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Steps toward a better philanthropy

posted by ChickSpeak
Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 2:25pm CDT

As one of their cornerstone objectives, many sororities focus on philanthropy, which is the desire to improve the material, social and spiritual welfare of humanity. Different sororities have certain causes that they’re passionate about and raise money for.

Even if your chapter may not have a philanthropic effort of its own, hosting a philanthropic event or two throughout the academic year would only help elevate the good your chapter does for its community. For those of you unfamiliar with these types of events, below we’ve listed a few ideas.

Battle over a date

By hosting a date auction, your chapter can “auction” off your fellow college peers. Winners of each separate auction get awarded movie tickets or gift cards to use, if they choose to, on their “date”. Proceeds from the auction can go towards an organization of your choice for a good cause. This is a popular event used by both fraternities and sororities and it’s always fun to watch the bidding battles over people heat up.

Partying always pays off

Club parties are a great way to raise money for a philanthropic effort. You can spread the news that the party’s proceeds are going towards a specific cause and also indicate it on its flyer to peak even more interest. If you’d like to take it a step further, place a donation jar at the club’s entrance for those who would like to contribute their loose change.

For the sports buffs

Whether you’re a sports fan or not, there are plenty others out there who enjoy a game of basketball, baseball, soccer…you get the deal. As a philanthropic effort, your chapter can host a sports tournament; you can charge a registration fee for those interested in participating and reach out to local restaurants and businesses to donate food and beverages so you won’t have to come out of pocket for the costs. It’ll take much planning and organization but rest assured, it’ll all be worth it in the end.

Amaris Castillo is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism. Her interests include independent films, chocolate and spoken word poetry. She hopes to become both a magazine editor and a respected author whose books will be studied in college writing courses long after she has passed.