Home- Is this something we are supposed to do as a full chapter? We already have a full philanthropy schedule.
- 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?
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 small percentage of your chapter that wants to become Iron Phis. This is ok. If you have 100% participation, even better, but don’t be disappointed if everyone doesn’t want to do it.
Is there a deadline for completing our athletic event?
No. 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. If you do not raise $1,000 before your athletic event, this is ok. You simply become an Iron Phi when you complete both requirements.
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. There are incentives in place when an individual reaches $2,500 or $5,000 over the lifetime of his Iron Phi efforts. We hope that individuals will continue to challenge themselves both athletically and through fundraising over the years.
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. Anybody can buy a variety of Iron Phi gear items at www.phideltstore.com. There is a ton of stuff there! Those who become Iron Phis get a 10% lifetime discount to the store.
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 provide default text for you to use when emailing family and friends from your online page, but you can make changes as you see fit. We also encourage you to share your online page on your social media platforms. We've seen that the most successful Iron Phis do this often.
How do you become an Iron Phi Chapter?
To become an Iron Phi Chapter, individuas from one chapter must collectively raise $10,000 within the July 1 - June 30 timeframe of each academic-year. This could be one individual raising $10,000, 10 individuals raising $1,000 or 20 individuals raising $500. The only requirement is that the chapter collectively raises $10,000. Upon reaching $10,000 raised in a given academic-year, we provide an Iron Phi Chapter banner to proudly hang in your chapter house.
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 or through PayPal on your page. The system provides a receipt automatically to the donors who donate online.
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 Participant Center so that these donations are added to your online total donation amount. After you have inputted the cash and check information into your Participant Center, 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 are then granted to The ALS Association at the end of each calendar-year. Donations raised by participants from Canadian chapters are split between The ALS Society of Canada and the Canadian Phi Delta Theta Scholarship Foundation. It's important to understand that donations by Canadians are not tax-deductible for them, as the donation is made to the Phi Delta Theta Foundat, and American entity.
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.
Does Iron Phi have sponsors?
Iron Phi has a number of corporate sponsors that offer products and discounts to all participants. You can find these sponsors under the News tab on the website. 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?
Visit the Benefits section under the News tab on the Iron Phi website to see a mock-up of the Iron Phi race shirt.
Any other unanswered questions that you may have can be sent to ironphi@phideltatheta.org. We will add the answer to this FAQ page.
