Phi Kappa Tau - Mississippi State University

A SUSTAINABLE PLAN TO KEEP TRADITION GREEN A new house is long overdue for Alpha Chi, but it won't guarantee our fraternity will succeed. The Mississippi State Greek system is famously competitive, as many failed fraternities have experienced. Whether you earned your badge in the '40s or the '90s, you likely have your own experience with some plan or campaign or program designed to differentiate Alpha Chi and make our fraternity more competitive. Some of those plans never got the needed support, some were poorly conceived or poorly executed, and some provided short-term relief. But ultimately, we were forced to close our doors in 1996. IT'S FAIR TO ASK: WHAT MAKES THIS FUNDRAISING PLAN DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHERS? WHY WILL THIS PLAN SUCCEED? OUTSIDE EXPERTISE Supplementing our knowledge, challenging our assumptions Before embarking on this journey, we contracted with the recognized leader in fraternity and sorority fundraising, which has successfully worked with more than 634 house corporations representing 62 national fraternities on 135 campuses. They know what it takes to succeed in fundraising efforts like this and have challenged and supported us in making sure our plan is feasible, thorough, and sustainable. BOARD OF GOVERNORS Nurturing members, developing talent Recruiting strong members is one thing, but how do we help them reach their full potential once they're in the fold, as well as minimize the operational and cultural fluctuations that tend to occur from one year to the next? Alpha Chi has always had passionate alumni, but we've never had the structure in place to transfer our experience and passion into supporting the day-to-day needs of our undergraduates. The new board of governors is tasked solely with facilitating the undergraduate experience. It assists with planning, operations and conflict resolution and bridges the gap between undergraduates and the broader alumni group. The board of governors also allows institutional knowledge to be passed on from administration to administration. These alumni will be based in or near Starkville or have the flexibility to regularly get to Starkville to have a visible and meaningful presence for our active chapter. GENEROUS ALUMNI Ongoing resources, experience, and oversight Finally, a strong fraternity needs a broad, diverse, and active alumni base. We provide the experience, financial resources, and leadership to ensure sustained success. For much of our modern history, Alpha Chi alumni have been limited in numbers by virtue of the fact that we were historically a smaller chapter. Not only has our alumni base grown, but an increasing number of our brothers have reached the stage of life where we have more time and financial resources to contribute to Phi Kappa Tau—the fraternity that gave us our first real-world experience with leadership, teamwork, deep friendships, and brotherhood. The time to act is now. As you consider your pledge, don't make a commitment to a new fraternity house. Make a commitment to a new plan for Alpha Chi; one that will be equipped with the tools, strategy, support, and desire to thrive and prosper at Mississippi State for years to come.

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