Emerging Philanthropist Award

The Emerging Philanthropist Award recognizes Alpha Phi alumnae who are embarking on their philanthropic journey. The recipient of this award illustrates the importance of beginning an early lifetime of giving and service to charitable organizations.

Nominate a Sister!

Qualified alumnae members will have been initiated within the last 20 years (January 2006 to present) of when this award will be given in June 2026, display the importance of ongoing giving to charitable organizations outside of, but also including Alpha Phi Foundation, and meet at least one of the following criteria to be recognized for their philanthropic contributions:

Conducts active service within organizations in their community through officer roles, board leadership, or committee involvement.
Started a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Receives recognition for nonprofit service and/or philanthropic giving from organizations they are involved with.

Nominees must be nominated by another Alpha Phi sister; self-nominations will not be accepted. Complete nomination forms, including nominee supplemental requirements, are due no later than Friday, October 31, 2025 at 11:59pm PST.

The recipient(s) of the award will be notified prior to Convention 2026 of their selection and will be invited to attend in person. The award winner(s) will be recognized at Convention and highlighted in Alpha Phi media and publications.

Questions can be directed to Alpha Phi Foundation at programs@alphaphifoundation.org.

Click here to access the nomination form.

2024 Recipients

Andrea Gage Cheek (Gamma Iota-Texas Tech)

Andrea Gage Cheek is involved in various nonprofit organizations in the Dallas, Texas area. She actively serves in the Junior League of Dallas, most recently as Co-Chair of their Centennial Celebration, a six-year volunteer commitment that also formed a $15M endowment for the JLD and which completed a project raising $1M for the Juanita Craft Civil Rights House. Other notable roles include current member of the Crystal Charity Ball, which supports children’s charities in Dallas County, Executive Board Member of the Cattle Baron’s Ball supporting the American Cancer Society, Auxiliary Board Membership Chair of The Family Place, the largest domestic violence shelter in Dallas, from 2015-2023, and member of the Baylor Scott and White Foundation Board. Andrea and her husband provide ongoing philanthropic commitments to a variety of organizations, including Alpha Phi Foundation, and she was a 2017 Dallas 40 Under 40 Awardee in the Dallas Business Journal. Her reference wrote that “Andrea defines philanthropy, specifically the immense desire to benefit the welfare of others… She has the heart of a servant leader.” Nominated by: Jennifer Larson Ryback (Omega-Texas)

Victoria Onufrieff (Zeta Pi-Case Western)

Victoria Onufrieff has had philanthropy engrained into her life from a young age. She has served as a board member of the Andrew Family Foundation in varying capacities since the age of 14, currently sitting at Junior Board President handling grantmaking opportunities for the Foundation. Other organizations Victoria is involved with are New Moms Chicago as an associate board member and the Family Office Exchange as a Rising Generation Advisory Board member, and she is a loyal contributor to her alma mater, Case Western Reserve University, and Alpha Phi Foundation as a Scholarship Reader. Philanthropy has also been at the forefront of Victoria’s educational and professional careers, having graduated with a Masters in Nonprofit Management in 2018 and has professional tenure as the Partnerships Specialist for Habitat for Humanity Chicago since 2020. Victoria wrote that to her, “philanthropy must keep people at the center of discussion, affording trust in nonprofit experts…to honor a shared goal of building a safer, more inclusive, sustainable world for everyone." Nominated by: Barbara Chappell Tingley (Beta Pi-USC)