FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DENVER, CO (June 27, 2025) — To build upon a 170-year legacy and advance a vision that will carry the organization into its bicentennial, the Sigma Chi International Fraternity and Sigma Chi Foundation have announced a historic, three-year, $85 million capital campaign — the largest public fundraising effort ever undertaken by a Greek-letter organization. The campaign will support expanded scholarship and leadership development initiatives across North America.

Co-chaired by 68th Grand Consul and Sigma Chi Foundation President Michael Greenberg, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 1982, and Order of Constantine Sig and Grand Quaestor Dan Shaver, TEXAS TECH 1993, the campaign is the result of years of strategic planning through the Fraternity’s Expect More Strategic Plan. Built on three core pillars (detailed below), the plan addresses immediate needs while ensuring long-term impact: expanding accessibility through scholarships, delivering the Transformational Leader™ curriculum at every level, and enhancing a lifelong brotherhood experience.

“Upon the release of our strategic plan, it became clear we needed to engage our alumni and secure financial support to achieve our ambitious goals,” said 73rd Grand Consul Bob Wilson, FORT HAYS 1981. “Brothers Mike Greenberg and Dan Shaver, along with their committee, have partnered with the Sigma Chi Foundation Board of Governors and staff to launch this bold campaign. We aim to endow our Fraternity and chapters with academic scholarships and leadership development opportunities that will echo through our bicentennial and beyond. This initiative allows brothers to directly support their home chapters, expand leadership training, and increase our success while reducing challenges faced by our chapters.”

At Friday’s announcement during the 85th Grand Chapter at the Gaylord Rockies Resort, Greenberg shared that the campaign has already secured $60 million in commitments during its quiet phase, thanks to collaboration with leading fraternal fundraising firm Pennington & Company — doubling the scale of any previous Greek-letter fundraising effort.

A central focus of the campaign is the Thomas Cowan Bell Chapter Challenge, a transformative opportunity enabling alumni to create chapter-specific endowments for academic and leadership scholarships.

Offered at five levels — ranging from $250,000 to $1.5 million — and including a $10,000 annual “pay-as-you-go” option, these endowments preserve principal and provide recurring annual funding. Benefits grow with each level, including local implementation of The Leadership Journey™, which directly supports undergraduate brothers.

“Sigma Chi is at a pivotal moment in its history,” said Greenberg. “Data from the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) clearly shows that fraternity men need greater financial support and thrive with leadership training. That’s why we are moving boldly to expand our academic and leadership development scholarships. While we are publicly launching an $85 million campaign, our aspiration is to build an endowment exceeding $100 million — one that can sustain Sigma Chi and empower future generations of brothers for decades to come.”

The campaign officially launches in conjunction with Sigma Chi’s annual Founders Day of Giving, marking the 170th anniversary of the Fraternity’s founding in Oxford, Ohio, on June 28, 1855.

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FOUNDERS DAY MATCHING GIFT CHALLENGE

To support the launch of this initiative, seven brothers have pledged to match up to $1 million in donations received between now and July 15:

Matching Gift Commitments:

— Foundation Governor Emeritus and Significant Sig Hon. John Koskinen, DUKE 1961, and the Koskinen Family will match up to $500,000 for the Annual Fund.

— Significant Sig Jim Luce, NEVADA-LAS VEGAS 1980, and the Luce Family will match up to $150,000.

— Foundation Chairman, Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Jeff Muir, GEORGIA 1971, and the Muir Family will match up to $150,000.

— Order of Constantine Sig Chris Walters, ROANOKE 2000, will match up to $100,000.

— Grand Quaestor and Order of Constantine Sig Dan Shaver, TEXAS TECH 1993, will match up to $45,000.

— Former Foundation Chairman and Significant Sig Jeff Gill, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 1978, and the Gill Family Foundation will match up to $30,000 for Sigma Chi’s General Academic Scholarship Fund, supporting the Founders’ Scholarship program.

— Sixty-ninth Grand Consul Michael Ursillo, BROWN 1978, will match up to $25,000.

“Sigma Chi has always led the way — in leadership development and scholarship support,” said Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Jeff Muir, GEORGIA 1971, Chairman of the Sigma Chi Foundation Board of Governors. “This ambitious campaign will allow us to expand and improve these initiatives, making them more accessible at the regional and local levels for our members. It’s been 20 years since Sigma Chi’s last capital campaign. In that time, our need for leadership development and academic scholarship support has grown tenfold.”

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INFORMATIONAL WEBINARS ANNOUNCED

To further promote awareness and engagement, the Fraternity and Foundation will host three live informational webinars featuring Brother Greenberg and the newly elected 74th Grand Consul. These will take place on July 1, July 8, and July 15 at 8 p.m. (ET) and are open to all alumni and undergraduate brothers.

The webinars will provide a deep dive into the campaign’s purpose, timing, and impact — and how brothers can support Sigma Chi, including through the Bell Chapter Challenge.

To register, please visit the links below.

To contribute and help Sigma Chi reach its Founders Day of Giving goal, please visit:
https://donate.sigmachi.org/foundersday25