From the Nominator

North Carolina State University has changed dramatically since 2010, when Randy Woodson became our university’s 14th chancellor. Our physical campus, national standing, and impact have all been transformed. Philanthropy has been a key driver in our success, with Chancellor Woodson and his wife, Susan Woodson, leading the way. As we looked ahead to the next chapter of leadership at NC State, we had an opportunity to celebrate all that the Woodsons have meant to the university over their 15 years of dedication to the Wolfpack. The Celebrating Transformation campaign’s goal was to celebrate the university’s transformation under the Woodsons’ leadership—and show the world we have so much more to Think and Do. The campaign kicked off on July 18, 2024, when we sent an all-world email with a video of Chancellor Woodson announcing his retirement. We also launched a campaign website, transformation.ncsu.edu, encouraging constituents to share fond memories and express their gratitude for the chancellor by submitting messages, images, and videos. The campaign culminated with NC State University’s homecoming, Red and White Week, in October. Postcards, emails, social media, digital advertisements, a print ad, text messages, an internal toolkit for campus units, and stewardship materials encouraged a broad audience of alumni, donors, faculty, and staff to make a gift and submit a message with a photo or video to thank the Woodsons. The campaign was wildly successful and resulted in 18,374 website views and 8,492 active users, 173 thank you messages, 797 gifts, and $133,362,978.

From the Judges

This campaign had an extraordinary return on investment, transforming a modest budget into over $133 million in fundraising. Its strategic use of digital tools, including targeted Google ads and a custom platform for community engagement, drove impressive web traffic, social interaction, and donor participation. The campaign’s emotional resonance, honoring a beloved chancellor while inspiring future commitment, created a powerful connection with alumni and supporters. Its thoughtful design, efficient execution, and meaningful storytelling made it both impactful and memorable.