NC State supporters put the university’s special fall Day of Giving theme of “stronger as a Pack” into action on Sept. 16.
At the close of the day, the real-time numbers reflected 8,230 gifts totaling $23,223,425 — an increase of nearly $10 million from 2019’s Day of Giving. Donors from all 50 states strengthened the effort, which was rescheduled from March.
“This has been a humbling show of support from the Wolfpack community,” said Brian C. Sischo, Vice Chancellor for University Advancement. “Day of Giving: Stronger as a Pack was an extraordinary success, not just in terms of dollars raised or number of gifts made, but because of what this will do for our students.”
Colleges, divisions and programs from across the university took part in the day, with a special emphasis on increasing need-based scholarships, meeting emergency needs related to the novel coronavirus pandemic and promoting efforts to create a more equitable and inclusive university experience.
Pending final gift processing, the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity raised $60,765 toward its affiliated centers and funds, while the new Latinx Alumni Network Scholarship — the winner of the first online gift challenge — received $9,495 from 152 gifts. Individual diversity, equity and inclusion funds across colleges and programs such as Park Scholarships, as well as the Black Alumni Society scholarships, also garnered strong support.
Since March, the Student Emergency Fund has helped more than 2,200 students through financial hardship related to the pandemic. An additional $1,055,428 committed on Day of Giving ensures the fund will be able to continue to serve as a vital resource for those facing emergency expenses.
This total includes a lead gift of $500,000 from Ann Goodnight ’68, who is a member of the new Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy group. Her gift brings the Goodnight family’s support of the Student Emergency Fund to $1,000,000, including a gift made in March.
“The Student Emergency Fund has been helping members of our Pack overcome adversity for several years now, and it has made an even more critical difference for our students over the last six months,” Sischo said. “We are so grateful for the Goodnights’ extraordinary investment in students in need.”
One of the highlights of Day of Giving came at 8 p.m., when it was announced that the family of Stephen F. Angel (‘77) and a second anonymous donor family committed lead gifts to the university’s Extraordinary Opportunity Scholarship Initiative.
Launched earlier this year, this initiative provides need-based support to help close the financial gap that might cause promising low- to middle-income scholars — including first-generation students and those from rural areas — to enroll at other universities or forgo higher education altogether.
These gifts of $2.5 million each will bolster a matching pool of funds to encourage even more donors to support the effort.
“While our university remains very affordable in comparison to other outstanding institutions, we certainly have unmet student need. Bridging the gap will help ensure that everyone who qualifies for admission is able to develop their talents and pursue their dreams here,” Sischo said in an announcement for the gifts.
To honor these donor families’ support, $20,000 in gifts made to the Extraordinary Opportunity Scholarship Initiative between 9 p.m. and midnight were matched, ensuring that donations of every amount could go even further for students. Overall, the fund received 679 gifts.
In a thank-you message to scholarship donors, one first-year student noted that while transitioning to college in the midst of uncertainty related to the pandemic has not been easy, gifts like those made on Day of Giving make it possible to thrive in a changing learning environment — an important illustration of what it means to be Stronger as a Pack.
Full results are available at dayofgiving.ncsu.edu.
