A perfect holiday gift: literacy

What can I do this season to promote literacy?

Make a donation on First Book’s^® Web site in December, and Random House Children’s Books will match your donation. Your gift will count twice!

Instead of the traditional gift exchange between friends, have everyone donate brand-new books to a local nonprofit program serving underprivileged youth.

Send flowers to the hostess of your holiday party from 1-800-FLOWERS.COM^TM. For every purchase made, some of the proceeds come back to the Fraternity to support Fraternity programming, including various literacy projects.

Shop for friends and family at The Literacy Site. For every purchase, a donation of books is generated. Browse the site and you will find jewelry, clothing and accessories from various designers.

Above all else … just read! Read to your children or younger siblings. Or, think about volunteering your time to read to children in the hospital or at a local shelter.

Due Dates & Reminders

December:
Appoint Nominating Committee

Due Date & Reminders

December 1:
Dues must be received by this date to be considered for the award for Excellence in Membership Recruitment and Retention and for members to be excluded from the Fraternity invoice mailing.

This is also a good time to make the first payments toward required contributions so that the club will be eligible for awards later in the year.

Here we GROW again!

In January Pi Beta Phi will welcome a new chapter - Mississippi Gamma at Mississippi State University.

Alumnae Clubs are invited to help make our new members feel extra special by providing treats for goodie bags. Goodie Bags will be presented to members during a Bid Day celebration (Jan 25) and at a Cookie Shine (April 3). . These gifts of support can range from simple notes of welcome to a small item purchased by the club. We are anticipating 125-150 new members!

If your club would like to participate in this endeavor, please mail items for the Bid Day Goodie Bag by January 15 and items for the Cookie Shine Goodie Bag by March 23. Everything should be sent to Jessica - Leadership Development Consultant for MS Gamma.

Address: Jessica Hinton, c/o Pi Beta Phi, Mississippi State, MS 39762.

Please know that this is not a required activity by your club, only an opportunity to welcome our new sisters.

Suggestions on small gift items follow, please don't feel limited to or bound by these ideas.

• Individually wrapped arrow cookies
• Pi Phi Express items (post it notes, pencils, etc)
• Individual notes/notecards of welcome (can be computer generated and/or identical)
• Angel Stamps
• Individually wrapped candy (blue/wine M&Ms, candy coins with note attached "our club treasures you", "hugs and kisses from XXX" attached to hershey's candy, etc)
• Angel Stickers
• Individual dorm door signs. New York City alumnae prepared adorable dorm signs for the new chapter at NYU. Contact Director of Extension Paula Shepherd for the pattern and more information.
  
• Small items representing your clubs geographic area
• Angel items from oriental trading website
  

Pi Beta Phi Foundation has launched its new website.
Check it out here

Some highlights:

• A fresh new look provides Pi Phis and Foundation friends with the latest information on philanthropic grants and programs.

• You’re just a click away from scholarship applications, chapter and alumnae club gift forms, grant announcements and more!

• Additionally, the new secure online giving page accepts Discover and American Express in addition to Visa and MasterCard.

Thank you for visiting and please check back often for news updates, important date reminders, program information and your gifts to the Pi Beta Phi Foundation at work!

Nashville Alumnae Club presents . . .

Near Nashville? Be sure to check out Christmas Village

November 14 - 16

Tennessee State Fairgrounds

Ticket information can be found here

Christmas Village was created in 1961 and is organized and operated solely through the volunteer efforts of the Nashville Pi Beta Phi Alumnae club. Christmas Village benefits the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center and other Pi Beta Phi philanthropies.

*** Pi Phi Express is one of the merchants featured at this event!

Go to The Literacy Site today and help Pi Phi and First Book reach our goal of 34,000 books for kids in need.

Now through November 16, the value of your click will be doubled.

Click on the orange button that reads "Click Here to Give--Its Free".

You can click daily!