Foundation Focus – May 2017
January 31, 2020Foundation Focus – Summer 2019
January 31, 2020AN INTERVIEW WITH
A TRUE MAN OF WORD AND DEED
How a game-changing gift is helping our Chapters thrive
Brother Fred Sanfilippo, MD/PhD (Phi Phi ‘70) started his career as a physician-scientist and academic leader. He is the Director of the Emory-Georgia Tech Healthcare Innovation Program, which has been developed with support from the Woodruff Fund and in coordination with the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (CTSA) to enhance innovation in healthcare delivery research, education, and service. He also serves as Medical Director of The Marcus Foundation. Brother Sanfilippo earned his BS and MS degrees in physics from the University of Pennsylvania where he became a Brother of Alpha Chi Rho. He received his MD and PhD in immunology as a Medical Scientist Training Program Fellow at Duke University. He did his residency training in Pathology at Duke University Hospital, receiving Board certification in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, and Immunopathology. Fred’s son, Joe, also went to Penn and joined his father’s Chapter of Alpha Chi Rho, serving as President in 2009-2010.
Brother Sanfilippo endowed a scholarship dedicated to the Phi Phi Chapter for $100,000 in 2015 and recently made a significant contribution to fund the Crow Coach program for the 2018-19 academic year. We sat down with Fred to talk about his Alpha Chi Rho experience and why he has chosen to give back.
What current challenges do you think college men are dealing with today that are different from what you experienced?
Obviously over the past fifty years the world has changed dramatically. The incredible expansion of information and knowledge has created many more and different job opportunities. The advances in communication have helped lead to significant changes in education and learning. The cost of higher education has increased and created greater debt burden on many college students and their families. These have all changed expectations of what a college education can bring. But perhaps the greatest challenge facing college men today is the instantaneous and pervasive impact of social media on their professional and social lives, which together with these other changes has created enormous and continuous pressure on them and a level of stress we didn’t see fifty years ago.
What value can the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity experience add to a college career?
Providing a friendly, supportive environment in which to interact beyond social media to explore interests and learn about others. This is so important to being successful in any chosen career, and is something the classroom just doesn’t provide.
What motivated you to first want to give financially to the Foundation?
I had such a positive learning and social experience in AXP, that I simply wanted to pay back by helping other students. The previous success and value of the Crow Coach program in the pilot year inspired me to give this year to support its continuation.
Why should your fellow Graduate Brothers give back to the Foundation?
If a Brother received any benefit from AXP while in school, it is important to help ensure that others will benefit as well by giving back time, advice, and/or money to help.
Contact Jay Anhorn, Director of Development, at 732-988-0588 or janhorn@alphachirho.org to learn how you and your Chapter Brothers can fully fund a Crow Coach for your Chapter. It is our responsibility as graduates to secure our legacy.
2018 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Steve Cox (Sigma Chi Phi), California University of Pennsylvania ’01, National Scholarship Officer
Steve Cox (Sigma Chi Phi), California University of Pennsylvania ’01, National Scholarship Officer
Undergraduate Scholarship Winners
Paul K. Addams ($4,000)
Thomas J. Dowling, Phi Kappa (Illinois)
James McFadden ($2,000)
Bryan L. Felix, Alpha Phi Beta (Cincinnati)
John C. Enk ($2,000)
James T. Reichard, Alpha Phi Eta (Rutgers-Camden)
Donald F. Jones ($2,000)
Cody M. Iannozzi, Phi Mu Chi (Lock Haven)
Richard V. Olsen ($3,000)
Trevor M. Hubbard, Phi Rho Chi (UMass)
Charles W. Coughlan ($500)
Sean M. Alexander, Alpha Phi Eta (Rutgers-Camden)
Graduate Scholarship Winners
Donald F. Jones ($1,000)
Raiyam Islam, Eta Chi Phi (NYIT)
F. Prescott Hammond ($3,000)
Michael B. Williams, Theta Chi Phi (Montclair State)
Stanley G. Bedford ($3,000)
Scott M. Bocchio, Phi Rho Chi (UMass)
Curly Walden ($3,000)
Benjamin R. Smith, Phi Zeta Chi (SUNY/Geneseo)
R. B. Stewart Undergraduate Man of the Year ($1,500)
Mario Rivera-Benito, Alpha Phi Eta (Rutgers-Camden)
Colin Rochester Memorial Scholarship ($1,000)
Daniel Salvatore Mastrocco, Eta Chi Phi (NYIT)
President’s Pen
Gary DelPiano, Sigma Phi’77
AXPEF President
New things are happening:Colin Rochester Memorial Scholarship, the first new scholarship I can remember in quite some time, has been funded by Shelly Emmer, the mother of the late Colin Rochester (Eta Chi Phi ’08) and the Brothers of the NYIT Chapter.
Younger donors (resident Brothers and young graduates) have decided to give to the RB Stewart Day of Giving over the past 2 years.
The Foundation’s commitment to help the Fraternity has increased this year, supporting more staff and volunteers.
Educational programs are most important and the new spring “Indeed Institute” for resident Brothers, and the “Crow Coaches” education for support of the Chapters, are top on our list of funding opportunities.
The 2017 Annual Report is online. Go to our web site to view it or contact us to request a print copy.
Our goals for the future:
June 22-24, 2018 we are meeting as a committee of Foundation and Fraternity men to make a plan of action for both companies, to assure our future for the next 125 years.
Plans for more scholarships are in the works, but need funding.
Yearly $500 book scholarships are on my agenda, one for each Chapter for their freshman recruitment work, to stress to potential new members that AXP is educationally driven.
More volunteers are needed to keep our momentum moving forward, and we will continue to look for these individuals.
As you can see, the Foundation is on the move and we plan on keeping up the momentum. We are glad you are interested in what is going on and that you continue to support our goals.
GROW CROW INITIATIVE
Ken Chapel, Pi Phi ’91, National Fraternity President
We have been very busy on the Fraternity side by focusing much of our efforts on expansion since August of 2016. A successful formula of expansion includes having trained volunteers, alumni financing and school support. It is especially humbling to see how Graduate members are stepping up and doing a fantastic job. Currently, we are slated as follows:
• Rutgers University – Camden (Alpha Phi Eta), Chartered 4/28/2018
• Miami University of Ohio Colony, Charter Installation 12/2018
• Towson University (Phi Xi Chi), Recolonizing Fall 2018
• West Chester University (Phi Nu Chi), Recolonization Spring 2019
• Coastal Carolina University, Colonization Fall 2019
• George Mason University (Gamma Chi Phi), Recolonization Fall 2019
• Longwood University (Phi Theta Chi), final presentation in Sept 2018
About a year ago, we implemented the Crow Coach Program, a graduate member volunteer program aimed at mentoring our Chapters on the lifeblood of our organization, recruitment strategies and financial sustainability. To a large extent, we needed a better business model designed to give consistent support to our 31 Chapters and Colonies in terms of quantity and quality of time. We still have Leadership Consultants, but in the past year we have needed to shift their role to expansion efforts. This is because many schools now expect an expanding Greek organization to have a full-time staff member on site for upwards of a full academic year.
Another great addition for our Chapters is that Nicolas Hewgley is now stationed at HQ as our Director of Communication and Development. In addition to supporting our Chapter needs by managing the Coach visits and communications, Nick spearheads the support of our No2Hazing and It’s On Us programming.
The National Housing Corporation is headed by Brother Victor Ramos, Phi Lambda ’91, who has volunteered his talents to help restore our properties to be competitive and profitable. Currently, Alpha Phi at Purdue has ongoing improvements and Phi Epsilon at Syracuse is under a complete $1.9M rebuild. The houses at Phi Kappa and Phi Lambda are slated to be rented out to other Fraternities, but we are well positioned to be profitable allowing for future improvements of the properties. A special thank you to Jeff Turco, Judson West, John Wesche, Jay Anhorn and many more for their talented contributions to this effort!
Lastly, The North American Interfraternity Conference has required all of its member organizations to have greater transparency into our Health and Safety policies, as well as a Good Samaritan Policy. This is actually causing pause to all of our policies because they are outdated and need to either have “more teeth” or they need to better articulate their message. We are currently drafting up new policies and to find out more, you can visit: http://nicindy.org/about/standards/health-and-safe…
2017 Annual Report
Click the photo above to view the latest annual report. All donors who gave in 2017 received a printed copy. If you would like a print copy mailed to you, contact HQ at 732-988-0588.
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Foundation Meeting
All donors are invited to attend the next AXPEF Trustee Meeting.
Sat. Sept 29, 2018 @ 11:00AM
131 College Place
Syracuse, NY
Call 732-988-0588 for details and to RSVP. Come see the newly renovated house thanks to the loyal Phi Epsilon graduate Brothers, AXPEF and friends.
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SAVE THE DATE
105TH NATIONAL CONVENTION
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL
PHILADELPHIA – CHERRY HILL NJ
JULY 18-21, 2019
JULY 18-21, 2019
This is the kick-off to our 125th anniversary celebration – our Quasquicentennial!
In additional to our ritual Convention sessions and Council elections, we will be hosting 14 of the 16 Past National Presidents for a talk-show style program, induction of donors into our Lifetime Giving Societies, graduate Chapter receptions and social excursions for families and friends.
Rooms are available now to reserve for only $119/night and extend a three days before and after the Convention dates. Call (888) 233-9527 and mention “Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity” for the discounted rate.
Early bird registration will open later this summer. Stay tuned for details on special guests and programs to be available to all attendees.