Philanthropy | Frankly Penn

Category Archives: Philanthropy

September 20, 2013 · 4:39 pm

One Heart, One Way

Author: Carolyn Grace, C’16

Hey there past and present Quakers!

Today, I officially assume my role as both a work-study student at Alumni Relations and a sophisticated writer in the blogsophere. We’ll see how well that second job goes.

Needless to say, I am extremely excited to share with you all my sophomoric experiences as a sophomore here at Penn! Whether it’s late-night study sessions in Van Pelt or early morning brunches at 1920 Commons, flinging toast at football games or jamming during a cappella rehearsals, I will try my best to capture the many facets of campus life that remind me why I chose this incredible institution. So, here goes nothing!

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At 9:00 PM on Tuesday night, a to-go box of pasta and green beans in hand, I made my way to room F95 of Huntsman Hall with another 120 girls or so. It was time for the weekly chapter meeting of my sorority, Sigma Kappa!

Since I was given a bid to join last February, I have loved every minute of my time in SK. The motto for the sorority is “One Heart, One Way,” a phrase that rings true to its members. I had the amazing luck of getting into the same sorority as three of my other very close friends. What was even more amazing was the number of close friends I made over the course of the semester. Formals, philanthropy events, retreats, through it all I have met girls with interests and ideas that really intrigue me, regardless of whether or not they were similar to my own.

Bid Night 2013 - I am officially invited to join SK!

Bid Night 2013 – I am officially invited to join Sigma Kappa!

Wing Bowl – SK’s Spring Philanthropy Event

Although the school year has only just begun, Sigma Kappa is already up and running with events! Two weeks ago, the girls and I went on a boat cruise for our Sisterhood retreat. All aboard the Spirit of Philadelphia, we were treated to brunch, dancing, games, and a breathtaking view of our fair city. For this week’s chapter, we started planning our fall philanthropy event, Quizzo. Ranked last spring by 34th Street magazine as the best trivia event of the year, SK’s Quizzo is packed with fun facts and prizes! The money we raise goes towards our national Alzheimer’s Disease and Research Grant Program, one of the many charities we support.

S(K)ailing at our Sisterhood Retreat!

Finally, today is the beginning of our annual Moms and Special Women’s Weekend! We’re kicking off these next few days with a Meet the Moms dessert reception at City Tap House tonight at 8:00 PM. Other activities will include dinner in Center City, brunch at the Sigma Kappa chapter house, and both the Memory Mile Walk and Penn’s Second Annual 5K for the IOA (Institute on Aging). This weekend looks pretty packed, and I can’t wait to spend it with my mom and my SKisters!

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Filed under Campus Life, Carolyn G., Clubs, Philanthropy, Photos, Student Perspective

Tagged as Greek Life, Sigma Kappa, Sorority

August 2, 2013 · 9:52 am

Calling All Quakers!

Authors: Zack Seigel, C’14, and Taryn Williams, C’14

As supervisors of the Red & Blue Call Center, we maintain a staff of about 80 Penn students who help grow the University’s culture of philanthropy – one phone call at a time. Throughout the year, we speak with alumni, friends, and students’ parents for both the undergraduate and graduate schools. While the main objective of our calls is to raise funds for the schools, we also update contact information and make connections with alumni who often have great wisdom and stories to pass on to us as current students.

Zack (right) celebrating winning caller of the month in October with fellow caller Charles!

The efforts made by the callers have definitely paid off throughout the years. We consistently surpass many of our goals and expectations thanks to generous alumni, parents and friends. We have been doing so well, in fact, that last year we raised over $2.5 million from over 14,000 donors. We reached this right before ending for the year, and everyone was excited. Obviously celebration was necessary, so we marked this milestone at the end of the year with this custom-made pretzel (thanks Penn)!

While raising money for the school is the primary reason that many of us choose to work here, there are other reasons why we love this job. Every evening we play a game together – often Jeopardy or Family Feud – that motivates everyone in the center. Friendships are made during the downtime when nobody is answering the phones – and it’s always a bonus when Staci, our boss, bakes us cupcakes!

The Penn Fund visits to celebrate $1,000,000 raised!

We celebrate all of our accomplishments here in the center and we often have visitors from the University come to show their appreciation.

When we surpassed 1 million dollars raised for undergraduate education, staff from The Penn Fund came to visit and presented us with a thank you plaque for our efforts. They also brought us these cool mugs to show their appreciation. By the end of the fiscal year, we had raised over 1.3 million dollars for undergraduate education through The Penn Fund.

We had a fantastic year and are expecting an even better year in 2014. Thanks for your support and don’t forget to say “hi” if we call you!