FIJI's Shave to Save: A Toolkit for Successful Fundraising by Charitable Organizations

"FIJI's Shave to Save" took place in Fall 2021 when 47 members of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) at Arizona State University got their heads shaved as a public demonstration of the fraternity's commitment to the mission of the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and their Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (the Center). Through tremendous community support, the majority of which came from members' families, FIJI alumni, and participating member sororities of Arizona State University's Panhellenic Council, we collectively raised $63,640 for the Center. These funds are directed towards the Center's groundbreaking research and efforts to improve the lives of children with rare disorders through genomic sequencing. Aside from the lives impacted by the fundraiser, this news was highlighted in publications from multiple media outlets and exhibited the positive impact that Greek Life is capable of. Months prior to this initiative, Taylor Dintzner (2021 Chapter President) and Cameron Chew (2021 Philanthropy Chairman) were lost and did not know how to approach the execution of a successful fundraiser. In December 2021, they met with Rob Caudill, Executive Director at the International Headquarters of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI), to discuss international publicity for the initiative. The verdict was that other FIJI Chapters may benefit from a "toolkit" that details how FIJI at Arizona State University was able to raise $63,500 for TGen. "FIJI's Shave to Save: A Toolkit for Successful Fundraising by Charitable Organizations" is intended to be a resource that encourages FIJI Chapters internationally to execute their own "FIJI's Shave to Save" initiative, giving them all of the tools necessary to follow a similar format and raise funds for TGen's Center for Rare Childhood Disorders. Media Highlighting FIJI at Arizona State University's Community Impact: https://linktr.ee/fijigraduatechapter