Pirate Club surpasses $82 million in fundraising over last three years

The ECU Educational Foundation (Pirate Club) has experienced unprecedented success over the last three years, with generous donors contributing a record $82 million for ECU Athletics in new gifts and commitments, including $23 million in 2024, ECU Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert announced Tuesday.

For the first time in the 64-year history of the Pirate Club, donors have invested at least $22 million in three consecutive calendar years, including a record $36.7 million in 2022 and $22 million in 2023. The department’s fundraising efforts, led by Gilbert, Executive Associate AD for Revenue Generation, Ryan Robinson, and Pirate Club staff, helped secure the two largest gifts in Pirate Club history in back-to-back calendar years. The six largest one-time gifts in Pirate Club history have come since 2019.

More than 10,000 individuals or businesses contributed to the Pirate Club in 2024, including 3,450 new donors. Contributions to the Pirate Club Impact Fund in 2024 totaled nearly $7 million in support of student-athlete scholarships. Gifts and commitments that contributed to the $82 million from 2022-24 include endowments/philanthropic support, premium seating, gifts-in-kind, and contributing services.

“On behalf of ECU Athletics, thank you to the generous donors who continue to show an immense commitment to the overall success of our student-athletes and sport programs,” Gilbert said. “I also want to thank our development staff for the countless hours and effort they put into serving the Pirate Club membership. Pirate Nation is second to none, and we are fortunate to have dedicated supporters who value philanthropy and understand gifts of all sizes matter as we position ourselves for success in this new era of college athletics. Due to the generosity of so many, several new facilities will begin construction this year and we will continue to work tirelessly to raise funds for student-athlete success in this new era of college athletics.”

“All recognition should go to our loyal donors who continue to invest in and support ECU Athletics and the Pirate Club,” Robinson said. “The overall support the Pirate Club receives on an annual basis is a testament to the loyalty that Pirate fans have for ECU, our athletics program and community. Our donors play such an important role in the overall success of ECU Athletics whether it’s through scholarship funding, facility support, attendance at our sporting events and overall engagement. It’s a privilege to be in this role to serve with our talented staff, our executive committee, and work with our incredible membership.”

Pirates Unite: The Campaign for Comprehensive Excellence
ECU Athletics and the Pirate Club launched the Pirates Unite Campaign in May of 2022, the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the history of ECU Athletics. The campaign has generated more than $41 million to provide critical funds and essential training spaces for all ECU student-athletes.

Through the campaign, funding has been finalized for numerous projects solely through Pirate Club donations including:

Campaign Participation Highlights:

A collaborative effort with the Pirate Club saw Bill Clark Homes initiate a $1 Million Match challenge to complete funding for the Dick and Sarah Bennett Baseball Building. The dollar-for-dollar matching challenge inspired 440 members of Pirate Nation to contribute, raising over $1 million in new gifts in just over two weeks.

Bill Clark Homes, led by co-owners Lance and Heath Clark, made the largest investment in Pirate Club history in September of 2024. Their contribution finalized funding for the Isley Indoor Performance Center and spearheaded efforts to close out the baseball project.

Engagement and Brand Awareness
In addition to fundraising, two major areas of focus for the Pirate Club continue to be engagement and brand awareness. In 2024, the Pirate Club hosted 47 events, not including hospitality areas at home football and men’s basketball games or away football tailgates. Highlights include:

Additionally, a new online store was launched in December, offering exclusive Pirate Club merchandise. All proceeds support ECU student-athletes through NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) opportunities. Password is peedee.

Pirate Club Membership
The Pirate Club currently has 9,400 members, including 4,225 in the Student Pirate Club. Several initiatives are planned for 2025 to increase membership. Membership at IMPACT FUND giving levels continues to rise:

The inaugural Pirate Club Pledge Day in 2024 saw over 1,500 donors invest $2.4 million in January. This effort significantly increased pledges ($1.6 million increase year-over-year), payments ($1.1 million increase), and membership (820 more donors than in 2023).

The goal of the Pirate Club Pledge Day is to bring awareness to the IMPACT FUND and have members renew their membership in January each year. The IMPACT FUND provides financial support and the resources necessary for our student-athletes to earn a degree from ECU while also competing at an elevated level.

Pirate Nation’s support extended to ticket sales:

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL)
ECU Athletics and the Pirate Club announced in November that contributors to Team Boneyard will be awarded Pirate Club priority points, further supporting ECU student-athletes through NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) initiatives.

For more information about the Pirate Club, please visit www.ecupirateclub.com, or contact the offices at (252) 737-4540.