- Is this something we are supposed to do as a full chapter? We already have a full philanthropy schedule.
- Do we have to race in the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati?
- Is there a deadline for completing our athletic event?
- What are the benefits of becoming an Iron Phi?
- Do we have to raise $1,000 to participate?
- Can the $1,000 fundraising goal be split across a team?
- If I want to do more than one Iron Phi race, will I have to raise the $1,000 each time?
- Where can I pick up “Iron Phi” gear for training, advertising, etc?
- How do you become an Iron Phi Chapter?
- Will there be PayPal or something similar once the individual fundraising sites are set up?
- Can I still ask for checks and cash during my fundraising efforts?
- Are donations tax deductible?
- Is there a minimum to what can be considered an Iron Phi Event?
- How do we get sponsored?
- What does the Iron Phi performance shirt look like?
- How much money is the Iron Phi initiative trying to raise?
Is this something we are supposed to do as a full chapter? We already have a full philanthropy schedule.
Iron Phi is an opportunity for individuals to achieve an athletic goal and “do good” in the process. If a number of individuals from a chapter want to train together and participate in the same race, by all means, we would encourage that. To become an Iron Phi though, an individual must raise $1,000 and achieve his event. In reality, there may only be a percentage of your chapter that wants to become Iron Phis. That is ok. If you have 100% participation, even better, but don’t be disappointed if everyone doesn’t want to do it.
Do we have to race in the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati?
You can participate in any type of athletic race, anywhere in the world, and at anytime during the year. There will be two or three events that we heavily promote each year, in hopes of getting a large number of Phis together to participate, but these are not the only Iron Phi events. We would encourage you to identify the best event for you.
Is there a deadline for completing our athletic event?
No. We hope that Iron Phi will be around Phi Delta Theta for many years to come. The best time to become an Iron Phi is when you are ready to pick an event of your liking, are comfortable with training for that event, and are motivated to raise $1,000.
What are the benefits of becoming an Iron Phi?
Let us first state that the point of Iron Phi is to give back. Having said that, there are tangible and intangible benefits to the individual who becomes an Iron Phi:
- An Iron Phi performance shirt for the athletic endeavor
- An Iron Phi “Bond Number”
- A chance to be on the field for the next Lou Gehrig Award presentation (1 Iron Phi each year)
- Recognition in The Scroll and on the Fraternity’s website
- Personal satisfaction for contributing to the fight against Lou Gehrig’s Disease
- Personal satisfaction for contributing to the strengthening of Phi Delta Theta
- A healthier body and opportunity to achieve an athletic goal
- Other race gifts provided by the organizers of the specific event
- The opportunity to be amongst a select Phi Delt brotherhood of athletes
Do we have to raise $1,000 to participate?
We’re not going to stop anybody from becoming more fit and participating with your brothers in an athletic event. To become an Iron Phi though, and reap the benefits, raising $1,000 is a requirement. If you are not able to raise $1,000 prior to your race, don’t worry. You’ll be able to keep your online fundraising page up for however long you would like. If you only raise $800 prior to your race, you can still raise $200 following the race and then reap the benefits.
Can the $1,000 fundraising goal be split across a team?
To become an Iron Phi, an individual must raise $1,000. If four people are running a marathon relay, each of them must raise $1,000 to become an Iron Phi. If three of the four relay members raise $1,000 and one doesn’t, the three that do would become Iron Phis, and the one who doesn’t would not until he reaches the fundraising goal. No matter how many brothers from your chapter decide to participate in Iron Phi, each must raise $1,000 to become an Iron Phi.
If I want to do more than one Iron Phi race, will I have to raise the $1,000 each time?
Individuals are more than welcome to do multiple Iron Phi events. At this point, you are only required to raise $1,000 once to obtain the benefits and become and Iron Phi. In the future, as the program grows, we will probably offer different levels of Iron Phi membership to distinguish those Phis who have accomplished the feat more than once. There may be different apparel giveaways for challenging yourself twice. For example, current Iron Phis may be given the opportunity to raise $800 and get an Iron Phi jacket. This is yet to be determined.
Where can I pick up “Iron Phi” gear for training, advertising, etc?
As far as gear goes, Iron Phis can obtain the Iron Phi performance shirt once they have raised their $1,000. In the near future, we will be working with a company to offer a wide variety of Iron Phi apparel for anyone to purchase from the Iron Phi website. It will essentially be an Iron Phi shop that will have everything from running and biking jerseys, to stocking caps and visers.
In regards to advertising materials, your main means of advertising will be through your personal online fundraising page off of the Iron Phi website. We will provide a model letter for you to use when emailing family and friends from your online page, but you can make changes as you see fit. There are Facebook integration capabilities within the online fundraising pages, but we are also looking into a Facebook application that will greatly enhance your fundraising efforts on Facebook.
How do you become an Iron Phi Chapter?
On our website it currently states that you can become an Iron Phi Chapter by raising $5,000. If individuals from a chapter collectively raise $5,000 on their way to becoming Iron Phis during a given year, they will be deemed an Iron Phi Chapter. We will provide an “Iron Phi Chapter” logo to be placed on your chapter website and to be used in any of your publications. On the homepage of www.ironphi.com, you will be able to see what chapters are in the lead when it comes to amount raised. We are currently working with The ALS Association to offer other bigger prizes to the top fundraising chapters.
Will there be PayPal or something similar once the individual fundraising sites are set up?
Yes, each individual fundraising page allows donors to contribute to your goal through credit card donations on your page. The system will provide a receipt automatically to the donors.
Can I still ask for checks and cash during my fundraising efforts?
Yes, if you would like to send physical letters asking for cash or check, you can do that. We will ask that you have your donors send the cash and checks directly to you. Once you receive cash and checks, you are able to input this into your online fundraising page so you can add the donations to your total donation amount. After you have inputted the cash and checks into the system, you can send them in a batch to The Phi Delta Theta Foundation – Attn: Iron Phi at 2 South Campus Ave. Oxford, OH 45056. Checks should be made out to Iron Phi. Please do not have donors send their checks directly to 2 South Campus Ave. as you will be responsible for tracking your own donations.
Are donations tax deductible?
Yes, donations to Iron Phi are tax deductable. All donations initially go to The Phi Delta Theta Foundation. The Phi Delta Theta Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization; contributions are tax-deductible as prescribed by law. Half of all donations will then be granted to The ALS Association.
Is there a minimum to what can be considered an Iron Phi Event?
Any athletic event can be considered an Iron Phi event. All we ask is that you select an event that will be challenging to you. We will leave the discretion to you as the individual athlete. For collegiate athletes, you will want to check with your coaches and associations on the legality of incorporating fundraising into a collegiate sponsored event. To be safe, we would recommend accomplishing an event outside of any NCAA or any other similar association competitions.
How do we get sponsored?
Iron Phi is working on initiative-wide corporate sponsors that will offer products and discounts to all participants. If individuals want to go after sponsorship for their individual cause, feel free to do so. Local businesses can donate to your fundraising efforts, and you are able to recognize these sponsors on your individual fundraising page.
What does the Iron Phi performance shirt look like?
We are currently working with The ALS Association to develop and produce the initial Iron Phi performance shirt, given to participants after reaching their $1,000 fundraising goal. We will keep all interested participants posted on this progress at www.ironphi.com.
How much money is the Iron Phi initiative trying to raise?
Our unofficial cumulative goal for Iron Phi fundraising looks four years into the future:
2010 - $100,000 – 100 participants
2011 - $200,000 – 200 participants
2012 - $300,000 – 300 participants
2013 - $400,000 – 400 participants
Reaching these goals over the course of the next four years would raise $1 million and see 1,000 Phis become Iron Phis.
Any other unanswered questions that you may have can be sent to ironphi@phideltatheta.org. We will add the answer to this FAQ page.
