Cal Poly Athletics has unveiled The Stampede, a new centralized giving program designed to funnel donor support directly into Mustang teams. Launched Sept. 17, the initiative aims to shore up resources for a mid-major program that depends heavily on private contributions to remain competitive.
The Stampede provides an online portal where donors can direct gifts to individual sports. According to Cal Poly officials, contributions are allocated to sport-specific accounts to cover priorities such as athlete nutrition, strength and conditioning, training technology and coaching needs.
Why Cal Poly created a unified giving platform
Unlike larger programs with conference-wide revenue and bigger institutional budgets, Cal Poly’s athletics department faces narrower funding channels. Athletics Director Carter Henderson said the program was built to make giving easy and to broaden who can support the Mustangs.
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Senior Associate Athletics Director Uri Farkas led the operational rollout, working to design a system that mirrors successful models at peer institutions while remaining tailored to Cal Poly’s culture and scale.
- Direct team support: Donors choose which sport receives their gift.
- Targeted use: Funds feed into sport-specific priorities—examples include nutrition, training, technology and key coaching needs.
- Common giving society: Individual gifts are tracked within a single membership structure to build a community of supporters.
- Tiered membership: Levels were set with affordability and program needs in mind; ticket purchases do not automatically confer membership.
The Stampede is separate from the former Stampede Club, which focused on season tickets and game-day hospitality. Cal Poly clarifies that purchasing season tickets does not guarantee enrollment in the new giving society; supporters who want to participate must join through the program’s website.
Henderson told Mustang News the department wanted donors to be able to start contributing immediately after the launch. While gifts can still target a particular team or priority, all contributions are recorded under the same giving structure to encourage sustained engagement and clearer reporting of impact.
For a mid-major program, organized fundraising can translate into tangible gains: better recovery and fueling programs, upgraded training tools, and more stable coaching support. Those improvements, administrators say, directly affect student-athlete experience and competitive standing.
Supporters can learn more and join The Stampede via the Cal Poly Athletics website.
