In 2012, the 26 National Panhellenic Conference member groups (and/or their foundations) provided almost $3 million dollars in academic scholarships to their members to pursue undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies. In addition, most of the groups fund emergency grants to members. The recent tornadoes in Oklahoma bring this kind of philanthropy to the forefront.
Since 1922, the Rose McGill Fund has helped Kappa Kappa Gamma members in need. The same can be said for Kappa Alpha Theta’s Friendship Fund, created in 1926. Two members who remain anonymous, write on the behalf of a sister and secrecy surrounds the Friendship Fund gifts. Pi Beta Phi’s Emma Harper Turner Fund began in 1946 as a way for Pi Phis to help other Pi Phis confidentially and anonymously; more than $100,000 is given annually to Pi Phi collegiate and alumnae members. In 2012, Tri Delta’s Crescent Fund awarded $116,700 to Tri Delta alumnae experiencing unforeseen events.
Among the programs available for collegians and alumnae members in need are:
Alpha Chi Omega’s Member Assistance Grants
Alpha Delta Pi’s Abigail Davis Emergency Grants (for collegiate members) and Clasped Hands Fund Grants (for alumnae)
Alpha Epsilon Phi’s Cheryl Kraff Cooper, M.D, Giraffe Fund
Alpha Gamma Delta’s SIS Grant Program
Alpha Omicron Pi’s Ruby Fund
Alpha Phi’s Forget Me Not Fund
Alpha Sigma Alpha’s Janice Adams Membership Assistance Fund
Alpha Xi Delta’s Heart Fund Grants
Chi Omega’s Sisterhood Fund
Delta Delta Delta’s Crescent Fund
Delta Gamma’s Anchor Grants
Delta Phi Epsilon’s Harriette Hirsch Sisterhood Fund
Delta Zeta’s Elizabeth Coulter Stephenson Grants (providing financial help for sorority expenses)
Gamma Phi Beta’s Grant-In-Aid
Kappa Alpha Theta’s Friendship Fund
Kappa Delta’s Alumnae Crisis Fund
Kappa Kappa Gamma Rose McGill Fund
Phi Mu’s Leona Hughes Hughes Heart & Hand Fund and the Betty Nell Wilkinson Emergency Scholarship
Pi Beta Phi’s Emma Harper Turner Fund
Sigma Kappa’s Alumnae Heart Fund
My best guess would be that more than $500,000 is given to each year to NPC women in need. I suspect many applications from those affected by the Oklahoma tornadoes will be filled out in the coming days. I’m also fairly certain that contributions to these funds would be very welcomed, too. These funds display a wonderful message of sisters helping sisters.
Emma Harper Turner, Pi Beta Phi’s Grand President 1890-93. She started her fraternity life as a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter at Franklin College (there is a post about her on this site.)
(I have tried my best to cobble the information together. If I have misrepresented any of these funds or have forgotten others, please send me a message and I will revise. Any errors and omissions are unintentional.)
(c) Fran Becque, fraternityhistory.com, 2013. All rights reserved.
