Anthony Castro graduates from California State University Northridge this spring, and is a member of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Community
Inspiration! Community! Immersion! Change! Taking
Action! And Roll Tide! These are the words that began my day. The one word that
stuck out to me the most was COMMUNITY! The feel of the community here is so
prevalent and know I understand how they are getting through the disaster that
occurred. Everyone is so friendly and the southern comfort here is amazing. I
felt the vibes from everyone in the community and the people we came with, it
made me smile all day while I was working. I will never take anything for
granted anymore and I will continue to grow and never plateau. Everyone we have
met in the community and on this trip have inspired me even more to help out in
community and throughout the world. I never really felt immersion or knew what
it meant until this trip and I have realized that if you want to experience
anything in life you need to immerse yourself to get the full understanding.
AFLV and Tuscaloosa have changed my life for the better and made me a better
person. I vow to continue to BE THE CHANGE in a positive way and live my values
to the fullest each and every day. ROLL TIDE!!!
Anthony Castro graduates from California State University Northridge this spring, and is a member of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity.
Anthony Castro graduates from California State University Northridge this spring, and is a member of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity.
Monday, May 14, 2012
What Our Communities Can Learn From The Avengers
Fraternities and sororities have a lot to learn from the blockbuster that grossed $200 million in its opening weekend. For those of you out there who think you are allergic to all things nerdy, put your Benadryl away and buckle up.
We’re not here to discuss green meatheads or gods of thunder, but the way the masterminds at Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures persuaded a national audience to love characters most people who don’t own pocket protectors had no clue about five years ago. We’re talking about building brand familiarity. About cultivating trust.
So how did they do it? How did they take a few well known and several other obscure characters and weave an ensemble adventure even people who watch The View buy tickets to see?
Marvel blatantly rejected a model that many student affairs professionals, fraternity and sorority leaders, and alumni wield like Thor’s hammer. It’s a theory supported by Greek Weeks everywhere, by joint recruitment events and homecoming parades that present fraternities as a collective body of awesome. It’s the base assumption we’ve all made: Presenting a united front, a collaborative face to those who don’t know us, means they’ll see how cool we are.
Wake up, we’re wrong.
It’s important to remember that The Avengers, with its ensemble cast of geniuses, berserkers, primadonnas and egotists, was not the first movie ever launched with these characters. Before it, Marvel slowly and carefully introduced each character in their very own movie, one by one. Presented with the origin of a single character, we were able to carefully digest their flaws, insecurities, character, and strengths. We were confronted with both the good and bad, up close and personal.
And what effect did it have? We loved it. Even though we might resent the ego, the rage, and the recklessness, we saw vulnerability and humanity. We saw people doing the impossible because of belief. We saw the values that each character holds dear in a unique, intimate way.
And by the time Marvel decided to say, “Surprise! All of these heroes are part of a mega team,” we said, “Yes, please. That’s awesome.”
If you’re skeptical, ask yourself this: Do you find it easier to introduce yourself to a crowd or a single person?
We thought so.
Like Marvel, we need to realize that presenting a mix of semi-confused, sometimes values-driven or abrasive personalities to the masses all at once is confusing. How are they supposed to easily digest what we all stand for as a community when it takes tons of focus just to figure out what the heck one of us is talking about?
It all comes down to sharing the message of our founders in an intentional and meaningful way, without rushing into collaboration for its own sake. Instead of asking your entire community to reach out to all of non-Greeks at once, consider understanding the strengths each of your chapters and individual community members bring to the table.
Suggest that your members or organizations who get scholarship reach out to those in the community who are invested in it, such as faculty members, or parents. Delegate tasks like residence hall move-ins and meet-and-greets to those individuals who are warm, honest, and genuine. If a chapter doesn’t register for your Greek-wide service event where you partnered with other campus associations, don’t fret: You are better off without sending a confusing signal about our commitment to our community.
Basically, we’re saying let your Iron Mans, Black Widows, and Hulks do what they do bet best first, and then resolve to show how those individual strengths support one another.
We’re not here to discuss green meatheads or gods of thunder, but the way the masterminds at Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures persuaded a national audience to love characters most people who don’t own pocket protectors had no clue about five years ago. We’re talking about building brand familiarity. About cultivating trust.
So how did they do it? How did they take a few well known and several other obscure characters and weave an ensemble adventure even people who watch The View buy tickets to see?
Marvel blatantly rejected a model that many student affairs professionals, fraternity and sorority leaders, and alumni wield like Thor’s hammer. It’s a theory supported by Greek Weeks everywhere, by joint recruitment events and homecoming parades that present fraternities as a collective body of awesome. It’s the base assumption we’ve all made: Presenting a united front, a collaborative face to those who don’t know us, means they’ll see how cool we are.
Wake up, we’re wrong.
It’s important to remember that The Avengers, with its ensemble cast of geniuses, berserkers, primadonnas and egotists, was not the first movie ever launched with these characters. Before it, Marvel slowly and carefully introduced each character in their very own movie, one by one. Presented with the origin of a single character, we were able to carefully digest their flaws, insecurities, character, and strengths. We were confronted with both the good and bad, up close and personal.
And what effect did it have? We loved it. Even though we might resent the ego, the rage, and the recklessness, we saw vulnerability and humanity. We saw people doing the impossible because of belief. We saw the values that each character holds dear in a unique, intimate way.
And by the time Marvel decided to say, “Surprise! All of these heroes are part of a mega team,” we said, “Yes, please. That’s awesome.”
If you’re skeptical, ask yourself this: Do you find it easier to introduce yourself to a crowd or a single person?
We thought so.
Like Marvel, we need to realize that presenting a mix of semi-confused, sometimes values-driven or abrasive personalities to the masses all at once is confusing. How are they supposed to easily digest what we all stand for as a community when it takes tons of focus just to figure out what the heck one of us is talking about?
It all comes down to sharing the message of our founders in an intentional and meaningful way, without rushing into collaboration for its own sake. Instead of asking your entire community to reach out to all of non-Greeks at once, consider understanding the strengths each of your chapters and individual community members bring to the table.
Suggest that your members or organizations who get scholarship reach out to those in the community who are invested in it, such as faculty members, or parents. Delegate tasks like residence hall move-ins and meet-and-greets to those individuals who are warm, honest, and genuine. If a chapter doesn’t register for your Greek-wide service event where you partnered with other campus associations, don’t fret: You are better off without sending a confusing signal about our commitment to our community.
Basically, we’re saying let your Iron Mans, Black Widows, and Hulks do what they do bet best first, and then resolve to show how those individual strengths support one another.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Values-Based? Or Just Hypocrites?
“We are hard pressed to find a setting where the risk of an alcohol related injury is more likely than from underage drinking at a university fraternity party the first week of the new college year.”
Ouch.
Many have been sharing the link to this article that was recently published in The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Chronicle is kind of a big deal. To put it mildly, a lot of people read it.
We’ve been doing a lot of posting about hazing lately and while this article makes us think about the topic further, we’re almost more interested in the tales of hypocrisy this brings to light. Not that it’s the first time we’ve ever thought of it, but – let’s be honest - it hits the tiniest bit harder when a giant news icon brings it to light.
Consider this:
We’ve all been involved in conversations about integrity: the concept of doing what we say we will do. There are many things wrong with the events noted above – and others like them – but what if we simply had integrity. We see two options:
What if we did option two? What would that look like? Instead of what’s currently in the first column maybe there would be statements like this:
University of Florida Sorority/Fraternity Affairs’ website would read, “Some of our chapters haze. We think it's wrong, but that's the reality that you should know. If you join, you may or may not be paddled to the point of being assaulted.”
Cornell’s Office of Greek Life website might read, “Here’s the deal: A large majority of our chapters are good, but some haze. Some haze so badly they’ve killed people in the past. Just putting it out there.”
Penn State’s website for the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life might include, “We don’t endorse little sister groups, but they’re out there. Watch out, many of them haze pretty badly. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”
And Radford? Oh, Radford. Maybe they’d just say this: “Yes, some of our chapters haze. If you’re hazed, you’ll more likely be made to drink yourself to death than be beaten up or forced to swim in a pool of vomit.”
It sounds kind of ridiculous, right? Who would publish these kinds of statements? You know what's even more ridiculous than these statements? THE FACT THAT THEY'RE TRUE.
Think about it. What activities does your chapter or community engage in that you would never admit? If you did admit it, how would the headline read? How embarrassing is it?
Ouch.
Many have been sharing the link to this article that was recently published in The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Chronicle is kind of a big deal. To put it mildly, a lot of people read it.
We’ve been doing a lot of posting about hazing lately and while this article makes us think about the topic further, we’re almost more interested in the tales of hypocrisy this brings to light. Not that it’s the first time we’ve ever thought of it, but – let’s be honest - it hits the tiniest bit harder when a giant news icon brings it to light.
Consider this:
| What is Said | What is Real |
|---|---|
| The University of Florida Office of Sorority/Fraternity Affairs’ FAQ list includes: “What are the rules regarding hazing?” The response includes: “Hazing is contrary to the purposes of the Florida Greek community and the University of Florida.” | Nine members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. were recently charged with paddling five pledges and hitting them in the chest during a hazing ritual known as “thunderslaps.” |
| Cornell’s Office of Greek Life website reads, “Cornell’s Greek Community is among the best in the nation. There is no better example of student organizations that work to enhance their members’ collegiate experience.” | Complaints of hazing were increased from 15 in 2006/2007 to 31 in 2009/2010. One alleged incident involving George Desdunes resulted in his death. |
| Penn State’s website for the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life reads, “Building lifelong friendships thorough collaborative and meaningful relationships is a key component to the fraternal experience at Penn State.” | “Little sisters” were allegedly tortured and beaten by older members of an auxiliary group associated with Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. So badly beaten the women required treatment at a hospital. |
| The mission statement of the Radford University fraternity/sorority community includes, “The Greek community of Radford University will aspire to the high ideals, tenants, and traditions of the founders of their respective organizations by instilling amongst its members the true meaning of brotherhood and sisterhood…” | Members of Tau Kappa Epsilon allegedly forced pledge, Samuel Mason, to drink an entire bottle of alcohol resulting in a .48 Blood-alcohol level and his death. |
We’ve all been involved in conversations about integrity: the concept of doing what we say we will do. There are many things wrong with the events noted above – and others like them – but what if we simply had integrity. We see two options:
- We stop hazing, misusing alcohol, killing people, and so forth.
- We continue to haze, misuse alcohol, kill people, and so forth but just own up to the fact that we sometimes do it.
What if we did option two? What would that look like? Instead of what’s currently in the first column maybe there would be statements like this:
University of Florida Sorority/Fraternity Affairs’ website would read, “Some of our chapters haze. We think it's wrong, but that's the reality that you should know. If you join, you may or may not be paddled to the point of being assaulted.”
Cornell’s Office of Greek Life website might read, “Here’s the deal: A large majority of our chapters are good, but some haze. Some haze so badly they’ve killed people in the past. Just putting it out there.”
Penn State’s website for the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life might include, “We don’t endorse little sister groups, but they’re out there. Watch out, many of them haze pretty badly. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”
And Radford? Oh, Radford. Maybe they’d just say this: “Yes, some of our chapters haze. If you’re hazed, you’ll more likely be made to drink yourself to death than be beaten up or forced to swim in a pool of vomit.”
It sounds kind of ridiculous, right? Who would publish these kinds of statements? You know what's even more ridiculous than these statements? THE FACT THAT THEY'RE TRUE.
Think about it. What activities does your chapter or community engage in that you would never admit? If you did admit it, how would the headline read? How embarrassing is it?
Monday, April 23, 2012
Who hazes? Jerks, that's who.
Once again, we’re beside ourselves.
The Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter at Boston University, albeit unrecognized by the university, was busted when police found five nearly naked men shivering in the fraternity house basement beaten and covered in condiments, flour, and coffee grounds.
We’re really mad. We were really mad a few weeks ago when we posted about the Dartmouth incident.
But, this article also makes us really sad. The police reports read, “All five were shivering and had horrified and fearful looks on their faces. They were tied together via duct tape wrist to wrist to form a human chain. [One] officer asked if they were alright and got no verbal answer. [One] victim looked right at [the] officer and with tears coming down his face shook head from right to left and back indicating no.”
WHO DOES THIS TO PEOPLE?! (Look, we’re yelling now.) Who takes a friend, a BROTHER, by the hand, puts duct tape on his near-naked body, screams and yells at him, covers him with horrible things, BEATS HIM, and then later tells him, “We love you, you’re a brother, you’re one of us… blah blah blah.”
If five women were found in a man’s home in this same situation, communities would be livid and in an uproar. It would be national, stop-what-you’re-doing-and-turn-on-the-television news. From what we can tell, no one has even been arrested so far. If a spouse did this to his or her partner, people would be keeled over in agony thinking about the horrors of domestic violence.
But this is relationship violence, too, people. It’s really no different. If you know anything about relationship violence, you’ve heard of the Cycle of Violence.
The cycle starts with tension building. The victim knows something is coming; they can just feel it in the air.
“Let’s go down to the basement, pledges.”
Then the violent incident occurs.
“Look what you’re making me do!”
Then, in comes the Honeymoon Period. Usually the perpetrator apologizes, tells their victim they love them, and minimizes the abuse – or denies it happened altogether.
“We love each other. Don’t worry, we’ve all been through this. Brotherhood is a strong and close relationship. We always back each other up. We always look out for each other.”
It’s a cycle, so it happens again and again. And again.
Who does this, you ask? Who would be so cruel, hateful, and abusive to someone they love? Hmmm, that’s a great question; we were just wondering the exact same thing.
Is there a double standard? Do people actually think it’s okay to beat some people but not others?
“[It] seems like torturing and it’s just beyond the limits.” One interviewed neighbor indicated.
Um, yes.
Another neighbor stated, “I’m not surprised but it’s definitely unfortunate.”
Yes, unfortunate is one word that comes to mind, although – quite frankly - we were thinking of some others.
Alpha Epsilon Pi has since closed this chapter. Their website reads, “Any members found responsible for participating in any actions contrary to our risk management guidelines will be expelled. We also intend to fully cooperate with all authorities and investigations.”
The Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter at Boston University, albeit unrecognized by the university, was busted when police found five nearly naked men shivering in the fraternity house basement beaten and covered in condiments, flour, and coffee grounds.
We’re really mad. We were really mad a few weeks ago when we posted about the Dartmouth incident.
But, this article also makes us really sad. The police reports read, “All five were shivering and had horrified and fearful looks on their faces. They were tied together via duct tape wrist to wrist to form a human chain. [One] officer asked if they were alright and got no verbal answer. [One] victim looked right at [the] officer and with tears coming down his face shook head from right to left and back indicating no.”
WHO DOES THIS TO PEOPLE?! (Look, we’re yelling now.) Who takes a friend, a BROTHER, by the hand, puts duct tape on his near-naked body, screams and yells at him, covers him with horrible things, BEATS HIM, and then later tells him, “We love you, you’re a brother, you’re one of us… blah blah blah.”
If five women were found in a man’s home in this same situation, communities would be livid and in an uproar. It would be national, stop-what-you’re-doing-and-turn-on-the-television news. From what we can tell, no one has even been arrested so far. If a spouse did this to his or her partner, people would be keeled over in agony thinking about the horrors of domestic violence.
But this is relationship violence, too, people. It’s really no different. If you know anything about relationship violence, you’ve heard of the Cycle of Violence.
The cycle starts with tension building. The victim knows something is coming; they can just feel it in the air.
“Let’s go down to the basement, pledges.”
Then the violent incident occurs.
“Look what you’re making me do!”
Then, in comes the Honeymoon Period. Usually the perpetrator apologizes, tells their victim they love them, and minimizes the abuse – or denies it happened altogether.
“We love each other. Don’t worry, we’ve all been through this. Brotherhood is a strong and close relationship. We always back each other up. We always look out for each other.”
It’s a cycle, so it happens again and again. And again.
Who does this, you ask? Who would be so cruel, hateful, and abusive to someone they love? Hmmm, that’s a great question; we were just wondering the exact same thing.
Is there a double standard? Do people actually think it’s okay to beat some people but not others?
“[It] seems like torturing and it’s just beyond the limits.” One interviewed neighbor indicated.
Um, yes.
Another neighbor stated, “I’m not surprised but it’s definitely unfortunate.”
Yes, unfortunate is one word that comes to mind, although – quite frankly - we were thinking of some others.
Alpha Epsilon Pi has since closed this chapter. Their website reads, “Any members found responsible for participating in any actions contrary to our risk management guidelines will be expelled. We also intend to fully cooperate with all authorities and investigations.”
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
We Heart Our Volunteers
AFLV has a small staff, but we’re able to produce and run numerous events, programs, and services. This is because of our volunteers.
Fraternities and sororities have many common values; one is service to the community. Initially, most of us understand this value as serving the underrepresented and/or underprivileged. We build houses on immersion trips and with Habitat for Humanity, we volunteer at women’s shelters, we collect food for our local food bank, and so forth. When we graduate, we hope fraternity and sorority members will continue this service in one way or another.
But, perspectives of service shift and change after we graduate. Many professionals add service to their profession to their plate. Lawyers are members of the Bar Association, doctors are members of the American Medical Association, and funeral home directors are members of the National Funeral Home Directors Association.
Those who work in the field of fraternity and sorority life have lots of options for professional development: The Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, the Fraternity Executives Association, the Fraternity Communications Association, and more. Not to mention all the options that fall within the realm of campus-based professionals’ work: ACPA, NASPA, ACUI… the list goes on and on.
AFLV has deep gratitude for those who choose to volunteer and help to run our association. Without our volunteer conference staff, Connections editorial board, awards and assessment judges, Board of Directors, and other committees, we would simply not be able to provide the events, programs, and services that we do.
Thank you. THANK YOU. We thank all who have ever given their time to our association.
If you would like to be a part of this volunteer team, please let us know about your interests.
The more the merrier; that’s what we always say!
Fraternities and sororities have many common values; one is service to the community. Initially, most of us understand this value as serving the underrepresented and/or underprivileged. We build houses on immersion trips and with Habitat for Humanity, we volunteer at women’s shelters, we collect food for our local food bank, and so forth. When we graduate, we hope fraternity and sorority members will continue this service in one way or another.
But, perspectives of service shift and change after we graduate. Many professionals add service to their profession to their plate. Lawyers are members of the Bar Association, doctors are members of the American Medical Association, and funeral home directors are members of the National Funeral Home Directors Association.
Those who work in the field of fraternity and sorority life have lots of options for professional development: The Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, the Fraternity Executives Association, the Fraternity Communications Association, and more. Not to mention all the options that fall within the realm of campus-based professionals’ work: ACPA, NASPA, ACUI… the list goes on and on.
AFLV has deep gratitude for those who choose to volunteer and help to run our association. Without our volunteer conference staff, Connections editorial board, awards and assessment judges, Board of Directors, and other committees, we would simply not be able to provide the events, programs, and services that we do.
Thank you. THANK YOU. We thank all who have ever given their time to our association.
If you would like to be a part of this volunteer team, please let us know about your interests.
The more the merrier; that’s what we always say!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Where is the line?
Have you read this? This article, Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy: Inside Dartmouth's Hazing Abuses, was recently published in Rolling Stone magazine. We just got done reading it.
To be frank, we're livid.
Where is the line?
When is that point where you get up, head for the door, and say "Sorry, this is not worth it." We think that swimming in a kiddie pool filled with vomit, urine, fecal matter, semen, and rotten food is FOR SURE one of the things we'd walk away from. In fact, we'd even slam the door on the way out.
Ick. Gross. Shame on you, hazers.
Obviously, we're huge advocates of fraternal life. Look, we do it for a living. Lots of people do. But this, my friends, is not okay. There are a lots of reasons to join a fraternity or sorority. Heck, we've even made a list of some of the best ones. But this. This? This is not one of those reasons.
Those of you who are poo-pooing Sigma Alpha Epsilon specifically, just you hang on a minute. Obviously it's horrible. Those chapter members are horrible. But, if any headquarters or university staff member knew about this, if any member of the Dartmouth fraternity/sorority community knew about this, if any student on campus knew about this, if any member's roommate knew about this, if any parent or family member knew about this and failed to act they should be poo-pooed, as well.
We (kind of) get hazing. By "get it," we mean that we can understand the pressure to do something you wouldn't normally do - or feel uncomfortable doing - for the sake of belonging. We can all think of a time we've done something to belong... whether it was to join our fraternity/sorority, to avoid an argument with a friend, or just to fit in.
This doesn't mean that it's okay. It means that life is filled with lessons and opportunities to challenge what is right, to stand up for yourself and others, and to do the right thing despite the fact that it can be very (very) difficult.
So, where is the line? What would you never, ever do? At what point do you stand up for yourself - and in this case for your pledge brothers/sisters - and say, "no, this is wrong and we're not going to do it."
MORE IMPORTANTLY, when does that happen to the initiated/active member who is standing there watching other people - friends, BROTHERS - swim in vomit and urine stop to say, "No. Enough. This is wrong and I won't stand here and watch it happen."
This, my friends, is bystander behavior.
To be frank, we're livid.
When is that point where you get up, head for the door, and say "Sorry, this is not worth it." We think that swimming in a kiddie pool filled with vomit, urine, fecal matter, semen, and rotten food is FOR SURE one of the things we'd walk away from. In fact, we'd even slam the door on the way out.
Ick. Gross. Shame on you, hazers.
Obviously, we're huge advocates of fraternal life. Look, we do it for a living. Lots of people do. But this, my friends, is not okay. There are a lots of reasons to join a fraternity or sorority. Heck, we've even made a list of some of the best ones. But this. This? This is not one of those reasons.
Those of you who are poo-pooing Sigma Alpha Epsilon specifically, just you hang on a minute. Obviously it's horrible. Those chapter members are horrible. But, if any headquarters or university staff member knew about this, if any member of the Dartmouth fraternity/sorority community knew about this, if any student on campus knew about this, if any member's roommate knew about this, if any parent or family member knew about this and failed to act they should be poo-pooed, as well.
We (kind of) get hazing. By "get it," we mean that we can understand the pressure to do something you wouldn't normally do - or feel uncomfortable doing - for the sake of belonging. We can all think of a time we've done something to belong... whether it was to join our fraternity/sorority, to avoid an argument with a friend, or just to fit in.
This doesn't mean that it's okay. It means that life is filled with lessons and opportunities to challenge what is right, to stand up for yourself and others, and to do the right thing despite the fact that it can be very (very) difficult.
So, where is the line? What would you never, ever do? At what point do you stand up for yourself - and in this case for your pledge brothers/sisters - and say, "no, this is wrong and we're not going to do it."
MORE IMPORTANTLY, when does that happen to the initiated/active member who is standing there watching other people - friends, BROTHERS - swim in vomit and urine stop to say, "No. Enough. This is wrong and I won't stand here and watch it happen."
This, my friends, is bystander behavior.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Why Greeks for Good? Issues Within Greek Philanthropy That Have Led to the Development of the Program
Written By Steve Good, Founder of GrassrootGive
Philanthropy. The term is one that you’ll hear over and over when you to talk to members of fraternal organizations around the world. It is a term that has become synonymous with Greek life, and it is a feather in our caps when we discuss what we do to non-members.
Our favorite definition of the term is as follows:
Philanthropy is about giving of yourself. All you have to do is care about something – an organization, a cause or a mission – and give something of yourself to support something that has touched your heart.
As mentioned, philanthropy is something we do. But could we do it better? This past summer, Mark Koepsell and I began a conversation about Greek philanthropy that covered such questions as “Why do we do it?”, “What are the issues?”and “What could we do to solve the issues?”
Personally, I had fallen in love with the power of grassroots fundraising through the development of Phi Delta Theta’s Iron Phi program and had recently created GrassrootGive to bring grassroots fundraising to other non-profits. Mark, being the Executive Director at the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values, an organization that prides itself on being the showcase for cutting-edge fraternity/sorority programming, technology, thinking, and concepts, offered community-wide thinking about how to address the subject on a larger scale. It was through the progression of these conversations that we decided to commit ourselves to tackling the issues within Greek philanthropy that are present. With the gracious commitment of the AFLV board, the Greeks for Good concept was created.
Concepts are great, but all of us involved knew that the development of the program had to begin with the question “Why?” This one-word question first led to the development of the top five issues within Greek philanthropy.
1. Having charities of choice but not putting anything behind developing these relationships.
99% of our fraternal organizations have named partner charities for their members to support. The concept is a great one but only if our organizations are committing time, resources and energy to develop these relationships. The reality of the situation is that most of our organizations are not doing this or could do better. One has to believe that the reason for this comes down to business decisions. While it’s great that our members are supporting our partner charities, leaders of our organizations have to ask the question, “How does this enhance our mission AND our bottom line.” If that question can’t be answered positively, the business decision is made to not spend time, resources and energy to enhance these relationships.
2. Trying to convince our members about what they should care about rather than understanding what causes are important to our members.
One of the downfalls to naming a partner charity for our organizations is that it immediately turns away our members who would rather support a different cause because of a personal connection in their lives. For example, an individual who has lost a parent to cancer may not have the desire to support a non-cancer-related cause that his/her organization has deemed its partner cause. By naming a partner cause, we’re turning off a large percentage of our membership bases.
3. Not understanding philanthropy, the cause that we’re trying to support and how it affects others.
No matter what causes our members are supporting, we have a great deal of work to do to educate our members about the cause and why they are supporting it. Do this: Ask a group of your members about philanthropy on your campus, within your organization, within their chapter, or in their personal lives. Nine out of 10 responses will result in these members talking about a philanthropy event rather than the cause or the outcomes of their fundraising efforts. This is a problem. To most of our members, philanthropy has become an event or a requirement for other things rather than a solution to the world’s problems. To solve this problem, we must educate our members about philanthropy in general as well as the causes they are supporting. Events can become the platform to make that connection, but many times the connection is left out. It’s like recruitment; events themselves do nothing to recruit new members. The connections made at these events are what brings in new members.
4. Non-effective fundraising for causes. Heavy expenses.
Many of our fundraising practices are archaic. The number one issue is that some practices are not modernized to the way our members communicate. If you’re not fundraising through a web-based tool, you’re missing out. In 2001, 4% of people gave online. In 2011, it was 65%. If you’re not capturing the power of social media, you’re missing out. Social media is creating “free agents” or people who want to raise funds outside of the 501c3 domain. It’s given each of us a voice to scream what we are passionate about and show others that we have an identity of “social good.” If the organizations that they are passionate about are not providing an opportunity for them to raise funds, they will go elsewhere. Now, I’m not saying that traditional approaches must be left behind, rather, a well-rounded plan that includes many mediums is the best route. The benefit to web-based fundraising practices is that they are affordable and keep expenses down. Lower expenses result in more dollars that can be applied to outcomes that help further the cause.
5. We ask our members to give, but we don’t relinquish control and ask our members to raise funds for our missions.
Our organizations’ fundraising efforts should not be limited to how many paid fundraisers we have on our staffs. We all have thousands of members who love our missions. Why aren’t we equipping these members with a tool that allows them to show their pride? Doing so results in a very large fundraising staff and a larger pool of potential donors (the networks of our members). Many organizations are afraid to ask their members to raise money for them. Why? Members want to give. We polled 200 students at a recent AFLV conference and asked, “Would you raise money for both a cause of choice AND your fraternal organization if you were given the opportunity?” 77% of these students said yes! Only 23% said they would only want to raise money for an outside cause. Simply put, allowing our members to raise money for us in conjunction with an outside cause helps us strengthen our organizations, which in turn will help us strengthen our outside causes.
So how will Greeks for Good solve these issues?
1. Having charities of choice but not putting anything behind developing these relationships.
Two of the first goals listed for the program are to: 1) Strengthen the relationships between fraternal organizations and their philanthropic partners and 2) Raise money and support for the missions of fraternity and sorority foundations and their partner charities. Simply put, we want to help our fraternal organizations strengthen the relationships with partner causes. We understand the limitations of time and resources within your organizations or communities. That’s why we want to help build your external fundraising core. We’ll do this by mobilizing more of our members to raise funds for our causes as well as our organizations. Remember, stronger organizations mean stronger relationships with our causes.
2. Trying to convince our members about what they should care about rather than understanding what causes are important to our members.
We provide options for members to raise money for a variety of causes, but we’ll also give every individual the opportunity to raise 50% of their funds for their fraternal organization’s foundation. If an individual interacts with the main Greeks for Good fundraising platform, s/he will have the opportunity to raise funds for a plethora of causes. If an individual interacts with Greeks for Good through a campus-sponsored sub-platform, s/he will have the opportunity to select from a list of causes supported by fraternal organizations on that campus. If an individual interacts with Greeks for Good through a fraternal organization-sponsored sub-platform, s/he will have the opportunity to raise funds for his/her fraternal organization’s foundation and its partner cause. We want to provide every participant with the opportunity to raise funds for a cause that is important to him/her.
3. Not understanding philanthropy, the cause that we’re trying to support and how it affects others.
At the heart of Greeks for Good is philanthropy education. We want to teach members of fraternal organizations what it means to be philanthropic, why it’s important and how our organizations and their causes rely on philanthropic support. We’ll do this through self-guided curriculum that is built into the program. As participants reach fundraising milestones, they will be fed email-based curriculum that teaches them about philanthropy and challenges them to complete exercises that will help process the education. Through campus-sponsored sub-platforms (their own Greeks for Good fundraising website), campuses will have the opportunity to tailor pieces of the curriculum. For example, we could teach your students about why it’s important to give to your school’s foundation. Through fraternal organization-sponsored sub-platforms (their own Greeks for Good fundraising website) we’ll customize the curriculum to help an organization’s members learn about what its foundation does and why it’s important to support it.
4. We ask our members to give, but we don’t relinquish control and ask our members to raise funds for our missions.
Greeks for Good is grassroots fundraising. Grassroots fundraising allows the masses to raise funds for what they’re passionate about. It will enlarge fundraising staffs, enhance a campus’s philanthropic activity, and open doors to new donor pools. More than 80% of donors reached through participants will be first-time donors to the cause and the organization that the participant is supporting. It will free up time and resources for your campus or organization to tackle other issues.
5. Non-effective fundraising for causes. Heavy expenses.
Greeks for Good will provide a web-based, social media equipped platform that is cost effective. Every participant will be given a personal fundraising page to tell his/her story and to discuss the causes that he/she is supporting. Individuals will raise funds while completing personal athletic goals, in conjunction with individual or group philanthropy events, or by setting up tribute pages that allow the individual to celebrate others through memorials, dedications, anniversaries, or by giving up birthday gifts. Individuals will also have the opportunity to raise funds to support their attendance at an AFLV service immersion experience. Participants will be able to upload contacts, send emails, facilitate donations, track donations, thank donors, share their progress via Facebook and Twitter and see how their efforts are comparing to their peers. They will receive incentives as they reach fundraising milestones.
AFLV and GrassrootGive do not benefit from donations through the system. 5.5 cents of the dollar go to our software provider that powers the system and ~2.2 cents of the dollar is taken to process credit card gifts. AFLV and GrassrootGive revenues are through participation fees. Individuals who interact with the main Greeks for Good platform are charged $5 to participate. We’ll refund that amount if the individual raises $300. For a campus to create a Greeks for Good sub-platform (their own Greeks for Good fundraising website), the cost is $1.50 per Greek student within its community (minimum cost of $2,500 and maximum cost of $5,000). The first five to join us will get a rate of $1.00 per Greek student ($2,500 minimum cost). For a fraternal foundation to create a Greeks for Good sub-platform (their own Greeks for Good fundraising website), the cost is $1.00 per undergraduate member within the organization (minimum cost of $5,000 and maximum costs of $10,000). The first five to join us will get a rate of $.75 per undergraduate member ($5,000 minimum cost). Included in this fee is the ability for alumni and alumnae to participate as well.
We’re very excited about the potential that Greeks for Good has. We truly believe that we’ll be able to address the key issues that are present within Greek philanthropy. In turn, we’ll create stronger fraternal organizations, stronger relationships with our causes, loyalty from our membership bases, a greater number of philanthropists and many opportunities to do good.
Philanthropy. The term is one that you’ll hear over and over when you to talk to members of fraternal organizations around the world. It is a term that has become synonymous with Greek life, and it is a feather in our caps when we discuss what we do to non-members.
Our favorite definition of the term is as follows:
Philanthropy is about giving of yourself. All you have to do is care about something – an organization, a cause or a mission – and give something of yourself to support something that has touched your heart.
As mentioned, philanthropy is something we do. But could we do it better? This past summer, Mark Koepsell and I began a conversation about Greek philanthropy that covered such questions as “Why do we do it?”, “What are the issues?”and “What could we do to solve the issues?”
Personally, I had fallen in love with the power of grassroots fundraising through the development of Phi Delta Theta’s Iron Phi program and had recently created GrassrootGive to bring grassroots fundraising to other non-profits. Mark, being the Executive Director at the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values, an organization that prides itself on being the showcase for cutting-edge fraternity/sorority programming, technology, thinking, and concepts, offered community-wide thinking about how to address the subject on a larger scale. It was through the progression of these conversations that we decided to commit ourselves to tackling the issues within Greek philanthropy that are present. With the gracious commitment of the AFLV board, the Greeks for Good concept was created.
Concepts are great, but all of us involved knew that the development of the program had to begin with the question “Why?” This one-word question first led to the development of the top five issues within Greek philanthropy.
1. Having charities of choice but not putting anything behind developing these relationships.
99% of our fraternal organizations have named partner charities for their members to support. The concept is a great one but only if our organizations are committing time, resources and energy to develop these relationships. The reality of the situation is that most of our organizations are not doing this or could do better. One has to believe that the reason for this comes down to business decisions. While it’s great that our members are supporting our partner charities, leaders of our organizations have to ask the question, “How does this enhance our mission AND our bottom line.” If that question can’t be answered positively, the business decision is made to not spend time, resources and energy to enhance these relationships.
2. Trying to convince our members about what they should care about rather than understanding what causes are important to our members.
One of the downfalls to naming a partner charity for our organizations is that it immediately turns away our members who would rather support a different cause because of a personal connection in their lives. For example, an individual who has lost a parent to cancer may not have the desire to support a non-cancer-related cause that his/her organization has deemed its partner cause. By naming a partner cause, we’re turning off a large percentage of our membership bases.
3. Not understanding philanthropy, the cause that we’re trying to support and how it affects others.
No matter what causes our members are supporting, we have a great deal of work to do to educate our members about the cause and why they are supporting it. Do this: Ask a group of your members about philanthropy on your campus, within your organization, within their chapter, or in their personal lives. Nine out of 10 responses will result in these members talking about a philanthropy event rather than the cause or the outcomes of their fundraising efforts. This is a problem. To most of our members, philanthropy has become an event or a requirement for other things rather than a solution to the world’s problems. To solve this problem, we must educate our members about philanthropy in general as well as the causes they are supporting. Events can become the platform to make that connection, but many times the connection is left out. It’s like recruitment; events themselves do nothing to recruit new members. The connections made at these events are what brings in new members.
4. Non-effective fundraising for causes. Heavy expenses.
Many of our fundraising practices are archaic. The number one issue is that some practices are not modernized to the way our members communicate. If you’re not fundraising through a web-based tool, you’re missing out. In 2001, 4% of people gave online. In 2011, it was 65%. If you’re not capturing the power of social media, you’re missing out. Social media is creating “free agents” or people who want to raise funds outside of the 501c3 domain. It’s given each of us a voice to scream what we are passionate about and show others that we have an identity of “social good.” If the organizations that they are passionate about are not providing an opportunity for them to raise funds, they will go elsewhere. Now, I’m not saying that traditional approaches must be left behind, rather, a well-rounded plan that includes many mediums is the best route. The benefit to web-based fundraising practices is that they are affordable and keep expenses down. Lower expenses result in more dollars that can be applied to outcomes that help further the cause.
5. We ask our members to give, but we don’t relinquish control and ask our members to raise funds for our missions.
Our organizations’ fundraising efforts should not be limited to how many paid fundraisers we have on our staffs. We all have thousands of members who love our missions. Why aren’t we equipping these members with a tool that allows them to show their pride? Doing so results in a very large fundraising staff and a larger pool of potential donors (the networks of our members). Many organizations are afraid to ask their members to raise money for them. Why? Members want to give. We polled 200 students at a recent AFLV conference and asked, “Would you raise money for both a cause of choice AND your fraternal organization if you were given the opportunity?” 77% of these students said yes! Only 23% said they would only want to raise money for an outside cause. Simply put, allowing our members to raise money for us in conjunction with an outside cause helps us strengthen our organizations, which in turn will help us strengthen our outside causes.
So how will Greeks for Good solve these issues?
1. Having charities of choice but not putting anything behind developing these relationships.
Two of the first goals listed for the program are to: 1) Strengthen the relationships between fraternal organizations and their philanthropic partners and 2) Raise money and support for the missions of fraternity and sorority foundations and their partner charities. Simply put, we want to help our fraternal organizations strengthen the relationships with partner causes. We understand the limitations of time and resources within your organizations or communities. That’s why we want to help build your external fundraising core. We’ll do this by mobilizing more of our members to raise funds for our causes as well as our organizations. Remember, stronger organizations mean stronger relationships with our causes.
2. Trying to convince our members about what they should care about rather than understanding what causes are important to our members.
We provide options for members to raise money for a variety of causes, but we’ll also give every individual the opportunity to raise 50% of their funds for their fraternal organization’s foundation. If an individual interacts with the main Greeks for Good fundraising platform, s/he will have the opportunity to raise funds for a plethora of causes. If an individual interacts with Greeks for Good through a campus-sponsored sub-platform, s/he will have the opportunity to select from a list of causes supported by fraternal organizations on that campus. If an individual interacts with Greeks for Good through a fraternal organization-sponsored sub-platform, s/he will have the opportunity to raise funds for his/her fraternal organization’s foundation and its partner cause. We want to provide every participant with the opportunity to raise funds for a cause that is important to him/her.
3. Not understanding philanthropy, the cause that we’re trying to support and how it affects others.
At the heart of Greeks for Good is philanthropy education. We want to teach members of fraternal organizations what it means to be philanthropic, why it’s important and how our organizations and their causes rely on philanthropic support. We’ll do this through self-guided curriculum that is built into the program. As participants reach fundraising milestones, they will be fed email-based curriculum that teaches them about philanthropy and challenges them to complete exercises that will help process the education. Through campus-sponsored sub-platforms (their own Greeks for Good fundraising website), campuses will have the opportunity to tailor pieces of the curriculum. For example, we could teach your students about why it’s important to give to your school’s foundation. Through fraternal organization-sponsored sub-platforms (their own Greeks for Good fundraising website) we’ll customize the curriculum to help an organization’s members learn about what its foundation does and why it’s important to support it.
4. We ask our members to give, but we don’t relinquish control and ask our members to raise funds for our missions.
Greeks for Good is grassroots fundraising. Grassroots fundraising allows the masses to raise funds for what they’re passionate about. It will enlarge fundraising staffs, enhance a campus’s philanthropic activity, and open doors to new donor pools. More than 80% of donors reached through participants will be first-time donors to the cause and the organization that the participant is supporting. It will free up time and resources for your campus or organization to tackle other issues.
5. Non-effective fundraising for causes. Heavy expenses.
Greeks for Good will provide a web-based, social media equipped platform that is cost effective. Every participant will be given a personal fundraising page to tell his/her story and to discuss the causes that he/she is supporting. Individuals will raise funds while completing personal athletic goals, in conjunction with individual or group philanthropy events, or by setting up tribute pages that allow the individual to celebrate others through memorials, dedications, anniversaries, or by giving up birthday gifts. Individuals will also have the opportunity to raise funds to support their attendance at an AFLV service immersion experience. Participants will be able to upload contacts, send emails, facilitate donations, track donations, thank donors, share their progress via Facebook and Twitter and see how their efforts are comparing to their peers. They will receive incentives as they reach fundraising milestones.
AFLV and GrassrootGive do not benefit from donations through the system. 5.5 cents of the dollar go to our software provider that powers the system and ~2.2 cents of the dollar is taken to process credit card gifts. AFLV and GrassrootGive revenues are through participation fees. Individuals who interact with the main Greeks for Good platform are charged $5 to participate. We’ll refund that amount if the individual raises $300. For a campus to create a Greeks for Good sub-platform (their own Greeks for Good fundraising website), the cost is $1.50 per Greek student within its community (minimum cost of $2,500 and maximum cost of $5,000). The first five to join us will get a rate of $1.00 per Greek student ($2,500 minimum cost). For a fraternal foundation to create a Greeks for Good sub-platform (their own Greeks for Good fundraising website), the cost is $1.00 per undergraduate member within the organization (minimum cost of $5,000 and maximum costs of $10,000). The first five to join us will get a rate of $.75 per undergraduate member ($5,000 minimum cost). Included in this fee is the ability for alumni and alumnae to participate as well.
We’re very excited about the potential that Greeks for Good has. We truly believe that we’ll be able to address the key issues that are present within Greek philanthropy. In turn, we’ll create stronger fraternal organizations, stronger relationships with our causes, loyalty from our membership bases, a greater number of philanthropists and many opportunities to do good.
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