What does your chapter do for philanthropy?

Blue Violets · #1 09-19-2003, 01:47 AM

The thread about philanthropy and a signature program got me started.

What does your chapter do for philanthropy, and specifically, the Ronald McDonald House? Do you simply raise money? Or do you do something else?

My sorority has a HUGE fundraiser every year for the RMH.

But what we consider just as, if not more, important, every Monday night of the school year (August to May) a pride cooks dinner for the residents of the RMH. Because we have around 40 girls an alpha class (rush is in January, so we oscillate from w/ juniors studying abroad in the fall about 90 to at our peak of 140 a year with all four classes) basically girls only have to go once a semester.

Our chapter has been doing this for at least the past several years and we are an active part in the life of our local RMH. AND IT IS FUN!

Many chapters I know would LOVE to be able to do something like this--and let me tell you, we're very lucky we have the opportunity. B/c Duke is one of the top children's/research hospitals in the US, the RMH is a big, very nice, very well-used (unfortunately ;( ) house. But also, b/c the Duke undergraduate and medical campuses are intertwined, the RMH is halfway between the freshman and upperclassman dorms--and therefore--on the campus bus route! In fact, I ride by the RMH nearly every day!

What does your chapter do?!

ADPiSAI · #2 09-19-2003, 11:20 AM

One of our best fundraisers ever was a coin drive. We set up in the (building with the mailboxes and bookstore and club offices... blanking out on what non-Bishop's people might call this!), so pretty much everyone at the school has to walk through there every day. On Wednesday of that week, we had a bake sale along with the coin drive. We made a *ton* of stuff, and when I got there for my shift at 12:30, all we had left was a tray of cookies. We made so much money for RMH -- we're doing it again this year!

We also go to a local hospital and decorate the children's wing for various holidays (bonus: making the decorations is used as a COR event!)

We don't have a RMH nearby, otherwise I think we'd do a lot more hands-on type stuff.

nauadpi · #3 09-19-2003, 02:14 PM

Sadly due to the extreme support the Phoenix RHD gets, we get down there very little. Usually they are booked up for every weekend, and since it is a 2 + hour drive we have to do weekends....

But as for our event that we put on, a few years back we started Rock-N-Bowl...it is a bowling contest, and we have a rafel with it...It ends up being pretty fun too...

adpiucf · #4 09-19-2003, 03:32 PM

My chapter used to do a couple of different fundraisers
1) Flag-Football Tournament-- Flaggin Down the Fun
2) Pool Tournament--- ADPi 8-Ball

We also have participated in contests and events where we won money for RMH, and the chapter and area alumnae raised enough money to donate an entire bedroom to the new RMH in Orlando-- there is now an ADPi-decorated room!

My chapter also delivered dinner in prides to the local RMH, helped decorate the house for the winter holidays, and on Valentine's Day would send heart cookies to RMH for distribution to the RMH's sponsors. We also would represent RMH at community events, and volunteered at the RMH. Our alumnae assoc. uses their board room for meetings, as the RMH is a great 1/2 way point for Orlando alumnae on all sides of town.

In LA, UCLA has hosted ADPicnic-- they get a DJ and a ton of food donations. All of the chapters donate their dinner money for a night and come to ADPicnic for dinner and entertainment. This past spring, UCLA hosted a Rock a Thon--- they rocked in rocking chairs on campus for donations and hosted a penny war among the fraternities.

I Spy An ADPi was popular on many campuses, but with the Columbine shootings, 9-11, etc., that event has ceased-- we talked about it during a philanthropy workshop at convention this summer--- b/c of the association with the "spy" word and also-- it really doesn't represent ADPi or RMH--- we want to promote events that sound classy and philanthropic--- so instead of chasing after an ADPi dressed as a red target dot with a water gun, we've gone back and thought about the purposes and names for our events--- because in addition to raising money for RMH, we are also trying to raise awareness of what the RMH is.

adepiash · #5 09-23-2003, 02:48 PM

I'm the Philanthropy chair for the Gamma Mu chapter (Southwest Missouri State University). We have been really excited about the idea of hosting a pool tournament but where did you have yours held??? We don't have any pool tables in our house and we can't go to a pool hall because they serve alcohol...got any ideas???? PLEASE let me know how you got around these problems...thanks!

Pi love and all of mine,
Ashley

adpiucf · #6 09-23-2003, 04:20 PM

Hi ADPiAsh,

We did it back in the days you could have it at a bar--- however, you can also possible work with your campus rec center (if they have pool tables) or see if there is an area arcade or gaming center. Get creative!

Sorry I can't be more help; I am just totally old-school!

ADPiSAI · #7 09-23-2003, 07:11 PM

I just found out that I'm taking over as Philanthropy chair for the rest of the semester! My <> sis has a few positions, and she wanted me to have one because otherwise, I never will.

Anyway, keep the ideas coming ladies! Especially ones that will work for a small chapter located basically in the middle of nowhere...

nauadpi · #8 09-23-2003, 09:00 PM

A really cheep but fun thing to do to raise money is a garage sale...Get parents and sisters to donate stuff they would have given to goodwill or what not...and setup a garage sale...advertise it as the sorority putting it on too...cause people will think that sorority girls have nice stuff for sale...

ADPiSAI · #9 09-28-2003, 06:09 PM

question.

i know that the school where my mom works collects tabs from soda cans and used printer cartridges to raise money for Ronald McDonald House.

does anyone else do this? how does it work?

polarpi · #10 09-28-2003, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ForeverDiamond
question.

i know that the school where my mom works collects tabs from soda cans and used printer cartridges to raise money for Ronald McDonald House.

does anyone else do this? how does it work?

Okay, this is something that my chapter did all the time. The main reason why we collect the tabs rather than the entire can is that there is more concentrated aluminum in the tab than in the can (more aluminum = more $) Usually we would take the tabs we collected to a nearby RMH for them to convert the tabs into money to help with the needs that they had. (If I have any of my information wrong, please correct me...this is how I understood the "pop" tabs)

ADPiSAI · #11 09-28-2003, 10:41 PM

ah, ok! thanks...
my one concern is that we don't have a Ronald McDonald House nearby... could we mail them??

honeychile · #12 09-28-2003, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ForeverDiamond
ah, ok! thanks...
my one concern is that we don't have a Ronald McDonald House nearby... could we mail them??

Maybe you & another chapter could "adopt" a RMH together for this project! Y'all could even get a little competitive and the chapter that collects less tabs could make dinner for the chapter that collects the most (or whatever)!

polarpi · #13 09-29-2003, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ForeverDiamond
ah, ok! thanks...
my one concern is that we don't have a Ronald McDonald House nearby... could we mail them??

I *think* you can mail them....I don't know how often our chapter went to a nearby RMH (we didn't have one that was readily accessible, either), so I'm sure we had to mail tabs to them, as well.

WLFEO · #14 09-29-2003, 02:26 PM

As someone who volunteers a lot at my local RMH, my advice is to call one and ask them what they NEED.

Those pop tabs take a ton (not literally) to make just a little money for them. But, if it's worked right, you could get some good PR on campus if you set up collection containers in different buildings or in key areas (student union) with signs that say, "Alpha Delta Pi Supports the Ronald McDonald House" or whatever- I'm sure you could think of something catchier. My local RMH has little cardboard houses the give out to collect the tabs. Also I've collected them in 2-liter bottles because if you knock it over accidentally they don't all come tumbling out. Local businessnes might let you put them in their break room. Of course make a sign that says Alpha Delta Pi in big letters! Even though those employees aren't going to your campus, they might have sisters, daughters, or friends who do, and they'll have a positive image of ADPi and might encourage their relative/friend to join ADPi in the future.

You can have sisters donate items from the RMH wish list (most RMHs have one they'll give you) to get into a dance or mixer. One year we had everyone bring a children's book to the formal and we had a big display of them. It was good PR for our dates to see we take philanthropy seriously but can still have fun. We could have also sent a press release to the campus newspaper to come do a story/take pictures if we'd been thinking.

Another idea is to write a letter that includes the wish list items, attach them to paper bags, then go into a local neighborhood and leave the paper bags on people's doors. In the letter explain that ADPi is collecting for the RMH (and maybe explain a little about RMH also) and ask them to put some items in the bag and leave it on their porch in the morning. Then go back the next day and pick up what they leave out. I did that myself this summer just to 20 houses on my street and I had about 8 people fill up their bags. It was cheap and easy

One of my favorite philanthropy activities my chapter did regularly was to go to a local nursing home and paint the fingernails of the residents. They loved it and so did we!

Whatever you do, make sure your PR chair puts out press releases! You can talk about it at your recruitment team meetings since you're all on the same team. I have honestly found that if you write a good enough press release, sometimes the paper will just print it verbatim because it's an easy story for them- it fills up room and they don't have to do any research or interviews because you've provided it all for them.

texas*princess · #15 09-29-2003, 02:39 PM

Our chapter has a semesterly (is that a word?

) trip to the Ronald McDonald House in Amarillo. We make it a sisterhood weekend since Amarillo is a 5-7 hr drive from where we live. When we go there, we help them with anything they need help with. We cook, clean, and help with their gardening. We also make scrapbooks for them (with pictures they provide) so their visitors can see what the Ronald McDonald House is all about! It's really great fun, an awesome opportunity to be with our sisters, and help out in the process.

Besides our semesterly trips, we raise money for them too