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Fraternity Restructures Volunteer Support

Posted On October 3, 2022 By akpsi In Volunteers /  

NOBLESVILLE (October 3, 2022) – Alpha Kappa Psi is excited to announce a new volunteer structure focused on better serving the needs of its collegiate chapters based on the findings from two Organizational Assessment Task Forces. 

The first task force concluded the next step in revising the volunteer support structure was to design and implement a new volunteer structure aligned with the functional operations of chapters. This structure would also better support the needs of collegiate members, chapter volunteers, and staff. 

In Summer 2022, the Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity Board of Directors commissioned the second Organizational Assessment Task Force to explore how to improve the volunteer structure to serve collegiate chapters’ needs better. The second task force, comprised of current and former volunteers, examined the critical role of the chapter advisor and how specialized teams based on functional operations could support the chapter officers and chapter advisor in improving an area of their operations.

As a result, eight functional needs were identified, and the same number of teams were developed to address those areas. This new volunteer structure is the evolution of the current regional manager system, expanding the knowledge and skills of these individuals across regions. The regional manager and chapter advisory board roles will transition into the functional team structure and broader fraternity volunteer structure. 

For Fall 2022, the focus is filling open chapter advisor roles and recruiting volunteers for four of the functional teams. These functional teams are prioritized based on current needs.

  • Operations
  • Recruitment and Member Education Managers (focused on the pledge program)
  • Membership
  • Finances 

How does the new volunteer structure impact the current Regional Management Team roles?

Chapter Advisor (CA)

  • The chapter advisor (CA) will continue to be the primary face-to-face volunteer and support for the collegiate chapter.
  • Chapter advisors will be in close communication regarding the state of the chapters’ operations with their chapter educational resource coordinators (CERCs). Section directors and regional directors correctly reported in Volunteer Central will receive copies of staff communication.
  • Chapter advisors are expected to be familiar with the Bridge to Brotherhood program and the chapter’s plan for its new member program.

Section Director (SD)

  • As of August 2022, the section director role remains unchanged and regional directors may recruit and fill open positions.

Regional Director (RD)

  • Regional directors will continue in their role; however, vacant positions will not be filled as the Fraternity Board of Directors and staff leadership continue to review the organization’s overall volunteer structure.

For further information, please consult the Volunteer Restructure FAQ. 

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Alpha Kappa Psi Announces Elected Fraternity Board of Directors

Posted On May 24, 2022 By akpsi In Alumni, Leadership, Volunteers /  

NOBLESVILLE, IN (May 24, 2022) – Micheal E. Dickson, Central Washington ’02-Life, and Debora E. Barrett, Montclair ’98, have been re-elected to the Fraternity Board of Directors by receiving a majority of the ballots submitted by the Alpha Kappa Psi Chapter Congress. The directors’ three-year terms will commence at the conclusion of the AKPsi Convention in Miami on August 6, 2022.

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Q&A with Amanda Belcher, Fraternity Manager of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Alpha Kappa Psi

Posted On September 17, 2021 By Nicole Klemp In Alumni, Blog Articles, Volunteers /  

During the fall of 2020, we launched an anonymous survey regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to better understand how well our fraternity fosters a culture in which all members can be their true authentic selves.

In this survey, we found that over 80% of our student members and 65% of our alumni members believe that Alpha Kappa Psi has a responsibility to provide DEI training.

Some of that foundational work has already begun, so to learn more, we sat down with Amanda Belcher, AKPsi’s Fraternity Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to learn more.

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Volunteerism in the NPO Field

Posted On April 3, 2019 By akpsi In Blog Articles, Volunteers /  

Non-profit organizations have become integral to communities around the world. Most importantly, each of these organization has a backbone made up of volunteers. To put it bluntly, NPOs would not exist without the hard work, time, and effort put in by each of these volunteers. In the spirit of gratitude, we want to take a moment to reflect on how volunteers impact nonprofits every day and why we should thank those volunteers every chance we get.

The Value of Volunteering

NPOs contributed nearly a trillion dollars to the US economy in 2015. As of 2016, there are over 1.5 million nonprofits operating in the United States, according to the Center of Charitable Statistics. While it’s nearly impossible to quantify the value of each volunteer,  start with the fact that for every hour a volunteer works for an NPO, that organization saves $24, according to Grantspace. In 2018 77.4 million Americans volunteered for a staggering 6.9 billion hours as reported by the Corporation for National and Community Service–a real boon to NPOs. It’s clear that volunteering has a massive impact on the US economy. However, what’s more important is the impact that they have on the communities they nurture.

Volunteering Takes Courage and Sacrifice

Nonprofits span many fields of charitable work. They help keep our environment clean and support the arts in communities across the country. They work tirelessly to improve the lives of the disenfranchised. Volunteers do everything from walking door-to-door collecting donations to stuffing envelopes, to sitting on the board of directors of the non-profit. No matter the position or job each person performs, the fact that they show up at all that really gets to the bottom of why we should all feel grateful for volunteers. At a time when the prominence of social media makes it easy to become insular and only look within; volunteers look beyond themselves in order to help the world. Obviously, volunteers show selflessness in their willingness to help but in many ways, they also show courage. It’s not always easy to put yourself out there and say, “How can I help?” Another word that comes to mind when thinking about volunteerism is sacrifice. People in the US are working more hours than ever which means time with friends and family is a priceless commodity. Nonetheless, many volunteers sacrifice this time for the greater good.

We Owe Volunteers Thanks 

Volunteers touch, in some way or another, the vast majority of the world. As a non-profit ourselves, Alpha Kappa Psi knows that there are so many reasons to say thank you. You are the reason that non-profit organizations work. If you know someone who volunteers take a moment to show some gratitude to them for their work. If you are one of the many people who take time out your life to volunteer, we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You helping to make the world a better place.

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