Oh, how to make my chapter grow?

[CrownedZTA]

My sorority is having a bit of trouble with our numbers for quite some time. With me being a Zeta Baby, I'm not all that familiar with when this problem started to occur, but I heard that we actually had even other chapter come in to help us recruit. We currently have 16 girls and we need 10 new members this spring to reach quota. (due to most of our girls graduating)

How would I accomplish this with these following problems:
-The college that I attend is a commuter college that only has campus apartments instead of dorms.
-We are one out of only 2 sororities on our campus, with us "seeming" (somehow) the least popular.

Now, the other sorority has somewhere around 30 girls, and I am really worried that we won't get 10 girls because this fall, I was one out of eight girls that actually got initiated.

Please help!

[AGDee]

If each one of you meets two women in a class or other student organization who would be a good member, you invite them to a COR event. If you get half of those women to join, you've doubled your numbers!

[FSUZeta]

dee, that is such good advice and i know for a fact that it can work!

crownedZTA, please check your pms.

[violetpretty]

I agree with AGDee, in the sense that you need to reach out to women on the individual level, rather than put out a bunch of PR and hope the women come to you. Not that PR isn't important, but at a campus that doesn't have a big Greek presence, and since your chapter is perceived as less desirable, PR alone won't equal recruitment success. Reaching out to women from your classes is good; invite women to study with you or go to lunch together to get to know them/

[SigKapAngel767]

Co-sign violet pretty. I came from a small school and that worked...being "invited" to hang out with a sorority makes girls interested, and you really know who you are getting on bid day (if they run your way). Also, if your chapter doesn't do this...have "letter day". A day of the week where the WHOLE chapter wears letters on campus and makes ZTA look great! Also, bags, sweatshirts, ribbons, buttons on bags, shows that your chapter is proud of ZTA! Keep us posted!

[CrownedZTA]

we have invited girls. they either havent showed up to events or do and just arent interested in joining. they are worried about money or time.
weve lowered our initial fees and time really isnt that big of an issue.
i wasnt trying to make it seem like our greeks are small in number, because its actually pretty large with our one fraternity and two sororities...well, not so much ours... but in general... our chapter is just small.
weve done letter days and each one of us are already required to be in one other organization other than zta.
if that hasnt worked, im thinking big stuff is what is going to get us girls, whether it be on campus activites during common hour, etc.
i just need ideas to produce not only big results, but qualitative results.

[MandyPepperidge]

Originally Posted by AGDee

If each one of you meets two women in a class or other student organization who would be a good member, you invite them to a COR event. If you get half of those women to join, you've doubled your numbers!

CC me to this memo. This is something my chapter has been doing even though our numbers aren't struggling. It's a great way to spread your name, attract great women, and demonstrate how great and welcoming Greeks are!

Perhaps you should reach out to your Leadership Consultant for additional ideas.

[texas*princess]

What sort of things is your chapter doing to demostrate that being part of your chapter is worth the time/money?

If your group isn't doing anything (philanthropy stuff, school spirit stuff, etc) then maybe the pnms aren't seeing what the point of it all is.... if that makes sense.

Things like intramural participation, going to football games, etc not only get your name out there, it shows that you girls actually do things together and have fun doing it.

Does your chapter allow payment plans? (Might help address money concerns)

You said time is not really an issue... why is that? Besides weekly meetings what other things do you and your sisters do? Not that we expect zta to be your entire life, but if all you do is have meetings, that doesn't really do anything to entice anyone to want to be part of any sorority.

[FSUZeta]

when you invite a girl, you go pick her up and escort her to the event and then take her home. it is hard to enter a room full of strangers by yourself, but if you are being accompanied by a sister, it makes it easier.

first make a friend. don't come across as the reason you are inviting her is to get her to join your sorority. after all, you may discover that she can't join your chapter right now(or ever) but you can make a friend, and she might meet someone who could join and she just might talk your chapter up, because you befriended her.

it is important for the chapter to have good p r on campus. plan some innovative fund raisers, support other greeks and campus orgs. in their activities, attend campus events together. do letters and lunch(all the sisters wear a sorority t-shirt and sit in the cafeteria together) once a week and "dress to pin"-wear nice clothes and your badge once a week.

do fun sisterhood activities-go skating, attend a play together, host a jewelry party before your formal,paint some pottery, go camping together. do some stuff just for the fun of it.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

first make a friend. don't come across as the reason you are inviting her is to get her to join your sorority. after all, you may discover that she can't join your chapter right now(or ever) but you can make a friend, and she might meet someone who could join and she just might talk your chapter up, because you befriended her.

Yes, yes, YES. I can't stress this strongly enough. Introduce her to your sorority sisters (who just happen to be your friends) in the caf or outside of parties. Like I've said on here before, you want to get to the point where she is comfy enough so that SHE asks YOU how to join. This doesn't happen overnight. You can't talk to someone one night in class and the next night ask her to an open bid party - it's just like in high school where the girls who were the friendliest were often the most desperate for friends.

Does the other sorority have, if not a house, a "home base" (like an apartment or something) where sisters live and can gather? Do you have such a thing? If not, look into it.

[CrownedZTA]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

Does your chapter allow payment plans? (Might help address money concerns)

You said time is not really an issue... why is that? Besides weekly meetings what other things do you and your sisters do? Not that we expect zta to be your entire life, but if all you do is have meetings, that doesn't really do anything to entice anyone to want to be part of any sorority.

we do allow payment plans. which was particularly great to me. so yea, money shouldnt be such a concern.
and you are exactly right about the time issue. we dont do a whole lot. everyone seems to be busy all of the time and it is not often that we get together as a group to do something really fun.

[DGZstar]

Something my chapter has done that makes getting together a bit easier is assigning monthly activities. A couple of sisters sign up for a particular month and then plan 2 or 3 fun activities for those who can attend. We've done things like apple picking in Sept., watching scary movies in Oct., attending school sporting events (can be done anytime), decorating holiday crafts (again, can be done anytime depending on the holiday season you're in). The on-campus ones are great when everyone wears their letters because FSUZeta said, that's a double. You're marketing yourselves AND doing something fun together! Even when only a few people can attend an event, it always works out well for us. Good luck!!