Day of Giving 2026
Connecting with Alumni through the Alumni Impact Fund
The Wolfpack Answers the Call
On March 25, 2026, NC State’s Day of Giving, the Wolfpack answered the call during the daylong fundraising event devoted to bringing the entire Wolfpack together for 24 hours of friendly competition, fun challenges and, of course, #GivingPack. The day made a big impact – for students, faculty, research, programs and more, with final totals of $43,656,421 given thanks to 18,028 gifts overall.
Generous alumni and friends of NC State Alumni raised $63,098 and made 636 gifts, while gifts to the Alumni Impact Fund resulted in $35,780 and 468 gifts.
Wake County Alumni Network Regional Network Leader Hannah Willoughby served as a Pack Leader. Pack Leaders are enthusiastic alumni, family members and friends of NC State who want to ignite that passion for the university in others. They extend the reach of Day of Giving in three ways: making a gift of their own, sharing on social media and inspiring others to give.
“It is truly a team effort.”
“I posted on my social media to encourage friends to give and texted a few people throughout the day as well,” Willoughby said. “We expect full participation from our staff for Day of Giving, so I made sure to give my link to my coworkers and encourage them to share it with their network as well. It is truly a team effort!”
Giving to NC State’s Alumni Impact Fund ripples across tailgates and events that bring the Pack together, leadership opportunities for students and career coaching for alumni, impacting members of the Wolfpack across the globe.
2025 Stewardship
14,832
members of the Wolfpack attended engagement opportunities
365
opportunities to connect around the world
289
people received career coaching resources
“NC State has made a lasting mark on generations of alumni,” said Adam Compton, executive director of annual giving. “Day of Giving is an opportunity to give back and support the experiences, connections and programs that continue to shape the Pack.”
And shape it did, marked by wolf prints all over Raleigh, North Carolina, all 50 states and even across numerous countries. Gifts to the Alumni Impact fund also help support regional alumni networks and affinity groups.
“It is because of the Wolfpack community that we are able to create experiences that connect people to one another and to NC State,” said Reshunda Mahone, Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving. “Day of Giving is an invitation to invest in those moments — where relationships are strengthened and lifelong engagement begins.”
Social Media and Giving Challenges
NC State Alumni won three challenges held during the day. The first was the Make Your Mark challenge, where Alumni Association Student Ambassador Oakleigh Shields was selected after sharing her story of how NC State made a mark on her on the Make Your Mark wall. The second was the Pack Pet challenge, awarded to two posters who shared their Wolfpack pets on Instagram or Facebook. The final category was Pack Leaders, with six Pack Leaders who received at least two gifts through their giving link being selected to win. In each of these three areas, the winners were awarded an extra $1,000 prize to go to their selected area of NC State Alumni.
Leadership
NC State Alumni also ranked 3rd on the University Priorities Leaderboard, which tracks gifts to central funds, programs and initiatives, allowing colleges and units to win a share of $25,000 based on the total number of gifts made, earning an extra $3,710 for NC State Alumni, which accounted for 15% of the total bonus.
As Day of Giving approached, the Student Alumni Association launched a student education campaign that highlighted the NC State community and the experiences made possible through philanthropy. Donor support helps students study abroad, discover new cultures and perspectives, and pursue what they’re passionate about both inside and outside the classroom. These opportunities help shape students’ academic journeys and prepare them to make an impact long after they leave campus.
The NC State Alumni board of directors participated during the day, seeing a 100% participation rate. Additionally, numerous NC State Alumni board members and regional alumni network leaders also served as Pack Leaders, by connecting with their networks and raising thousands of additional dollars for NC State through their own fundraising efforts.
Willoughby received a total of 130 gifts and raised a total of $6,315. Across NC State collectively, 593 Pack Leaders took part in Day of Giving.
“I just completed my first year of being a Wake County Alumni Network leader, and this is only my second year of being a Pack Leader,” Willoughby said. “Last year I had around 70 gifts, and this year we had almost double! NC State has given me so much, so this is just one small way that I try to give back.”
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