Best Practices Library
Service and Philanthropy
Event Management
SP1 - Sample Philanthropy and Community Service Handbook
SP13 - The chapter has organized a committee of university administrators to assist with the planning of the chapter's upcoming philanthropy event. Administrators were selected from key areas within the university for their strategic areas of expertise to help make the philanthropy a large campus event and a success.
SP29 - When hosting a chapter philanthropic event, the chapter takes a moment at the peak hour of participation to explain the cause to the crowd, thank contributors, and allow the philanthropic partner to speak.
Partner Advocacy
SP19 - The chapter has an established relationship with their local Habitat for Humanity ReStore and partnered to host a furniture donation drive. The chapter offered free curbside pick up and $5.00 room pick-up with the donations and proceeds going to support the Habitat Chapter and ReStore. Event Flyer
Philanthropy Events
SP2 - Sample Solicitation Letter
SP29 - The chapter engages the local community by hosting a “Pie a SNU” silent auction. During the auction, attendees bid on which brother they want to pie in the face. The chapter has also incorporated the “Pie a SNU” event into other philanthropy events as an additional attraction.
SP30 - The chapter hosted SNU Secondhand Philanthropy Vintage Market. The chapter hosted a vintage clothes sale at the house with a portion of proceeds going to benefit a local charitable organization. The chapter set up shopping stands for 10 local vendors and an informational table to spread awareness about the cause and services provided by their local charitable partner.
SP4 - The chapter hosts a philanthropy called The Taste of DePauw in which every Greek-letter organization is invited to contribute various food dishes. Students pay a small entrance fee to come sample the food and vote on a favorite dish. All the money is raised through entrance fees and the fee to submit a food item. All the proceeds are then donated to charity.
SP6 - The chapter annually hosts both domesticated and wild animals from the local zoo on the chapter property and organizes a petting zoo for local underprivileged youth in greater Los Angeles.
SP23 - The chapter hosts an annual casino night with a campus sorority to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in which parents and families are invited to a casino at a third-party venue in which professional dealers help facilitate the event.
SP7 - The chapter hosts a philanthropic Easter egg hunt in the spring each year. The chapter usually hides over 20,000 eggs for children to come out and find.
SP8 - The chapter hosts a beach volleyball tournament called Slater Ball that benefits the Gerald Slater Foundation. The foundation is in honor of a Sigma Nu brother who died of cancer.
SP9 - The chapter each semester raises money for Dollars for Diplomas which sponsors students in East Africa. The proceeds pay for four years of high school education for a recipient. Money is raised primarily by selling donuts on/around campus and delivering them to people in the morning for breakfast.
SP10 - Chapter members Trick-or-Treat for canned goods where they go door to door around Halloween asking for canned goods and money donations that benefit a local philanthropy.
SP11 - Chapter has a philanthropy event called the "Glow-K". The chapter sponsors a 5K that takes place at night, complete with numerous neon and black lights as well as encouraging runners to bring glow sticks.
SP14 - The chapter hosts an annual flag football tournament called the "Sigma Nu Bowl." For the event, nearby Sigma Nu chapters are invited to participate in the tournament, with each chapter expected to raise a set amount of money in order to play. All contributions are made to an area charitable partner.
SP15 - The chapter hosts a philanthropy event called "Ducky Derby." The chapter races rubber ducks down a creek and put together a tournament style bracket. Ducks are sold pre-race with big prizes being awarded for the winning ducks. The chapter will give away video game consoles, concert tickets, gift cards, etc. The event usually has hundreds of ducks purchased for the day.
SP16 - The chapter hosts a basketball tournament in their local community. The chapter creates flyers, sells ad space, and charges an entrance fee for the event.
Service Events
SP20 - The chapter has divided the Philanthropy Chairman position into two positions - internal and external. The internal chairman deals with the chapter's own community service and philanthropic efforts, while the external officer focuses on members' participation in other organizations' events. This ensures the chapter is always participating in other organization's events.
SP3 - The chapter partners with a local animal shelter to take pictures of orphaned animals and post these pictures on a website to assist the agency in securing homes for them. The chapter volunteers every Wednesday, rotating members who attend.
SP24 - The chapter's Community Service Chairman has developed a relationship with the volunteering office at the university. During his report each week at chapter meeting the chairman presents different community service opportunities as a consistent way for brothers to hear about service opportunities and get hours.
Service Hour Tracking
SP18 - The Community Service Chairman requires all member to write a brief reflection for each community service event. This then gives each member an opportunity to express their experience and gives better personal debriefing. In the Bylaws, it is stated that if a member does not create a reflection and deliver it to the Community Service Chairman, then the hours are not credited to the member.
SP25 - The chapter has made brothers obtaining service hours a strict expectation of membership. If brothers do not obtain their service hours, it is treated in a comparable way as not attending chapter, paying dues, or making grades as outlined by the bylaws.
SP26 - The chapter has made a service hour turn-in form that brothers can turn into the Community Service Chairman after the completion of their service hours. The chapter has printed forms and keeps them in the chapter facility. The form is one page and has information on the event, the hours of the event, and a brief reflection on the service hours. The form is also available through Google Forms for the chapter. Service hours outside of chapter-sponsored events are not counted unless turned in by this method.
SP27 - The chapter uses a fraternity management software to keep track of study hours, service hours, campus organization involvement, and more.
SP28 - The chapter has divided its members into four service teams. The team with the most service hours at the end of the term wins a prize.
General Fraternity Resources
GFSP1 - Service and Philanthropy Tracking Sheet
GFSP2 - Reflections on Service Guide
GFSP3 - Helping Hand Initiative Information
GFSP4 - Service and Philanthropy Action Plan
Call for Practices
If you have a great example or resource that you think should be included in the Best Practices Library, we want to know about it. Send your examples and resources to Austin Lloyd, Director of Chapter Services at austin.lloyd@sigmanu.org.
Additional Officer Resources
The perfect complement to the Best Practices Library is the specific chapter officer resources page. Here you can access additional resources and the chapter officer manual for each officer. Also be sure to check out the following pages on the Fraternity's service and philanthropy related resources: