• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechACLU

Tech and Hollywood Stars Spur ACLU Efforts With Matching Funds

Barb Darrow
By
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
Barb Darrow
By
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 30, 2017, 12:18 PM ET
Trump Travel Ban Impact
Immigrant rights' advocates and others join others protesting President Donald Trump's immigration order as it sowed more chaos and outrage across the country Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017, at Castle Clinton National Monument in New York's Battery Park. Some travelers were detained at airports, as panicked families searched for relatives, while protesters such as these registered opposition to the president's sweeping measure that was blocked by several federal courts. AP Photo/Kathy Willens)Kathy Willens — AP

The firestorm sparked by President Donald Trump’s executive order on Friday to ban immigration and travel to the U.S. by people from seven predominantly Muslim countries proved a boon to the American Civil Liberties Union, which reportedly collected more than $24 million in contributions over the weekend.

Not bad for an organization that typically raises about $4 million annually.

Many of those donations likely came from first-time donors, some of which responded to matching fund offers from tech stars like venture capitalist Chris Sacca. On Saturday, Sacca promised to match up to the first $25,000 of donations resulting from his offer but he later raised the limit to $150,000. Sacca is known for his early investments in Twitter (TWTR) and Uber as well as appearances ABC’s startup competition show Shark Tank.

[fortune-gallery id=”1916242″]

Fred Wilson and Albert Wenger of Union Square Ventures joined the fund-raising race on Sunday, offering matches for up to $20,000. as did Foundry Group’s Brad Feld. There’s also a handy list of matching funders.

The ACLU, which provides legal services to underserved people, went to court to fight the executive orders this weekend. Four federal judges subsequently issued a stay on the ban.

https://twitter.com/sacca/status/825403419376496641

Other matching fund offers flooded in from techies, including Patrick Collison, chief executive of online payment company Stripe, and Nat Friedman, co-founder and chief executive of Xamarin, the software development company acquired last year by Microsoft (MSFT). Logan Green and John Zimmer, co-founders of the Lyft ride-sharing service pledged to donate $1 million to the ACLU over the next four years.

But it wasn’t just tech luminaries. On Saturday, pop star Sia promised to match the first $100,000 flowing in. Hollywood hyphenate (writer-producer-director-actor) Judd Apatow followed her lead.

Okay @sia. We are all going to join you. I am in! https://t.co/XN8tqp7sPX

— Judd Apatow 🇺🇦 (@JuddApatow) January 29, 2017

So did actress/comedian (and frequent Trump foil) Rosie O’Donnell. Singer/songwriter Jack Antonoff of the Bleachers offered to match up to $10,000 as did Jessie Tyler Ferguson, co-star of ABC (DIS) comedy Modern Family.

Incredible! I'll match your donations to @ACLU in support of our LGBTQ immigrant family up to $10,000 through @TieTheKnotOrg. #NoBanNoWall https://t.co/Xv3ETmWJxI

— Jesse Tyler Ferguson (he/him/his) (@jessetyler) January 30, 2017

The ACLU also got shout-outs during Sunday night’s Screen Actors Guild Awards broadcast. Most notably, Sarah Paulson, who won an award for her role in the miniseries The People vs. O.J. Simpson, used her acceptance speech to drum up more support, asking everyone who is able to donate to the ACLU “to protect the rights and liberties of people across this country.”

About the Author
Barb Darrow
By Barb Darrow
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Politics
Peter Thiel warns the Antichrist and apocalypse are linked to the ‘end of modernity’ currently happening—and cites Greta Thunberg as a driving example
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
After decades in the music industry, Pharrell Williams admits he never stops working: ‘If you do what you love everyday, you’ll get paid for free'
By Emma BurleighFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may have shot himself in the foot at the Fed, as Powell could stay on while Miran resigns from White House post
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Tech stocks go into free fall as it dawns on traders that AI has the ability to cut revenues across the board
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 4, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Ray Dalio warns the world is ‘on the brink’ of a capital war of weaponizing money—and gold is the best way for people to protect themselves
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
I've studied nonviolent resistance in war zones for 20 years and Minnesota reminds me of Colombia, the Philippines and Syria
By Oliver Kaplan and The ConversationFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

Sam Altman speaking into a mic.
AIOpenAI
OpenAI’s new model leaps ahead in coding capabilities—but raises unprecedented cybersecurity risks
By Sharon GoldmanFebruary 5, 2026
4 hours ago
tiktok
CybersecuritySocial Media
Gen Z is rebelling against TikTok USA by installing another app—founded by an Oracle alum
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
5 hours ago
Amodei
Big TechBattle for Talent
Tech giants are shelling out up to $400K for AI evangelists to defend against surging American skepticism
By Jake AngeloFebruary 5, 2026
7 hours ago
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy
AIEye on AI
Hey Alexa—Amazon may be teaming up with OpenAI. Here’s why that matters
By Sharon GoldmanFebruary 5, 2026
8 hours ago
Palmer Luckey,
SuccessCareers
Forget a degree—$30 billion defense startup Anduril will fast-track your job application if you can win its AI drone-flying contest
By Preston ForeFebruary 5, 2026
8 hours ago
lewis, lee
InvestingMarkets
Michael Lewis and Tom Lee hold court on the $1 trillion software-stock carnage: ‘I think fear is not a bad thing to be long right now’
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
9 hours ago