Funding Priorities

Our mission of advancing women’s lives through the power of philanthropy is put into action through our five vital funding priorities.

Through the generosity of donors, Alpha Phis are provided the opportunity and access to transformative leadership experiences. They receive the life-changing renewal and encouragement of an academic scholarship or Forget Me Not Grant. With your help, Alpha Phis invest in the advancement of women’s cardiac research and care and preserve the rich heritage of Alpha Phi Fraternity.

Select a program listed to the left to learn more about what a gift to Alpha Phi Foundation can do for our chapters, members, and communities around the world.

Leadership

Scholarship

Heart Health

Forget Me Not

Heritage

Recent Program Impact

Hand in Hand Through Hurricane Helene
After Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, members of the Theta Nu Chapter at Appalachian State were back on campus, demonstrating remarkable resilience and unity, volunteering with local organizations. Chapter alumnae worked to ensure affected members, collegians and other alumnae, were taken care of by the Foundation’s Forget Me Not Grant. Hurricane Helene, made landfall in Florida as a category four storm on September 26th, moving north causing widespread destruction and flooding in six states. Included in Helene’s devastating path was Western North Carolina, leaving unexpected and severe impact on the Boone area, home of Appalachian State University and the Theta Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi. Communities were left with widespread power outages and communication challenges, making it difficult to account for members and assess the damage. Despite these obstacles, Alpha Phi Foundation’s Forget Me Not Grant proved to be a vital resource, and sisters stepped up to provide crucial support to the community. The complete disconnection from modern communication, a new experience for collegians who grew up in an era of constant connection, made the aftermath feel “apocalyptic”. Chapter Advisor Megan Maloney (Theta Nu-Appalachian State), away at the Alpha Phi Disney Leadership Institute at the time of the storm, faced a frantic few days of immense difficulty confirming the safety of members. Ironically, I was at the Disney Institute with Cayce Blackley (Theta Nu-Appalachian State) and our Chapter’s attendee, Lily Fox, when the storm hit. Thankfully a majority of our members had left Boone to go home in anticipation of the storm, but there was so much uncertainty and trying to do what I could from afar. I am so grateful I was with Cayce and other leaders from Alpha Phi to help me put a higher level of emergency plan in place. When I was able to reach my president on the phone it was like going way back in time, ‘Can you hear me now?’ It was just a wild 24-48 hours as we were trying to account for everyone. Lily is from Asheville and we had learned her family’s home was destroyed. When we returned back to Charlotte, my car had been destroyed. But we still didn’t understand the magnitude of what was going on in Boone at the time. In response, efforts were made to reach out through texts and social media once service was restored, prioritizing those in the hardest-hit mountain areas. “Part of our emergency response plan was specifically to determine who from our chapter, current members and alumnae, might need financial assistance. We had a Facebook Messenger group of something like 200 sisters and it started to take off; it was such a lifeline for so many of our sisters.”
June 23, 2025 10:38 am
Vision & Values: Celebrating Five Years of the Alpha Phi Disney Leadership Institute
This year marks a momentous occasion for Alpha Phi as we celebrate five years of a transformative partnership with the Disney Leadership Institute. This incredible collaboration has provided unparalleled leadership development opportunities for our members, fostering personal growth, enhancing professional skills, and profoundly impacting our organization through the Foundation’s mission: advancing women’s lives through the power of philanthropy. Alpha Phi’s partnership with the Disney Leadership Institute began in 2020, however, the inaugural three-day program was not held until September 2021 due to the pandemic. The curriculum, developed and facilitated by the Disney Institute at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, focuses on cultivating essential leadership qualities. Attendees learn to lead with purpose, identify personal values, understand emotional connections, explore stereotypes, and apply transferable leadership skills. Participants also gain invaluable insights into effective communication, strategic thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving – all within the magical and inspiring environment of Disney. The impact of this program on Alpha Phi has been nothing short of significant. The Alpha Phi Disney Leadership Institute has taught participants how to provide service to members through the Disney Chain of Excellence, the principles of leading with genuine care, how to define their personal values and incorporate them into leadership, the impact of recognition on performance and happiness, and how to communicate a leadership vision through storytelling. We’ve seen attendees return to their chapters and communities with renewed purpose, equipped with actionable strategies to lead with greater confidence and make a tangible difference. Alpha Phi’s High Ideals of Membership: Reinforced by Disney Institute Principles The Disney Leadership Institute’s core educational concepts directly align with and amplify Alpha Phi’s High Ideals of Membership, creating a powerful union that benefits our members and strengthens our sisterhood. Sisterhood that Lasts a Lifetime & The Leadership Imperative: Just as exceptional leadership is a key to Disney’s long-term success, fostering a sisterhood that endures requires consistent, thoughtful leadership. The Disney Institute’s focus on “The Leadership Imperative” encourages Alpha Phis to consider their leadership strengths and how their behavior impacts their team and organization – directly translating to how they build and sustain strong, lifelong bonds within the sorority. By understanding their influence, members can intentionally cultivate a supportive and lasting sisterhood. Striving for Innovation & Establish Values and Vision: Alpha Phi’s commitment to striving for innovation is perfectly complemented by the Disney Institute’s emphasis on “Establishing Values and Vision.” The institute teaches that aligning personal values with organizational values is critical for outstanding results. For Alpha Phis, this means understanding how their individual drive for innovation can be channeled to align with and advance the sorority’s mission. By proactively aligning their behavior with Alpha Phi’s values, members are empowered to innovate and create positive change while staying true to their core principles. Practicing Generosity at Every Turn & Put Behaviors Into Action: The ideal of practicing generosity resonates deeply with the Disney Institute’s concept of “Putting Behaviors Into Action.” Leaders must model the values that contribute to the vibrancy of an organization. Alpha Phis learn to intentionally communicate, reinforce expectations, and build values-infused teams. This translates to practicing generosity not just through philanthropy, but through acts of kindness, mentorship, and selfless contributions to their chapters and communities, reinforcing a culture of giving and support. High Expectations for Character & Sustain and Protect the Culture / Lead with Your Legacy in Mind: Alpha Phi’s high expectations for character are central to the Disney Institute’s concepts of “Sustaining and Protecting the Culture” and “Leading with Your Legacy in Mind.” The institute highlights that an organization’s values are vulnerable and require constant protection. By developing the next generation of leaders today, Alpha Phis learn to recognize when their values and character may be at risk and how to preserve them. Furthermore, the emphasis on leading with legacy in mind encourages members to reflect on the lasting influence they want to have, ensuring their actions are always aligned with the highest standards of character, leaving a positive and enduring impact on Alpha Phi and beyond. We reached out to participants from the inaugural class of the Alpha Phi Disney Leadership Institute, all of whom are now alumnae, to see what they remember about the experience and if they’re still using those tools today. One woman even cites that three-day experience as the catalyst in shaping her professional future: “My experience with the Disney Institute had a profound impact not only on my time within my Alpha Phi chapter, but also on the overall direction of my career.” Inaugural Alpha Phi Disney Leadership Institute Participants: Five Years Later!
June 23, 2025 7:54 am
Healthy Hearts, Healthy Minds: Alpha Phi’s Commitment to Mental Wellness
Alpha Phi’s holistic wellness programming aims to provide foundational knowledge about mental health. Through various programs, Alpha Phi collegians and alumnae are learning how to effectively address mental health, discuss emotions, and cultivate a culture of care in their chapters. As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, Alpha Phi proudly continues to be a leader in the fraternal mental health programming space. College students in today’s era face a substantial amount of pressure, arguably more than any previous generation. In addition to perennial challenges like tuition and finances, academic rigor, and overall significant life transitions, collegians now have the added stressors of societal expectations, the pervasive influence of social media, and the ever-changing economy and postgraduate job market. All of these combined are causing an alarming rate of anxiety, depression, and other psychological challenges, specifically in collegiate women. However, fortunately this is NOT the case with sorority women. In a groundbreaking study, funded by the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence Amplifying Sorority Campaign, entitled “The State of Sorority Women’s Mental Health,” it was confirmed that overall, sorority women have positive mental health and well-being. Data analyzed from 33,825 women on 135 campuses, aged 18-24, who completed the 2022-2023 Healthy Minds survey. 12% — 4,059 respondents — identified as being a member of a sorority. “Compared to their unaffiliated peers, sorority women are less afflicted by mental health challenges and feel less shame about mental health; in nearly every single measure, when compared to their peers, they have more positive mental health and well-being. Sorority women reported being less depressed, less anxious, less likely to report thoughts of suicide, less likely to report feelings of loneliness, higher levels of flourishing* and lower levels of psychological inflexibility**.” This study, authored by Dr. Amanda Blakewood Pascale using research conducted by The Healthy Minds Study at the University of Michigan, highlighted a range of factors influencing mental well-being, including academic performance, social engagement, institutional integration and access to resources. While Dr. Pascale’s findings do suggest that the prevalence of mental health issues among sorority women is much lower than their unaffiliated peers, there is of course still plenty of work to be done. Some key takeaways include: Sorority women’s positive self-perceptions can be a catalyst for themselves and others. The chapter facility can play an important role for mental health. Engagement can be the antidote to loneliness (and sorority women are proof). While sorority women have more positive mental health, some knowledge gaps exist for understanding and treatment – specifically that sorority women are less aware of resources available. The final consideration is where Alpha Phi continues to make strides as a pioneer in mental health programming available to all our Chapters. Guided by our High Ideals and Alpha Phi’s strategic plan, Alpha Phi Fraternity has developed an impressive series of empowering programs to actively support the growth, education, health and well-being of its members, funded by Foundation grants. Alpha Phi Fraternity utilizes a combination of proven industry experts and emerging companies to deliver cutting-edge programmatic experiences, made possible by the generosity of Alpha Phi Foundation donors. One such program, Behind Happy Faces, was created specifically for members and advisors to learn how to identify and address mental health challenges in a collaborative way. Behind Happy Faces is a resource available online through LEARN Alpha Phi, allowing advisors and collegians access to this self-paced program at any time. During the 2024-2025 academic year, this powerful resource was accessed by more than 600 individuals. New this year, Revitalize is an in-person discussion group led by a member of Alpha Phi’s expertly-trained League of Coaches. Members are encouraged to engage in thoughtful conversation regarding the challenges of collegiate life and maintaining a healthy life balance while learning practical tools to build resilience, mental fitness, well-being and emotional intelligence. In its first year, the Revitalize workshop was offered to more than two dozen chapters. Beta Upsilon (Oregon State) was one of the first chapters to register interest in the Revitalize program and hosted coach Simi Patel (Eta Eta-Seton Hall) in April 2025. Chapter President Kylie Werth said she received a lot of positive feedback from members following the workshop: “We were extremely grateful to have Simi visit our Chapter and lead us through what can be a very challenging topic to discuss in an effective and engaging way. Being located in the Pacific Northwest, a lot of our members find winter term to be especially challenging in terms of motivation and mood in general with all the cold and rain. There was a lot of openness from members when sharing personal stories and Simi made sure everyone felt comfortable and supported. I think the most valuable part of the discussion was when we all shared the different ways we like to relax or focus – whether its going to the gym, taking walks, journaling, or whatever – and she helped us realize and identify those activities we already enjoy as tools we can use in a new, more beneficial way.” Alpha Phi Fraternity utilizes the League of Coaches, LEARN, and a variety of other platforms – even podcasts – to offer members of all ages these educational workshops and programs. Designed to be accessible for all, other wellness topics addressed include alcohol safety, sexual violence awareness, and hazing prevention, all contributing to the overall positive mental health and well-being of our members. The evidence featured in the “State of Sorority Women’s Mental Health” report suggests that the structured engagement, strong social networks, and supportive community inherent in sorority life can serve as a powerful shield against the mental health challenges prevalent in the broader collegiate population. As the world continues to navigate the complexities of mental health, the positive experiences within sororities – exemplified by organizations like our beloved Alpha Phi that proactively address such challenges – offer valuable insights and an optimistic path forward to foster well-being among all college women. Alpha Phi Foundation is a proud supporter of the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence. Make a …
May 31, 2025 9:44 am