THE BALANCED MAN SCHOLARSHIP IS THE FRATERNITY’S GREATEST
RECRUITMENT TOOL
The future of every SigEp chapter depends on the ability to recruit the right men. If alumni want to impact recruitment, there is nowhere they will find a higher return on their investment than in helping a chapter fund the Balanced Man Scholarship. Featured in last month’s OVM, the Balanced Man Scholarship helps chapters identify and build relationships with the best incoming freshman males on campus.
 Every AVC has the ability to raise money for the BMS, even if you have never raised a dime before. To help you map out the road to building a culture of giving, we turned to Kelly Williams, Tennessee ’92, our chapter counselor at Tennessee Alpha.
The investment his chapter has made in alumni has put them in a position where they can award $40,000 in scholarships annually. While it may take a while to reach that level, your efforts today can lead to a culture of giving, and produce an endowed Balanced Man Scholarship that ensures the future of your chapter.
Williams offers five steps to create a culture of giving:
1. Start with your database
The first step in any alumni cultivation program is cleaning your database. You can obtain a current copy from SigEp Headquarters, and this is a good place to start. However, many of the addresses on file will be listed as lost and others will be those of parents. Williams suggests that your AVC appoint a chairman of your database to help drive efforts to find lost alumni.
2. Communicate with your alumni
Newsletters need to be done by alumni, for alumni. The Tennessee Alpha newsletter is a hardcopy, full-color publication that is distributed three times a year and is on average 80 percent alumni focused (20 percent is chapter news). Consistency is one of the keys to success. Include lots of pictures and give alumni something that is more engaging and relevant than news of an undergraduate social event.
3. Program for your alumni
Alumni need to hear from you other than when you want money. Providing your alumni with opportunities to reconnect socially will increase their affinity to SigEp. Once they engage socially, it's much easier to ask them to volunteer or donate. There are lots of options for events, including: Homecoming, Founder’s Day, golf, the holiday season and Conclave. Include spouses and guests, allow plenty of social time, and get good photographs for the newsletter.
4. Engage alumni as volunteers
Engaging volunteers that represent a balance of generations and a mix of skills and experiences helps connect the AVC to the wider alumni base and can increase interest in giving. Knowing that one’s big brother or former chapter president is giving back to SigEp often motivates alumni to give. Outside of fundraising, having more volunteers helps you spread the work load. Remember, there are plenty of roles to be filled, and volunteers don’t have to be local.
5. Raising funds
Once your alumni are informed and engaged, it becomes infinitely easier to ask them for money. Tennessee Alpha solicits donations three times a year and provides multiple opportunities to give. The recommended level of giving is $40, making it easy for everyone to contribute. Make sure to tell your alumni where their money is going. Sharing the success of the Balanced Man Scholarship shows them their return on investment and can lead to a lifetime of giving.
The most important part of asking your alumni for money is thanking them when they do give. Tennessee Alpha acknowledges all donors in their newsletter and recognizes those who have given at exceptional levels.
For more information on annual fundraising, or to connect with other AVCs, please contact your district governor or SigEp’s Volunteer Services Director, Beaux Carriere.
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