fbpx
Impact

introduction

More than 255,000 living members are the product of a story that has been building on itself since 1855 when seven college students found in themselves, and each other, an uncommon strength of character to pursue a dream — to enhance the leadership abilities of men by refining their character through the framework of Friendship, Justice and Learning — and pass that dream on to other young men who would carry it forward.

During our 164 years, Sigma Chi has initiated more than 350,000 men.

Sigma Chis have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, been honored with Academy Awards and have occupied the Oval Office in The White House.

Our members have also been pioneers in space, medicine, politics, law, education in business.

Our impact, however, is much more than the individual achievements of our members.

Today, through world-class educational member development curriculum that reflects the importance of self, others, action and community, our members, representing 237 active undergraduate chapters and 129 alumni chapters/associations/clubs are taking Sigma Chi values and making a difference on their campuses and our world.

Member Development

To be a Sigma Chi is to embrace a process of lifelong learning and a lifelong commitment to a set of ideals by which all Sigma Chis pledge to live — one of which is pursuing wisdom.

As a Fraternity, our overarching goal is the leadership development of our members through values-based training and education. Our member development opportunities include curriculum dedicated to the cultivation of transformational leadership, as well as a focus on the relevant issues confronting our brothers on college campuses today such as alcohol and drug abuse, sexual misconduct, mental health awareness, suicide prevention, hazing, strategic visioning and operational guidance.

Sigma Chi stands committed to the education of our members — a commitment that does not end at graduation.

By providing our members with world class educational opportunities, Sigma Chi is making a positive impact on campuses, communities and ultimately on the world.

To see how Sigma Chi is helping our members make an impact, click here.

excellence on campus

When compared with other campus organizations and entities, the impact of Sigma Chi is evidenced by the community service, philanthropic efforts and campus-wide activities by our members.

  • More than 70 percent of Sigma Chi chapters are above the all-men’s average GPA on their campus.
  • Sigma Chi men contribute more than 250,000 hours of community service each year.
  • Sigma Chi men have contributed more than $40 million to charitable causes over the last 10 years — including more than $4.8 million during the 2018 to 2019 academic year alone.
  • On average, Sigma Chi chapters produce 24 student body presidents per year (while our members represent less than 0.1 percent of the overall student body.
  • Eighty-five (85) percent of chapters produce an officer on their campus Interfraternity Council.
  • Eighty-five (85) percent of all undergraduate brothers participate in one or more extracurricular activity on campus.
  • Sigma Chi has recorded continual decreases in health and safety issues over the last six years, including substance abuse, hazing and other behavior issues.

This impact is reflected through the increased annual support of engaged alumni volunteers, program facilitators and donors, whose contributions encourage the leadership growth of our members.

  • The Sigma Chi Foundation has increased its commitment to the success of our members by providing the most leadership program and academic scholarship support within the Greek-letter world — with academic scholarship opportunities expected to reach the $3 million mark annually, when combined with chapter-specific awards, by 2030.

community leadership

As an organization, Sigma Chi has made active efforts to provide members with the tools necessary to make values-based decisions as it pertains to relevant issues on college campuses today such as drug and alcohol abuse, suicide and mental health awareness, and sexual misconduct.

  • Sigma Chi led the Greek-letter world with legislation prohibiting hard alcohol in chapter facilities — a decision lauded and implemented throughout organizations within the National Interfraternity Council in 2018.

Furthermore, Sigma Chi has taken a lead role in the fight to preserve the freedom of association rights of college student.

  • The Fraternity is present among the lawsuit filed against Harvard University over its legislation banning students who are members within single-sex organizations from holding a leadership role or obtaining a fellowship on campus.
  • Fraternity leaders are engaged with congressional officials and are proactively encouraging the passage of new legislation, the Collegiate Freedom of Association Act (CFAA), which was co-authored by Sig alum Ruben Gallego, HARVARD 2004, to support all college students.
  • The CFAA would prevent universities from penalizing students who are members of single-sex organizations, whether or not the groups are officially recognized.

Sigma Chi is also encouraging passage of the End All Hazing Act, introduced June 13, 2019, which will help foster the eradication of hazing at colleges and universities by ensuring campus-wide transparency and accountability in all student organizations.

Character-in-ActionTM

Throughout our organization’s history, undergraduate and alumni members of Sigma Chi have given their time, talents and treasure to change their campuses and community by volunteering for a variety of initiatives.

Whether it’s helping construct homes through Habitats for Humanity, serving the need-based and homeless community with canned food drives or meals, volunteering within local animal shelters or lending a hand in disaster relief, Sigs understand the meaning of giving back.

Sigma Chi recognizes these acts as Character-in-Action.TM

In 2005, Sigma Chi introduced the Mark V. Anderson Character-in-ActionTM Leadership Award to recognize the selfless acts of brothers. A formal recognition from the General Fraternity not only applauds these actions, but also allows non-members an opportunity to appreciate the scope and mission of the organization.

Here are a few examples of our members, who continue to go above and beyond:

Eric Feigl-Ding, Ph.D.

Johns Hopkins 2004

The Flint, Michigan water crisis inspired Feigl-Ding to create toxinalerg.org, a website that alerts schools and communities of high levels of heavy metals in water samples. The public can submit water data so that it appears on an interactive map on the website, making the level of its quality openly assessable. Water testing collection kits are available and can be tested by toxinalert.org to be placed on the interactive map.

University of Rochester Chapter

Each year, members of the University of Rochester undergraduate chapter spend days in the Dominican Republic building latrines and offering other assistance. It allows them to improve the lives of citizens in need and learn first-hand about poverty. In five years, the Rochester Chapter have constructed a church and 20 latrines, which help residents who were previously walking barefoot through human waste in the streets.

Tom Umstead

georgia tech 1956

Umstead and his nonprofit, Mr. Tom’s Heart, support a growing list of nonprofits, delivering discarded food and other items of need from area stores such as Costco or Kroger to homeless people, hungry children, lonely seniors and youth in hospitals on a daily basis.

Will Cleaver

Pittsburg State 1996

The devastating May 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri inspired Cleaver to serve hot barbecue meals to the first responders and residents in need at the site. From that event, Operation BBQ Relief was born. Operation BBQ Relief has gone on to serve more than 600,000 meals to victims and first responders at disaster sites across the country.

Nominate a Brother

Award criteria

  • Nominee must be a Sigma Chi.
  • Recognition should be for an action/deed that the nominee has performed within the last year, rather than for a monetary donation.
  • Recognition should be for an action that leads to the betterment of or support for the community, not for the advancement of Sigma Chi.
  • Nominee will not be recognized for service that is a part of his employment responsibility.

To nominate a brother who should be recognized with this award, send an email that answers the following questions to character@sigmachi.org.

  • What is the community service for which the brother is being nominated?
  • How and why did he begin such volunteer work?
  • How long has he been involved in these activities?
  • What percentage of the work was completed on a volunteer basis
  • How would you describe the nominee to others? What key traits does he possess that make him a man of good character?

Also provide the name and contact information of someone with whom the nominee has worked while volunteering on a project.

The Generation to end Cancer

From groundbreaking genetic research to a first-of-its-kind treatment to combat Ewing sarcoma, the second-most common bone cancer in children, the world-class research work at Salt Lake City’s Huntsman Cancer Institute is helping lead the fight against cancer.

Named in honor of renowned philanthropist, the late Order of Constantine and Significant Sig Jon Huntsman Sr., PENNSYLVANIA 1959, and his family, the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah has furthered Huntsman’s life goal of combatting and eradicating all forms of cancer.

The loss of his mother to breast cancer was something that motivated Jon Huntsman Sr. throughout his life. The commitment of more than $300 million from Huntsman and his family toward HCI has helped provide Utah and the western states with one of the best cancer hospitals in the world, and one of the most comprehensive cancer research centers, since HCI’s creation in 1995.

Knowing that 1 in every 2 men and 1 in every 3 women will get cancer during their lifetimes and the importance of the research being done at HCI, Sigma Chi officially announced during its 150th anniversary celebration in 2005 that it was partnering with Huntsman to make the Huntsman Cancer Foundation the preferred charity of the Fraternity.

In 2012, Huntsman Cancer Foundation was designated as the Fraternity’s sole preferred philanthropic partner, and, in 2015, Sigma Chi made history with the largest-ever philanthropic commitment from a Greek-letter men’s organization with an $11 million pledge — over $10 million of which has been raised in less than five years.

During the 2018 to 2019 Huntsman Challenge fundraising cycle, Sigma Chi chapters collectively raised more than $2.35 million for HCI. And, for the first time in the campaign’s history, three chapters surpassed the $100,000 milestone.

This commitment was furthered during Sigma Chi’s 82nd Grand Chapter in Salt Lake City as the Fraternity surpassed its prior historic commitment with an additional $20 million pledged towards HCI’s Women’s Health Center and Research Wing through 2030.

For more information on the Sigma Chi Huntsman Challenge, visit Huntsmanchallenge.org