• 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
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • 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
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

The global economy is experiencing the largest capex cycle ever, with nearly $5 trillion seen by the end of the decade—and it’s not all AI spending
EnergyAlternative energy
The global economy is experiencing the largest capex cycle ever, with nearly $5 trillion seen by the end of the decade—and it’s not all AI spending
By Jason MaMay 10, 2026
17 minutes ago
AI wins have Alphabet poised to become world’s biggest company
AIAlphabet
AI wins have Alphabet poised to become world’s biggest company
By Ryan Vlastelica and BloombergMay 10, 2026
3 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a ‘life advisor’—but college students might be one step ahead
TechOpenAI
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a ‘life advisor’—but college students might be one step ahead
By Sydney LakeMay 10, 2026
6 hours ago
Torsten Slok, wearing a suit, speaks on a stage with a gold and black background.
AILabor
‘The gains will be substantial’: The AI shock is looking a lot like the China shock, and a top economist says that’s actually good news
By Sasha RogelbergMay 10, 2026
7 hours ago
Young man working on laptop with headphones in modern coffeeshop
Future of Workskills gap
AI generated identical résumés for a man and a woman: Hers was more likely to be labeled ‘weak,’ while his got a 97% approval rating
By Eleanor PringleMay 10, 2026
10 hours ago
UFO files show Buzz Aldrin saw a ‘sizeable’ object close to the moon and a ‘fairly bright light source’ that the Apollo 11 crew felt could be a laser
Innovationspace
UFO files show Buzz Aldrin saw a ‘sizeable’ object close to the moon and a ‘fairly bright light source’ that the Apollo 11 crew felt could be a laser
By Seung Min Kim, Collin Binkley and The Associated PressMay 9, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
Politics
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
By Jason MaMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
Success
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
Economy
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
By Jacqueline MunisMay 10, 2026
5 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
Tech
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
By Sydney LakeMay 10, 2026
6 hours ago
Companies are abandoning 'peanut butter' raises as pay-for-performance takes over the workplace in the AI era
Future of Work
Companies are abandoning 'peanut butter' raises as pay-for-performance takes over the workplace in the AI era
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 9, 2026
1 day 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.