How Your Donations Can Benefit The Chapter

A few Brothers have been asking about how they can support the chapter in meaningful and impactful ways. In general, there are four objectives that we ask Graduate Brothers to donate towards, two of which are tax-deductible/charitable:

1. New Chapter House (tax-deductible donations). We have an account set up with the Virginia Tech Foundation to collect deductible donations of both cash and stocks towards the funding of a new 32-bed chapter house on campus (Oak Lane community) in partnership with the University. If for whatever reason we decide not to build the house, the funds raised can be repurposed into undergraduate scholarships and perhaps even capital improvements to 202 Church Street (although this option would likely entail a legal fight with the town). Here is the link: https://givingto.vt.edu/fiji-house. If you would like to communicate with them by email or snail mail, our account number with VTF is 877049.

2. Scholarship Funds (tax-deductible donations):

2a. For many decades we've had a Rho Alpha scholarship fund set up with Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation. This endowment fund throws off dividends every year that we competitively award to deserving undergraduates every Pig Dinner. Here is the link: https://www.phigam.org/Donate . Select the amount you wish to donate, be sure to select "Foundation Donation (tax-deductible)" in the Designation box, and in the Remarks box indicate "Rho Alpha Restricted Scholarship Fund".

2b. Starting in 2022, we have a new fund set up at the Foundation thanks to the incredible generosity of Graduate Brother Jeff McMahan Jr. (‘03; Beta Chi) and his wife Kim… this new fund is the “McMahan Family Persistence Scholarship” and is similar to the original Rho Alpha Restricted Fund but it adds a financial need-based component to the traditional academic, service and leadership components. If you wish to add to this fund’s endowment, follow the instructions above in 2a, but instead in the Remarks box type in “McMahan Family Persistence Scholarship Fund”. You may contribute to both funds if you like… just indicate your percentage breakdowns in the Remarks box.

3. Existing Chapter House Operations (not tax-deductible). Even as we save towards a replacement house, we have to maintain 202 Church Street to be a safe and reasonably attractive structure for the chapter officer residents who occupy it and for the rest of the chapter Brothers who use it. There are still many things that need house corporation/landlord attention requiring cash to resolve. A current example: the side fence along the driveway was replaced in 2023 to the tune of $6k. Other things on the project list: new side porch, new roof, new deck, new commercial-grade interior and exterior doors, etc. etc. etc.... the project list on a 75yo house never ends! Donations to the House Corporation can be sent via PayPal to "vtfijihouse@gmail.com", or by check made out to "Rho Alpha Chapter House Corp.", c/o Dana Hesse, 1400 Hillcrest Drive, Blacksburg VA 24060.

4. Sponsor an Undergraduate Newly-Initiated Brother (NIB) for Pig Dinner. The Pig Dinner committee will provide an opportunity to help our youngest Brothers defray some or all of their Pig Dinner costs, as they also strive to come up with non-trivial joining and/or initiation fees. Graduate Brothers will have the opportunity to sponsor a NIB via the Pig Dinner registration portal in $25 increments, each $25 donation to be split among the two most recent NIB classes in exchange for a written promise from him to “pay it forward” and support the Rho Alpha chapter in future years. Add this item to your shopping cart when buying merchandise and/or registering for Pig Dinner events in the merchandise store.