Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is now in her
tenth term as Congresswoman for the District of Columbia. She is chair
of the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Emergency Management,
and Public Buildings. Named by President Jimmy Carter as the first
woman to chair the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, she came to
Congress as a national figure who had been a civil rights and feminist
leader, tenured law professor of law, and board member of three Fortune
500 companies. Ms. Norton also had been named one of the 100 most
important American women in one survey and one of the most powerful
women in Washington in another.
By LaTasha Gouirage
On March 26, 2010, the Phi Sigma Pi, Alpha Tau
Chapter Endowment Fund, Inc. (“The Fund”) will hold its 3rd Annual
Awards Banquet at Howard University’s Blackburn Ballroom. This year's
theme, "The Power of a Dream," represents the dream of promoting
excellence in education and service to the African American community.
This theme builds off some of the goals of The Fund by offering High
School students the opportunity to chase their dreams, attend college,
and advance their lives.
Beginning
a new tradition, The Fund will award its inaugural Excellence in
Leadership Award to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. Congresswoman
Norton embodies the ideals of the award, as it seeks to recognize an
individual or organization (public or private sector) providing
exceptional leadership that impacts Howard University and the global
community. Sitting as the sole representative for the entire District of
Columbia in Congress, Congresswoman Norton was selected as the 2010
Excellence in Leadership Award Recipient by the Endowment Fund Board of
Directors for her strong commitment to projects that promote the
advancement of minorities, especially in the area of education.
The
banquet will also feature the awarding of scholarships to two deserving
high school students who have met the requirements set forth by the
scholarship committee, as well as a special appearance by Miss Black
USA, Shayna Rudd and performances by "Group Without A Name," a Howard
University Fine Arts Jazz Ensemble.
The
Fund looks forward to seeing everyone at one of its signature events
this March. To purchase tickets, visit the website at
www.atendowment.org and click the "Awards Banquet" button.
By LaToya Martin and Morgan Grimes
The Fundraising Committee is comprised of
Chairwoman Morgan Grimes, Erika McDaniel, Ashley Denson and Treneisha
Jones. The committee continues to implement innovative ideas for
fundraising, while also growing the Fund’s donor base. One example of
this is the Fund's most successful fundraising event to date--the Family
Reunion Sunday Brunch, spearheaded by Erika McDaniel, the Fund’s
Treasurer. The committee is not just charged with creating and
coordinating events, however; they have also secured at least one major
donation this fiscal year and continue to seek other corporate donations
from interested partners. The committee is also currently working on an
action plan to successfully solicit grant monies and will be making a
recommendation to the Board of Directors in the coming months.
Currently
the Fundraising Committee is partnering with Awards Banquet Chair,
Ashley Denson, to acquire sponsorship for the 3rd Annual Awards Banquet.
Sponsorship can come either through corporate donations, or via
advertisements in the banquet's souvenir booklet. This year, we are
offering a very attractively priced business card advertisement to make
supporting the banquet something everyone can afford.
Chairwoman
Grimes is very excited about the committee’s growing potential. “I am
quite excited to be a part of the Fund's infancy and to help establish a
solid fundraising platform to help the Fund meet its financial goals,”
she said.
By Shara Taylor
The Fund realizes that much of its success
depends on its effectiveness in communicating with supporters by fully
utilizing Web 2.0 tools. Because of this, the Fund has recently created a
presence on social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter, as well as
continuing to utilize the organizational website, to reach a technology
savvy generation that relies heavily on social media to stay connected
to the world.
The
Facebook fanpage allows people to become fans of Phi Sigma Pi, Alpha
Tau Chapter Endowment Fund, Inc., providing them with important updates
without overloading their inboxes. It also provides a more efficient
avenue for sharing information, as Facebook fans and friends can also
post the fan page to their profiles for other Facebook users to view.
Twitter (@atendowment), with its 140-character limit for updates, gives
quick glimpses into upcoming Fund events and activities and provides the
Fund with yet another opportunity for immediate communication. With
plans to launch a revamped website that will provide visitors with an
interactive experience that includes polls, photos, and an online
donation portal, the Fund seeks to continue building on the new media
technology available.
The
Fund is excited to receive feedback regarding ways to improve its new
media presence, keep its supporters engaged, and reach potential donors.
Please contact Erika McDaniel at marketing@atendowment.org to share
your suggestions and join us on Facebook and Twitter!
By Erika McDaniel
An organization’s most valuable asset is its
people. The brand, some would say, follows closely behind. In fact, the
world’s most powerful and popular organizations and people also have
some of the strongest brands – Pepsi, Nike, and Apple are great
examples. And, as evidenced by events in recent memory, a tarnished
brand can be crippling; Toyota and Tiger Woods serve as two prime
examples. The brand communicates the organization’s values and
principles without uttering a word.
Therefore,
it is important for The Fund that we establish a strong brand from the
very beginning. Over the past nine months we have been working to
develop an overall brand for The Fund and implement the brand into all
outgoing communications and Fund materials. Our supporters and donors
may have noticed a number of changes to The Fund’s online, e-mail and
print materials. Some of the most noticeable changes include our new
logo and motto (“Sharing the Book of Knowledge”) and refreshed website.
Other, less visible changes include updated letterhead, scholarship
applications, sponsor information packs and business cards.
Besides
our recent delve into new media on the Internet, The Fund also has a
number of branding initiatives remaining in the pipeline – including a
Wikipedia page and marketing brochures. Although The Fund is relatively
new, the Board of Directors is committed to communicating a clear brand
that allows our donors and supporters to feel confident that we are
committed to ideals of scholarship, leadership, fellowship and, most
importantly, sharing the book of knowledge.
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