backdrop of an athletic department that has struggled in its revenue sports for far too long. As tradition and history seemingly crumbled around us, you were able to divorce yourselves from the negativity and embrace the opportunities this new world presented. You helped rebut the national narrative that Cal fans were disinterested in the success of their athletic department. You were able to show our new partners in the ACC that they made a wise business decision in looking through our recent struggles and focusing on our potential as both a premiere academic institution and a major athletics power. And you were able to conclusively prove that THE BEAR WILL NOT QUIT!!!
Go Bears!
Let me take a minute to highlight what made this so incredible. First, as many of us who have been around charitable organizations know, challenges grants are usually highly scripted. By which I mean the vast majority of the money in a typical challenge grant is lined up to be donated before the challenge is even launched. Well not this one. Partially as the result of the chaos surrounding the ACC admission process and partially just because the Riveras, Lance Cooper and myself were inspired to come together to do this somewhat at the last minute, we didn't have a single dime in donations lined up before launch. In fact, we weren't sure if we were going to raise any money at all.
Over 1100 separate donations received in three days. 1100! Multiple people donating to multiple sports (often multiple times). Many of our most generous donors who have been instrumental in helping to fund our efforts to date coming in yet again with new major contributions. And several five figure checks from individuals who not only have not given to the Collective before but really have not donated to Cal athletics in any capacity before. It is so amazing and gratifying to start tapping in to this large portion of our alumni base, who clearly has the means but until recently has lacked the impetus to get involved. We are now seeing that change.
So thanks to Stephanie and Ron Rivera and Lance Cooper and to my wife for not divorcing me for helping fund this. With special thanks to the Riveras for using their large social media presence to help promote it. All of us are poorer this evening because of what the Cal community accomplished but we are all nevertheless delighted. The success of the challenge grant exceeded our wildest expectations.
Thanks as well to Justin Wilcox for smashing North Texas and Mark Madsen for being an indefatigable fundraising / coaching machine. And of course, all the other Cal coaches and administrative personnel who pitched in on behalf of the students.
But last, and most importantly, thanks to you all. You all did this. You were able to create a tremendous level of engagement incredibly quickly given the backdrop of an athletic department that has struggled in its revenue sports for far too long. As tradition and history seemingly crumbled around us, you were able to divorce yourselves from the negativity and embrace the opportunities this new world presented. You helped rebut the national narrative that Cal fans were disinterested in the success of their athletic department. You were able to show our new partners in the ACC that they made a wise business decision in looking through our recent struggles and focusing on our potential as both a premiere academic institution and a major athletics power. And you were able to conclusively prove that THE BEAR WILL NOT QUIT!!!
Go Bears!
