The Portola Valley Town Council will review this week a progress report on fundraising for a proposed $540,000 renovation of Ford (baseball) Field. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 25.

About $254,000 of the total is not yet firmly accounted for, and the town could be on the hook for what it does not raise in donations if it awards bids.

Weighing heavily on the town is a preference for groundbreaking in June so the renovation can be far enough along before the rains start, but this is also a concern for other projects in the region that are competing for contractors.

The Sand Hill Foundation has promised to match $100,000 in donations from the community. So far, the community has given $1,800, a staff report says.

The report answers a key question: The council had asked whether $50,000 pledged by the Alpine-West Menlo Little League could go toward that $100,000 goal. It cannot, said a foundation representative.

The Little League commitment came before the offer of the matching grant, said Executive Director Ash McNeely. "The challenge is to new prospective donors," she said.

Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.