Contests

Here's where you can find all of the opportunities to help your favorite schools and programs win extra funds and bragging rights — time-based contests, competitive social media events, and Big Matches. Help your favorite Cal causes glow even more brightly today!

Past Events

Leaderboard

Most Donors During Big Give

Top 5 funds with the most unique donors during the 24 hours of Big Give win prize money ($10,000; $5,000; $2,500; $1,000; $500).

Rank	Prize	Funds	Donors
1	$10,000	Formula Electric at Berkeley	601
2	$5,000	The Cal Band Annual Fund	522
3	$2,500	The Berkeley Engineering Fund	443
4	$1,000	Zahanat	387
5	$500	Haas School of Business Fund	349
6		The Cal Parents Fund	343
7		American Advertising Federation	270
8		Azaad	262
9		LETTERS & SCIENCE LEADERSHIP FUND	256
10		The Friends of Cal Crew Fund	251
11		The Botanical Garden Annual Fund	239
12		The Cal Fund	238
13		Space Enterprise at Berkeley	236
14		The Berkeley Basic Needs Fund	230
15		Emeryville Satellite Campus Fund	219

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Event

Most International Donors | 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.

Top 2 funds with the most unique international donors win additional prize money ($1,500; $1,000). WINNERS: PROJECT RISHI AND BERKELEY HAAS FULL-TIME MBA PROGRAM FUND!

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Leaderboard

Most Donors | 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Top 3 fund with the most unique donors win prize money ($2,500; $1,500; $1,000).

Rank	Prize	Fund Designation	Donors
1	$2,500	Project RISHI	62
2	$1,500	The Berkeley Engineering Fund	44
3	$1,000	Haas School of Business Fund	43
4		The Berkeley Basic Needs Fund	36
5		The Cal Band Annual Fund	33
6		The Cal Fund	33
7		The Friends of Cal Crew Fund	26
8		The Botanical Garden Annual Fund	26
9		Emeryville Satellite Campus Fund	23
10		Industrial Engineering & Operations Research Fund	19
11		The Cal Parents Fund	19
12		Bear Power Fund	18
13		The Library Fund	17
14		The Women's Basketball Team Fund	17
15		Space Technologies at California	17

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Leaderboard

Most Donors | 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Top 2 funds with the most unique donors win prize money ($2,000; $1,000).

Rank	Prize	Fund Designation	Donors
1	$2,000	The Cal Parents Fund	75
2	$1,000	Azaad	69
3		American Advertising Federation	64
4		The Berkeley Engineering Fund	52
5		Haas School of Business Fund	41
6		Industrial Engineering & Operations Research Fund	37
7		The Berkeley Basic Needs Fund	32
8		Emeryville Satellite Campus Fund	32
9		The Friends of Cal Crew Fund	31
10		The Cal Band Annual Fund	30
11		The Botanical Garden Annual Fund	29
12		The Rausser College Fund for Natural Resources	29
13		The Library Fund	26
14		The Cal Fund	23
15		The Berkeley Law Fund	22

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Leaderboard

Most Donors | 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Top 2 funds with the most unique donors win prize money ($1,500; $1,000).

Rank	Prize	Fund Designation	Donors
1	$1,500	Space Technologies and Rocketry (STAR)	67
2	$1,000	Zahanat	63
3		The Center for Educational Partnerships Fund	53
4		The Berkeley Engineering Fund	33
5		The Cal Parents Fund	29
6		The Berkeley School of Education Annual Fund	26
7		The Friends of Cal Crew Fund	25
8		Haas School of Business Fund	22
9		LETTERS & SCIENCE LEADERSHIP FUND	22
10		The Cal Band Annual Fund	20
11		The Cal Alumni Association Fund	20
12		The Cal Fund	19
13		The Berkeley Basic Needs Fund	19
14		The Library Fund	18
15		The Berkeley Law Fund	18

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Leaderboard

Most Donors | 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Top 3 funds with the most unique donors win prize money ($2,500; $1,500; $1,000).

Rank	Prize	Fund Designation	Donors
1	$2,500	Zahanat	136
2	$1,500	The Cal Band Annual Fund	113
3	$1,000	The Cal Parents Fund	80
4		LETTERS & SCIENCE LEADERSHIP FUND	45
5		Haas School of Business Fund	38
6		The Berkeley Engineering Fund	36
7		Natya at Berkeley	36
8		The Rausser College Fund for Natural Resources	33
9		The Friends of Cal Crew Fund	32
10		The Berkeley Law Fund	25
11		The Library Fund	25
12		The Cal Fund	22
13		The Berkeley Basic Needs Fund	22
14		Rhetoric	20
15		The Botanical Garden Annual Fund	17

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Leaderboard

Most Donors | 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Top 2 funds with the most unique donors win prize money ($5,000; $2,500).

Rank	Prize	Fund Designation	Donors
1	$5,000	Formula Electric at Berkeley	217
2	$2,500	Space Enterprise at Berkeley	195
3		SKY Campus Happiness Club at Berkeley	133
4		Space Technologies and Rocketry (STAR)	102
5		The Berkeley Engineering Fund	48
6		The Friends of Cal Crew Fund	41
7		The Botanical Garden Annual Fund	30
8		ASUC Crowdfunding - Raas Ramzat	23
9		Haas School of Business Fund	22
10		The Cal Band Annual Fund	22
11		LETTERS & SCIENCE LEADERSHIP FUND	19
12		The Cal Parents Fund	19
13		Intermission Orchestra at Berkeley	17
14		The Rausser College Fund for Natural Resources	15
15		Emeryville Satellite Campus Fund	14

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Leaderboard

Most Donors | 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Top 3 funds with the most unique donors wins additional prize money ($2,500; $1,500; $1,000).

Rank	Prize	Fund Designation	Donors
1	$2,500	Cal Triathlon	106
2	$1,500	Formula Electric at Berkeley	97
3	$1,000	Space Technologies at California	53
4		The Cal Band Annual Fund	49
5		Haas School of Business Fund	44
6		The Berkeley Engineering Fund	40
7		Azaad	25
8		The Cal Alumni Association Fund	24
9		LETTERS & SCIENCE LEADERSHIP FUND	23
10		Zahanat	23
11		Industrial Engineering & Operations Research Fund	22
12		American Advertising Federation	22
13		The Cal Fund	21
14		Statistics	21
15		Economics	20

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Event

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST | What Do You Glow for? | 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Fill in the blank on Instagram or X (Twitter), "[Program hashtag] deserves Big Give love bc_______" Include #CalBigGive and a program hashtag. Randomly chosen original post wins $500 for its featured program. WINNER: Space Enterprise Berkeley.

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Event

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST | Friends of Oski | 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Share a photo of your pet in their Cal gear on Instagram or X (Twitter) with your program hashtag and #CalBigGive. A randomly chosen original post wins $500 for their respective program. WINNER: Department of Mechanical Engineering.

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Event

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST | Show Your Cal Spirit | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Share a photo of you and/or your friends in your best blue and gold gear on Instagram or X (Twitter), including your program hashtag and #CalBigGive. A randomly chosen original post wins $500 for their respective program. WINNER: Eta Kappa Nu

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Event

Top 5 Programs with the Most You+2 Ambassadors During Big Give

The top 5 programs with the most ambassadors that meet the criteria for You+2 will win additional prize money to the referral area they selected in the Ambassador Dashboard. You must have selected a referral area to be eligible. ($3,500; $2,500; $2,000; $1,000; $500). WINNERS: 1st place (tie): POWER OF A PRINCESS and ZAHANAT; 2nd place: AAAA - FURRIES AT BERKELEY; 3rd place: CAL BAND; 4th place: CALSOL; and 5th place (tie): PROJECT RISHI, INTERMISSION ORCHESTRA, RE-ENTRY STUDENT PROGRAM, and SPACE TECHNOLOGIES AT CALIFORNIA (STAC)

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Event

5 Random Ambassadors that Meet Criteria for You+2 | 9 p.m. to noon

5 random ambassadors that meet the criteria for You+2 will win additional $750 each to the affinity area they selected in the Ambassador Dashboard or the area that they supported. WINNERS: POWER OF A PRINCESS, CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, CAL BAND, BALLET COMPANY AT BERKELEY, MOTOSTUDENT OF CALIFORNIA!

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Leaderboard

Most Donors | 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Top 2 funds with the most unique donors win prize money ($2,000; $1,000).

Rank	Prize	Fund Designation	Donors
1	$2,000	The Cal Band Annual Fund	54
2	$1,000	Zahanat	43
3		The Cal Alumni Association Fund	33
4		Haas School of Business Fund	30
5		The Berkeley Engineering Fund	27
6		The Berkeley Law Fund	26
7		The Friends of Cal Crew Fund	25
8		LETTERS & SCIENCE LEADERSHIP FUND	23
9		The Berkeley Basic Needs Fund	23
10		The Cal Fund	19
11		The Berkeley School of Education Annual Fund	16
12		Molecular & Cell Biology (MCB)	16
13		The Library Fund	15
14		The Rausser College Fund for Natural Resources	13
15		The Botanical Garden Annual Fund	12

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Event

Most Faculty and Staff Donors | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Top 2 funds with the most unique faculty and staff donors wins additional prize money ($1,500; $1,000). WINNERS (TIED): EMERYVILLE SATELLITE CAMPUS FUND, HAAS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS FUND!

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Leaderboard

Most Donors | 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Top 2 funds with the most unique donors win prize money ($1,500; $1,000).

Rank	Prize	Fund Designation	Donors
1	$1,500	Zahanat	43
2	$1,000	The PUENTE Project Fund	30
3		The Cal Parents Fund	23
4		AAAA - Furries at Berkeley	23
5		The Berkeley Engineering Fund	22
6		Haas School of Business Fund	22
7		LETTERS & SCIENCE LEADERSHIP FUND	19
8		The Friends of Cal Crew Fund	16
9		The Berkeley Basic Needs Fund	15
10		The Cal Fund	14
11		The Cal Band Annual Fund	14
12		American Advertising Federation	14
13		Excellence in Arts & Humanities	13
14		History	12
15		The Women's Crew Fund	12

Ended

Leaderboard

Most Donors | 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Top 2 funds with the most unique donors win prize money ($3,000; $1,500).

Rank	Prize	Fund Designation	Donors
1	$3,000	Azaad	72
2	$1,500	The PUENTE Project Fund	48
3		The Cal Alumni Association Fund	36
4		The Cal Band Annual Fund	34
5		LETTERS & SCIENCE LEADERSHIP FUND	29
6		Haas School of Business Fund	28
7		The Cal Parents Fund	28
8		The Berkeley Engineering Fund	25
9		The Library Fund	21
10		The Berkeley Basic Needs Fund	21
11		The Rausser College Fund for Natural Resources	19
12		The Cal Fund	16
13		The Puente Scholarship Fund	16
14		The Botanical Garden Annual Fund	15
15		The Berkeley School of Education Annual Fund	15

Ended

Leaderboard

Most Donors | 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Top 3 fund with the most unique donors win prize money ($5,000; $2,500; $1,000).

Rank	Prize	Fund Designation	Donors
1	$5,000	Formula Electric at Berkeley	267
2	$2,500	The Cal Band Annual Fund	180
3	$1,000	Azaad	81
4		CalSol	76
5		The Berkeley Engineering Fund	39
6		The Cal Alumni Association Fund	37
7		The Botanical Garden Annual Fund	23
8		The PUENTE Project Fund	23
9		LETTERS & SCIENCE LEADERSHIP FUND	22
10		Haas School of Business Fund	22
11		The Cal Fund	20
12		I-House Scholarship Fund	19
13		The Friends of Cal Crew Fund	18
14		The Cal Parents Fund	18
15		The Berkeley Basic Needs Fund	17

Ended

Event

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST | Brightest Blue and Gold Memory | 9 p.m. to 10 a.m.

Share your favorite Cal memory on Instagram or X (Twitter). Include #CalBigGive and a program hashtag. Randomly chosen original post wins $500 for its featured program. WINNER: Cloud at California.

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Event

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST | Future Golden Bear | 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Share a photo of a spirited little one cheering on Cal on Instagram or X (Twitter) with your program hashtag and #CalBigGive. A randomly chosen original post wins $500 for their respective program. WINNER: CalSol (UC Berkeley Solar Vehicle Team)

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Event

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST | Who Do You Glow for? | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tell us about (and tag if you wish) your favorite prof, student, friend or person at Cal by filling in the blank on Instagram or X (Twitter), "I give to Cal bc of______ who______" Include #CalBigGive and a program hashtag. Randomly chosen original post wins $500 for its featured program. WINNER: The Intermission Orchestra at Berkeley

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Event

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST | Throwback: A Decade Aglow | 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Big Give turns 10 today! So share a throwback photo from your time at Berkeley to celebrate what the Cal community means to you. Post on Instagram or X (Twitter). Include #CalBigGive, #TBT, and your program hashtag. Randomly chosen original post wins $500 for its featured program. WINNER: Helix @ Berkeley

Ended