{"id":226687,"date":"2026-03-30T12:50:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T16:50:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=226687"},"modified":"2026-03-31T11:05:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:05:16","slug":"poole-pack-makes-its-mark-on-day-of-giving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/30\/poole-pack-makes-its-mark-on-day-of-giving\/","title":{"rendered":"Poole Pack Makes Its Mark on Day of Giving"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n


The Poole College of Management<\/a> shattered its fundraising goals on March 25, as the collective Poole Pack rallied from around the world to make their mark on the university\u2019s eighth annual Day of Giving<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the clock struck midnight, the numbers told the story: 1,067 gifts totaling $3.8 million \u2014 a testament to a network of alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and partners who believe in what the college is building.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cPoole College’s remarkable success on Day of Giving is more than a fundraising milestone: it is a powerful, transformative investment in our mission,” says Dean Frank Buckless<\/a>. “The generosity of our Poole Pack community will accelerate our work to develop career-ready graduates, advance impactful research, and engage with our community to make our world a better place to live and work.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s Day of Giving theme invited stakeholders to come together to \u201cmake their mark,\u201d focusing on supporting an area with meaning to the donor \u2014 whether that be student scholarships, high impact experiences, professional opportunities for faculty, or any number of other areas.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cPoole College’s remarkable success on Day of Giving is more than a fundraising milestone: it is a powerful, transformative investment in our mission<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Every gift, large and small, helped Poole achieve its record-breaking success. Several dedicated Poole supporters also made transformative gift announcements on Day of Giving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chip and Lyn Andrews announced a renewal of their investment in the Andrews Launch Accelerator<\/a> (ALA), creating an endowment to fund the program for the future. This follows their original gift in 2016 that established the ALA. Over the past decade, the ALA has worked with nearly 50 companies and more than 250 people, distributing more than $476,000 in seed capital. The ALA is about more than funding, providing mentorship and training to guide students through the entrepreneurial process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An anonymous Poole stakeholder made a transformative gift to provide Poole students with internship opportunities at small businesses at no cost to the business, tying in to the college\u2019s mission to provide high-impact experiences for students. Poole students will gain real-world experience while providing knowledge and support to a small business, free of charge, while receiving a stipend for their time, thanks to this gift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis creates a pipeline of future leaders in small business, which is a huge economic driver for North Carolina,\u201d says Brian Clark<\/a>, executive director of philanthropy for Poole College. \u201cSmall business owners are the bread and butter of this state, and this gift is another way we can stay true to NC State\u2019s land grant mission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, Josh Franks (’06, B.S. Business Administration), senior vice president and chief operations officer at e.l.f. Beauty, established a need-based scholarship to support undergraduates pursuing a degree in business administration with a concentration in operations and supply chain management. Franks also supports Poole by serving on the college\u2019s IT, Analytics and Operations (ITAO) Advisory Board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWithin Poole, we encourage our supporters to make their mark in an area that means the most to them, and we\u2019ve seen momentum building behind that idea,\u201d Clark says. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to see on Day of Giving that donors did exactly that, with gifts to a multitude of initiatives within Poole that reflect the areas near to each of their hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Poole students, faculty and staff (and Ms. Wuf!) enjoyed taking photos in the college’s Day of Giving photo booth. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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In addition to long-time supporters, first-time donors were invited to make their mark at Poole with an inaugural gift of any amount during two challenge hours in which one first-time donor could win an additional $1,000 to donate to an area of their choice within Poole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hourly challenges<\/a> like that one throughout the day unlocked bonus funds awarded directly to the challenge winner. While Poole didn\u2019t win the first-time donor challenge, the college secured $3,000 in bonus funds as it clinched wins in three other challenges:<\/p>\n\n\n