Sustaining Members Program

The Sustaining Member Program was created at the 1995 Phi Sigma Kappa General Convention to help provide a source of steady income for alumni clubs and associations while helping to offset the cost of printing the Signet and maintaining the Fraternity's membership files. The program led to the setting of alumni dues for all Phi Sigs and the changing of definition of a "Life Subscription" to the Signet.

How did the Sustaining Member Program come about?

The Signet has been the quarterly journal of Phi Sigma Kappa since 1879. Currently the Signet is funded jointly by the Grand Chapter and the Phi Sigma Kappa Foundation. The increases in the publishing and postage costs associated with producing the Signet, combined with the Fraternity's growing membership roll, was the primary catalyst for creating the Sustaining Member program. With an annual budget of $250,000, the Foundation simply could not fund scholarships, educational and leadership programs (such as regional conclaves and the Shonk Leadership School), and provide the necessary funding for four issues of the Signet for all 57,000 mailable alumni. A number of important factors were involved in reaching this decision.

Several years ago, the U.S. Postal Service changed their definition of a "lifetime" subscription for not-for-profit, membership organizations. They currently use a complicated equation that essentially breaks down the initiation fee paid by a brother (which of course has changed throughout the years for our members) and divide this fee by one-half the published annual subscription price at the time of initiation (which is presently $4). The resulting number is the number of years the U.S. Postal Service allows a person to receive the Signet in the form of a "lifetime" subscription.

For example, if a brother paid an initiation fee of $75 in the 1960's, and the subscription fee at initiation was $4, he is eligible for 37 years of the magazine ($75 divided by one half the subscription fee) and not until he actually passes away.

When the postal service performs an annual audit of our mailing list, the postal auditors use a random listing of brothers to determine the percentage of eligible "recipients" of the magazine, based on the above equation. When the number of brothers receiving the Signet exceeded the number of brothers who were eligible to receive the "lifetime" subscription, the Grand Chapter was required to pay additional postage for these brothers.

Additionally, postage rates continued to increase on an almost annual basis. All this was compounded by the fact that our mailing list continues to increase by some 1,200 new brothers annually, while relatively few brothers "depart" the list in joining the Chapter Eternal.

These increasing costs, combined with the need to continue adding programs like traveling leadership consultants, regional and international leadership schools and conclaves, and the Presidents' Academy, made it vital to seek additional income sources. Further, it was decided not saddle the undergraduate members with an additional fee increase that many could ill afford (presently, initiate and census fees from students make up 63% of the Grand Chapter's operating budget income).

As a result, the 1995 General Convention changed the definition of lifetime membership to include one issue of the Signet annually. Also, the 1995 General Convention approved the creation of the Sustaining Members program. Alumni who choose to participate in the Sustaining Member program receive an additional three issues of the Signet on top of the annual issue sent to all members. Additionally, the 1997 General Convention approved legislation to tie alumni club voting strength to the club's number of Sustaining Members.

How the Sustaining Member Program works

The 1995 General Convention recommended that the annual Sustaining Member fee be set at $25 per respondent, of which $5 would go to the Grand Chapter with the remainder being used by the participating alumni club. Alumni Clubs have two options for participation:

Option #1: The alumni club collects the Sustaining Member dues from its alumni membership and remits to the Grand Chapter the $5 per respondent fee.

Option #2: The Grand Chapter staff conducts the Sustaining Member program for the alumni club. Alumni are billed the recommended $25 per man (options are also given for alumni to contribute $35 or $50). The Grand Chapter oversees printing, mailing, supply purchasing, and bookkeeping. The Grand Chapter provides the following payment option to alumni when paying their Sustaining Member fees: cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Start up costs for new participating alumni clubs are deducted from subsequent Sustaining Member fees collected. The Grand Chapter keeps the $5 per respondent fee and remits to the alumni club the remaining monies raised, minus expenses.

Alumni from closed chapters (provided the alumni club is not operating), chapters without alumni clubs, and alumni clubs that choose not to participate in the Sustaining Member program, will be billed through the Signet. All proceeds will be retained by the Grand Chapter.

Since it's inception in 1996 the Sustaining Member program has raised over $150,000 for alumni clubs and house corporations to fund local alumni events, alumni club newsletters, chapter house improvements, and alumni club scholarships for undergraduate chapters.

The Sustaining Member program has been an unqualified success, not only for the Grand Chapter) but for the participating alumni clubs as well. The money raised through this program will continue to help both the Grand Chapter and alumni clubs provide important services for our growing membership as we face the new challenges and opportunities of the next millennium.

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