Dear sisters and friends,
As Delta Gamma turns 150, we invite you to reflect on how your membership has enriched your life. Perhaps it’s leadership opportunities offered in college or during your alumnae years, scholarships that eased your tuition costs or even opportunities that allowed you to meaningfully assist others. It could also be simply knowing that when you stand up, a 250,000-member-strong sisterhood stands with you! How ever DG has impacted you, it is your investment in the Delta Gamma Foundation that continues to make these enriching experiences possible.
Together, we are securing the future of our club of mutual helpfulness with the steadfast support of the Foundation. This support is poised to create a profound and lasting impact in the areas of Individual Member Support, Training and Programming, and Service for Sight for years to come, making a world of difference for those we serve.
This past year, the Foundation awarded more scholarship and fellowship dollars than ever before. As more endowed scholarships and fellowships are established, the number of awards will continue to grow. This remarkable milestone is a testament to your continued trust. We continually hear from our sisters that these financial awards make a profound impact on their ability to serve and continue on in our sisterhood.
And now we have even more to celebrate in the culminating year of our record-breaking comprehensive campaign! In July, we unveiled the building plans of our future Leadership Training Center and Archives Museum to be located at Executive Offices in Columbus, Ohio. This grand endeavor marks a chapter in DG history that we are crafting collectively, and presents a unique opportunity for you to etch your name in the pages of our history.
Delta Gamma is, at its heart, about sisterhood. As you flip through the pages of this year’s Annual Impact Report, remember that we are honored to share all you’ve made possible for our 150-year-old sisterhood. We are forever grateful to you, and for all you do for our Foundation.
In the Bonds,
Jenn Stuart Ragusa, Zeta Lambda-UC Riverside, Chair, Foundation Board of Trustees (pictured left)
Leslie Loop Martin, Gamma Rho-Wittenberg, Foundation Executive Director (pictured right)
Promoting educational interests is at the heart of the Foundation's mission. Scholarships, fellowships and crisis grants support sisters when they need it most.
Aminaa Injinash, Zeta-Albion
Merit-Based Undergraduate Scholarship Recipient
During the pandemic, flying all the way across the world for higher education, Delta Gamma made Albion feel like home. Joining DG granted me the biggest support system, which was one of the best decisions I have ever made in college. Being a part of DG pushes me to be the best version of myself every day, inspiring me with eye-opening experiences and elucidating different cultures and perspectives. Knowing that my hard work and achievements have been recognized and rewarded by the Delta Gamma Foundation inspires me to strive to do more good things even further. This recognition and support through the merit-based scholarship reinforce my sense of belonging to a caring and supportive community. It reminds me that hard work and dedication are always valued, instilling a deep sense of pride in being associated with Delta Gamma.
Rachel Stanton, Zeta Alpha-Villanova
Merit-Based Undergraduate Scholarship Recipient
As a Delta Gamma, I am kindhearted and there for anyone who needs a shoulder to lean on. I am also focused on my studies and my achievements, but also those of the people around me. My achievements are important, but supporting my friends' and sisters' achievements is even more important. I have never met a Delta Gamma who does not fully embrace all of these values and I am so proud to be involved in a sisterhood that is so supportive and loving. The merit-based scholarship the Delta Gamma Foundation has awarded me has helped me move forward in my education and my future career and I am extremely thankful for the help Delta Gamma has given me. It is so important for Delta Gamma sisters to ensure programs like merit-based scholarships still exist as it helps to strengthen the sisterhood of Delta Gamma.
Noor Chaudhry, Zeta Xi-UAB
Sisters Helping Sisters: Need-Based Scholarship Recipient
The Sisters Helping Sisters: Need-Based Scholarship has allowed me to pursue my education with more ease. This scholarship is keeping me on track to graduate on time. This is crucial for me since I intend to matriculate into dental school for my doctorate in dental surgery two months after graduation. Being a Delta Gamma woman means being knowledgeable. Knowledge is power and I am thankful to be able to get an education. I love that my sisters push me to do my best, both academically and socially. This scholarship is helping me become the best doctor I can be! I am thankful for the diversity, friendships and life skills Delta Gamma has given me.
Anna Weeks, Beta Upsilon-Oregon State
Merit-Based Graduate Fellowship Recipient
Delta Gamma allowed me to pursue a dream I didn't think possible. Even after saving and working three jobs while in school, I knew I would still come up short. Receiving a Delta Gamma Foundation graduate fellowship means I can focus on my studies instead of worrying how I will pay my next bill. Delta Gamma always steps in when you need it most. It's programs like this that make me proud to say I am part of the lifelong sisterhood of DG. After I receive my master’s in higher education administration, I plan to work within communications at a university. Between admissions, financial aid and every new set of acronyms, I want to help breakdown information and make it accessible to all students.
Supporting transformational risk-management, mental health and well-being, and leadership development initiatives for members remains a Foundation priority in Training and Programming.
Over the past five years, the number of 18-25-year-olds who experience a mental health issue has steadily risen, meaning that about one in three college students faces some type of mental health challenge. Our collegiate members are no exception, and within Delta Gamma's Culture of Care, mental health and well-being are integral to a positive membership experience. Training and Programming initiatives offered by Delta Gamma Fraternity, and funded through gifts to the Foundation, provide education and resources to help members thrive.
Programs like "Anchored through Adversity" equip members with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote the health and well-being of all sisters, and approach conversations of expressing concern with care. Within the "Anchored through Adversity" curriculum, members can learn to understand mental health, learn coping skills and how to talk to a sister who may be experiencing a mental health challenge. They can also engage with programs developed by The Jed Foundation and tailored for Delta Gamma, to identify and support those who may struggle with mental health challenges, providing appropriate interventions, professional help and referral strategies. These Fraternity programs are vital to helping our collegians learn, grow, be well and do good.
We continually hear from our members the need for mental health education and as a Fraternity, we will aim to provide training and programming to assist our members in doing good for themselves and each other.
-Kendall Niccum, Tau-Iowa, staff director of training, development and member experience
Through Service for Sight, Delta Gammas work to create a world where people have access to the resources they need to live independent and fulfilling lives, sometimes with a guide dog by their side.
Promoting access and advocacy for people in the blind and low-vision community is a key component of the Foundation’s philanthropic mission. For many people who are blind or who have low vision, access to a guide dog can be a defining factor in enabling them to lead active lives, gain independence and achieve their goals. According to the Guide Dog Foundation, the services these organizations provide – often at little to no cost to recipients – are vital in the world of blindness and visual impairment.
The Delta Gamma Foundation partners closely with guide dog organizations, both through Service for Sight grants and hands-on service, because of the enormous impact a guide dog can have on a person's quality of life. Over the past five years, the Delta Gamma Foundation has awarded close to $700,000 in national Service for Sight grants and directed giving grants from collegiate chapter and alumnae groups' fundraising efforts for guide dogs. Volunteering, serving as puppy raisers, and creating dog toys and crate mats are just some of the ways Delta Gammas are doing good through Service for Sight.
Ed and Sully - Southern Guide Dogs
Ed Burton is a U.S. Navy Veteran and operating engineer mechanic, who was unable to continue serving in the military due to vision loss. Having lost his sense of purpose in a sighted world, Ed felt adrift and isolated. But Sully, a four-legged firecracker full of energy wouldn’t let Ed give up. Now, these two are living life to the fullest, side by side, ready for any adventure, thanks to a guide dog sponsorship from the Delta Gamma Foundation. Ed says: "I trust my life with this dog. She keeps me from falling into holes, running into tree limbs, and so much more. She has literally saved my life twice. It’s amazing the work they do. And the dogs just seem to know who needs them.”
Read more about Ed and Sully on the DG blog at deltagamma.org/service-for-sight-grant-creates-a-perfect-pair/.
Anastasia and Radar - Guide Dog Foundation
The Delta Gamma Foundation grant to the Guide Dog Foundation helped create 46 guide dog teams, including partnering Radar with Anastasia Pagonis, who took up competitive swimming after losing her vision at the age of 14. When the pandemic hit, Radar and Anastasia trained together each morning in her quest for the Paralympics. Anastasia ultimately won gold in the women's 400m freestyle and bronze in the women's 200m medley at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics!
Anastasia says her life "changed right then and there" when she partnered with Radar. “Having Radar has just given me so much independence and I’m literally in love with him. He’s the best thing ever,” Anastasia said. “We’re a match made in heaven.”
Chari and Haviland - Guide Dogs for the Blind
For people like Chari Chauvin, traveling to Guide Dogs for the Blind's campus for extended guide dog training just wasn't possible. The Delta Gamma Foundation's grant to the organization's In-Home Training Program allowed Chari the flexibility to work with guide dog and mobility instructors at home. The in-home training also helped Chari focus on the routes she takes to commute to her job with a global apparel company. After her first walk with Haviland, Chari said, “She is a go-getter and super responsive. It was that magic of ease of movement that I don't have using a white cane. It is fluid and fast and confident and all-around awesome.”
A message from our Campaign Co-Chairs:
Years of planning have led us to this epic Delta Gamma moment, and after a memorable 150-year celebration in July, we continue to reflect on this very special biennium. As Anchoring the Future Campaign co-chairs, we’re savoring every minute and in awe of the opportunity to be part of our sisterhood's history.
For the Campaign, it’s a year of hope and promise – the culmination of our goal to strengthen our beloved sisterhood for the next 150 years and beyond. While we’re on our way to achieving this vision, we still have a ways to go and we're asking you to join us in a way that is meaningful for you.
Your passion may be to help sisters pursue their academic dreams through scholarships and fellowships or perhaps your life was changed by a training or educational program, and you want to make sure others have this opportunity as well.
Your heart may draw you to our incredible philanthropy, Service for Sight, supporting vital grants for the five Delta Gamma Schools for Children with Visual Impairments, ground-breaking research and more.
You may also be interested in our Capital Initiatives Pillar, which includes an Archives Museum and the digitization of each and every ANCHORA since 1884 to preserve Delta Gamma’s history and treasures, making them accessible to all. Plus, creating a Leadership Training Center, and modernizing our Executive Offices to better support every member in the 21st century. We hope you will consider investing in this opportunity as well.
For those who are already part of Anchoring the Future, we’re truly heartened and humbled by your generosity. Thank you for lighting the way.
Sisters and friends, Delta Gamma only turns 150 once. This is our time. Please join us in supporting the Campaign for Delta Gamma. When we achieve our goal, we’ll help future Delta Gammas achieve theirs through our amazing sisterhood.
In the Bonds, Shaun and Laurie