Pi Beta Phi Capital Campaign

Dear PA ETA Pi Phis,

The Pennsylvania Eta Chapter of Pi Beta Phi is announcing a Capital Campaign to celebrate 45 years as the oldest sorority at Lafayette College. We hope you will support us.

At present, there are five sororities on campus – (Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Phi, Delta Gamma, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Pi Beta Phi.) The PA Eta chapter of Pi Beta Phi is made of up 82 members and is a strong sisterhood with women of diverse backgrounds and interests. We have achieved a “full quota” during recruitment for the past several years.

In 2022, PA Eta won the Balfour Cup, the highest national award a chapter can attain from Pi Beta Phi Headquarters. They were recognized for their hard work against the “Abolish Greek Life” movement, strong academics and leadership, sisterhood experience, and philanthropy which includes weekly direct service with the Easton Area Community Center and the annual Dance Marathon.

The current Pi Phi house is located across from the tennis courts at 750B Sullivan Road and houses 32 women in 19 rooms with two main bathrooms. The house is owned by Lafayette College.

To celebrate our long-term success, a committee has been formed to achieve the dual goals of undertaking a renovation of the current house with a view towards making it the premier sorority living experience on campus and establishing of a scholarship to attract and retain exceptional new members regardless of financial means. We currently have a strong Steering Committee with Wynne Whitman ’86, Betsy (Hughes) Phillips ’85, and Kristin Anderson ’14 serving as committed leaders who want to see this project completed. Now, we are asking you to engage in the process.

Our Mission

Our vision encompasses the entire sorority experience and will help PA Eta to continue to attract the best Lafayette women through financial accessibility and a first-class living experience. Our donors will not only be increasing accessibility and inclusion to all women who receive Pi Phi bids, but also help to make the chapter’s home on Sullivan Drive the premier sorority house on campus.

As a sorority, we believe in the power of sisterhood to make a positive impact on the world. With your support, we can continue to strengthen our chapter and provide opportunities for women to develop their full potential.

The Proposed Project

We’ve partnered with the College and hope to invest $550,000 towards these goals.

Rendering of a proposed new kitchen area in the Pi Beta Phi sorority house.

The College has agreed to invest in the chapter facility in several areas including moisture remediation, facility generator, new roof, and completely renovated bathrooms over the next three years, finishing by summer 2025. Altogether, this represents over $300,000 in investment from the College towards our goals.

We are proposing that we simultaneously solicit alumnae for $200,000 for a renovation and expansion of the kitchen to greatly improve the living experience of our collegians. By providing a pleasant and functional kitchen, along with renovated bathrooms and shared communal spaces, the chapter facility will be much more in line with what current students are seeking in sorority living.

We also propose to raise funds which will support a scholarship for collegiate women joining Pi Phi at Lafayette. Further details will be shared as work through potential opportunities.

More details will follow, but we are looking to engage and recruit Fundraising Captains. As a Captain, you would be asked to help raise awareness of our Campaign within our sisterhood and help by reaching out to some of the women that you have overlapped with during your time at Lafayette.

Any donations to our project raised will count as a donation to Lafayette College (eligible for giving tiers, Marquis Society, etc.). Pledged donations can be made over 5 years and various giving incentives are being planned.

Please stay tuned for more details and please email Kristin Anderson ’14 (kristinwanderson@gmail.com) to express your interest. We are especially interested in adding representation from the charter group in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and pledge classes in the 1990s, and 2000s. Active alumnae engagement will be key to our success and we hope we can have your support!

Would you be interested in working together to help publicize this project? If so, please contact Kristin Anderson (kristinwanderson@gmail.com) or Wynne Whitman (wawhit88@gmail.com).