In the Fall of 2010, Phi Delta Theta’s newly elected General Council assembled for their annual retreat in Moab, Utah with the General Headquarters staff. This year, their mission was a bit different as it was to create a long-term strategic path for Phi Delta Theta. “Phi Delt 2020” was created to establish Phi Delta Theta as the premiere leadership organization through six strategic initiatives: Growth, Education, Support, Communication, Capacity, and Funding.
Strategic Initiative – Funding
Implement strategies to significantly grow the Fraternity’s Foundation endowment and develop other regular revenue streams.
Endowment
Implement strategies to significantly grow the Fraternity’s Foundation endowment and develop other regular revenue streams.To continue major gift initiative by raising $20 million by having 20 million dollars excluding the scholarship endowment in the Foundation.
- Develop strategies to increase net revenue of annual fund by 10% per year until 2020
- Conduct a review of all planned giving activities
- Refine strategy to maximize successful participation and involvement of volunteers in cultivation and solicitation process
- On average increase the endowment $2-3 million per year
- Add an additional 4 major gift officers, 2 annual fund officers, and 2 support staff members (approximately 1 additional staff member for every $4 million in the endowment)
Annual Fund
Enhance annual fund program to build lifelong donors while providing a funding stream that supports foundation operations by raising $2 million annually.
- Review all annual fund activities to ensure that they are utilizing all fraternity communication channels and technology
Merchandising/Sponsorships
Establish a merchandising and sponsorship program that generates over 500k annually by 2020.
- Introduce online store in an effort to generate 100k each year until 2020, increasing by 15% each year
- Acquire 100k in sponsorships and partnership revenue for the Fraternity and Foundation by 2020, increasing each year by 10%
Loyalty and Cause Funding
Further develop the Iron Phi program as a self-sustaining operation that provides at least $200k in funding annually to the Fraternity by 2020 and to further institutionalize the True Blue Society as a part of Phi Delta Theta culture so as to generate at least $275k by 2020 for The Scroll and alumni programming.
- Acquire 2,400 True Blue Society memberships and increase memberships by 10% each year until 2020
- Raise $1 million for Iron Phi by 2014
What do you think of Phi Delt’s funding initiative?
My Wife’s Church
A few years ago, I was at a Cub Scout meeting at a church, and the den mother asked me to drop off a Pinewood Derby car kit at the home of another cub. This was easy, and on my way home. When I got there, I asked the dad about the church where the Cub Scouts met and I asked him if he went there. He said, “Oh, no, that’s my wife’s church.” Over the next few months, whenever I got into a conversation with a Cub dad, I would eventually ask about the church, and most gave a common reply, “That’s my wife’s church.”
Being a student of demographics and organizational growth, I found out that, if a church involves both the husband and wife, it is fairly common for them to contribute 3 to 10 percent of their income. That is when they both say “This is our church”. But in the case where only one spouse is involved, the giving is typically $20 a week, or less than one percent. Even if both spouses attend, one will often say “I’m here because my spouse is here.”
Although we are unlikely to achieve the giving rate of a church, the same rules apply. If an alumnus goes to house corp, a few tailgates, and maybe an awards banquet, over the course of a year, his wife will usually describe it as “My husband’s house”. Especially if she has no history with the house as an undergraduate. Which is increasingly common in this day and age. People marry later. Since the wives aren’t involved, it’s pretty hard to expect much more than 25 or 50 bucks a year from about half the alums.
But, if you made the wives part of the picture, you will probably get more out of the alumni. Not just money (which is always good), but time and wisdom, too. Starting with the house corp – if you precede the business meeting with a simple dinner (it can be the same menu the undergraduates are having), and the wives are there, they can get to know each other. During the meeting, they can go out to a movie, shopping area, concert or lecture at the nearby campus. Or just talk over coffee at the house.
Moving on, having the awards banquet be a classy, couples affair (without the bawdy alumni jokes – save those for tailgates) is the next step. A dressy, elegant event is nice, for everyone. It lets the wives put faces to the names, and shows the undergrads, by example, all the social graces we try to teach in mentor programs. Make the awards explanatory – terms like the “Anderson Award”, “ClaytonCup”, “Putnam Prize” and “Taylor Trophy” mean a lot to us, but need elaboration to the wives. And have an interesting speaker or program.
There’s nothing wrong with tailgates, they are a great way to build camaraderie with alumni, and that can include the wives. Just make sure the house, or at least the ladies room, is clean, and there is a reasonable selection of beverages.
Moving on, extend the alumni chapter into an “Alumni – Volunteer – Parent” group. This is a group focused on helping the chapter, and a great place for wives who are sorority alumnae and parents who are Greeks of other chapters or other nationals.
When your chapter is now an organization that is a priority to wives and parents, it is something they take ownership of. They will contribute their time, their talents and their money. It is “Ours” – it’s no longer “My Wife’s Church.”