2023 Day of Giving Marks Five Years of #GivingPack Success

NC State held its fifth annual Day of Giving on Wednesday, March 22, and once again, alumni, friends, parents, faculty, staff and students showed up strong for 24 hours of #GivingPack. At the end of the day, the university raised $34,019,746 from 16,774 gifts, which will support students, faculty, Extension, campus programs, facilities, research and more. 

The gift total is the most NC State has received on Day of Giving to date, and the dollar total is second only to the 2021 day, which at the time set a national record for higher-education giving days. 

“Day of Giving brings people who support all aspects of NC State together to see what we can do to lift up our community,” said Chancellor Randy Woodson. “This is the day when you can really see gifts of every size add up to make a huge difference for students. People rally around what they’re passionate about, and that energy shines a light on so many parts of our university, both big and small.

“We are so grateful to everyone who has given on past days, and especially to those whose tremendous generosity made this Day of Giving so successful.”

As usual, supporters rallied from far beyond the campus zip code. Donors from all 100 North Carolina counties, all 50 states and 13 countries showed the strength of the Wolfpack. 

“The thing that makes Day of Giving so special — and so vital — is the combined effort of our entire Wolfpack community. You’re creating new opportunities for those following behind you,” said Brian Sischo, vice chancellor for university advancement. 

“Over the years, our donors have continued to rise to the occasion, and I want to say thank you. We’ve seen how support on Day of Giving has helped open doors, like with the Extraordinary Opportunity Scholarship Initiative — and that’s just one example. I am excited to see how the incredible generosity this year will impact our students and faculty.”

When the event launched at midnight, the Division of Academic and Student Affairs received the first gift on the website. Supporters of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute came through to secure the first most gifts challenge — one of three challenges won by the program, which extends NC State’s impact into the greater community by providing noncredit short courses, study trips and special events for adults aged 50 and above.

After the day ended, the College of Veterinary Medicine earned the top leaderboard bonus for dollars raised, and the Park Scholarships Program topped the gifts total for the University Priorities leaderboard, which includes programs and funds across campus. The Graduate School won the Power Your Pack Leaderboard, which awards bonuses based on the largest percent increase in gifts over a previous Day of Giving high total. Leaderboard bonuses, like social media and giving challenge bonuses, all come from a pool of unrestricted university enhancement funds.

The Division of Academic and Student Affairs once again led the most gifts leaderboard, with the bulk going to programs that bolster student well-being, including Feed the Pack Food Pantry, the Student Emergency Fund and the Counseling and Prevention Services Fund. Steve ’79 and Gladys Deaton continued their commitment to addressing student needs by making a $25,000 gift to support Pack Essentials programs once Feed the Pack received 250 gifts. 

NC State Athletics also put the philanthropic spotlight on student well-being with the new Student-Athlete Mental Health Initiative. Nearly 300 gifts will help student-athletes balance their academics, sport and mental health.

Honoring each member’s place in the Pack was a strong theme throughout the day. While the name may be new, the passionate social media support for the Department of Performing Arts and Technology was not, echoing Days of Giving past. Students showed up in full force on Twitter and Instagram to help the department defend their status as #GivingPack Hashtag Match Challenge champions for the fourth year in a row by sharing what they love about participating in NC State’s arts programs.

Nearly 1,200 students also got involved at Day of Giving events on Stafford Commons and the Corner at Centennial Campus. These events offered a chance to build community, celebrate NC State, learn about philanthropy and vote for an area to receive a bonus. The College of Engineering received the most student votes. 

As in previous years, social media support helped colleges, units and programs win bonus funds before the day even started. The College of Natural Resources received the most promotional video shares — a title it has claimed several times — and the College of Education recruited the most Pack Leaders, who helped drive support for the day by encouraging their personal networks to join in.

Donors also used social media to share their inspiration for #GivingPack and the experiences they hope to give forward to current and future students — making philanthropy a collaborative experience. 

“I love hearing all the stories people share about their time at NC State — what it meant to them to be a part of the Pack then and what it means to them to be a part of the Pack today. These stories inspire me on Day of Giving and throughout the year, and they empower our students to drive forward and make the most of their experiences,” Woodson said. 

“Every gift has a story behind it, and every gift helps to write a new story.”

View full results at dayofgiving.ncsu.edu.

This post was originally published in Giving News.