Gamma Psi Chapter at The University of Northern Iowa
About Our Philanthropy
Gamma Phi Beta's philanthropic mission is to provide experiences and resources that build spiritual, mental, and social resiliency in girls. Our philanthropic vision is that we envision a community in which every girl and woman has the resiliency necessary to advance her own life and the lives of others. In short, our philanthropic focus is Building Strong Girls. We are passionate about our philanthropic focus because this is a mission we can all identify and connect with. We are women Building Strong Girls. Building Strong Girls doesn't address an existing challenge. Instead, it is proactive. We seek to provide opportunities for success in the youth of our community so they can be future leaders. In doing so, we partner with Girls on the Run.
PHILANTHROPIC FOCUS
Building Strong Girls
PHILANTHROPIC PARTNER
GIRLS ON THE RUN
Gamma Phi Beta is proud to work with Girls on the Run International as our philanthropic partner. Girls on the Run is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using evidence-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. They have 3rd-5th grade programming, 6th-8th grade programming, and Camp GOTR, which all actively teach girls how to build strong social, emotional, and physical skills. Throughout their program, coaches work with girls on these lessons like self confidence, anti bullying, healthy relationships. At the end, girls complete a celebratory 5K, where Gamma Phi Beta sisters are there to volunteer. We cheer girls on at the sidelines and finish line, make signs to support them, and even act as running buddies to help girls through their race! Often, Gamma Phi Beta sisters volunteer as Girls on the Run coaches, too, which allows us to connect with our philanthropy at a deeper level.
Our Philanthropy Events
Gamma Phi Hop
Every spring, we host our annual Gamma Phi Hop fundraiser. This fundraiser is an all you can eat pancake and breakfast bar with sausage, fruit, and all the toppings you could ask for! Gift cards, coupons, and other items donated from the Cedar Valley community are raffled off. All proceeds raised benefit Girls on the Run international and the Gamma Phi Beta foundation. Community members from the Cedar Valley and University of Northern Iowa are welcome to attend and benefit these organizations, and help us support building strong girls.
In 2022, Gamma Phi Hop on March 3rd, 2022, we raised $3,569 for Girls on the Run! Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed - we could not have done it without you! Building strong girls by partnering with Girls on the Run is something our chapter is very passionate about, and with the help of our gracious community we were able to donate to the Eastern Iowa foundation!
We partnered with local restaurants to hold fundraiser nights, where they would give back a portion of sales. Wednesday night we partnered with Panera and Thursday we had a giveback at Buffalo Wild Wings. In 2022, we celebrated our efforts and cause by hosting an Instagram Live, where we talked about our philanthropy, heard from a Gamma Psi alum and current GOTR coach, and gave away free Chick-fil-A and Raisin Cane's meal cards for attendees! From the gifts we received from local businesses and organizations, we were able to hold an online auction to benefit our fundraising efforts!
The success of this philanthropy week can be largely attributed to our sponsors, who contributed financial gifts to support our philanthropy week efforts.
Moonball
In the fall, our chapter hosts Moonball. Moonball is a volleyball tournament that welcomes members of the FSL and campus community to create a team and compete against others for a good cause. Along with friendly competition, attendees can also enjoy food donated from a variety of community businesses. All proceeds from team fees, food tickets, and donations benefit Girls on the Run International and the Gamma Phi Beta Foundation. To purchase a ticket to attend and play is $5, and for an additional $7 - you can enjoy a meal from a variety of well-know restaurants and catering businesses around the Cedar Valley.
The last Moonball event was be held on Saturday, October 15th, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Gamma Phi Beta house at 2115 Merner Ave. in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Be ready to cheer and play some volleyball to raise money for the Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa foundation at the next Moonball! Teams for this event can be up to seven players - so grab your friends and co-workers and create a team! Winners of the tournament receive a special prize, as well as the award-winning trophies. COME JOIN US!
