New Chapter Three-Year Plan
Shaping People, Shaping Business
Revised 05/13
|Contents|
|Introduction| ..........................................................................................................3
|Minimum Standards| ..............................................................................................4
|Year One| ...............................................................................................................5
Membership ....................................................................................................5
Financial ...........................................................................................................5
Annual Chapter Report (ACR)...........................................................................6
|Year Two| ...............................................................................................................7
Membership ....................................................................................................7
Financial ...........................................................................................................7
Annual Chapter Report (ACR)...........................................................................8
|Year Three| .............................................................................................................9
Membership ....................................................................................................9
Financial ...........................................................................................................9
Annual Chapter Report (ACR).........................................................................10
|Additional Resources|...........................................................................................11
New Chapter Three-Year Plan
2 | Page
|Introduction|
Congratulations on becoming a chartered chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi! The New Chapter Three-Year Plan will
serve as a resource for you chapter over the next three years. The formative years as a chapter are very
important. These years will set the foundation for the chapter and set the minimum expectations for future
years. These guidelines are to be used to help plan chapter operations each year. Please implement these
guidelines into other chapter planning activities each year. The goals set within this document are minimum
goals and the chapter should strive to meet and exceed all these goals when they are able.
If there are any questions regarding this document please contact:
ACR & Membership: Jennifer Adamany
Director of Chapter Services and Expansion
jennifer@akpsi.org
Finance:
Brian Parker
Director of Operations
brian@akpsi.org
New Chapter Three-Year Plan
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|Minimum Standards|
Each year, the chapter must meet nine (9) minimum standards. This requirement is to ensure the basic
operations necessary for sustainability are met. The minimum standards are:
•
Initiate at least 10 new members;
•
Maintain a year-end membership size of at least 20 members;
•
Conduct at least six professional events;
•
Each chapter member must attend at least two professional events;
•
Attend a fraternity sponsored event (PBLI, Convention, or Academy);
•
Attend Regional Officer Training
•
Have a current balance by December 31;
•
Have a current balance by June 30; and
•
Follow pledge education standards as outlined in PEP.
New Chapter Three-Year Plan
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|Year One|
Membership
The chapter should be working toward building its membership. Do not forget to take into account any
graduating seniors. A chapter should always plan to initiate more members than the number of graduating
members.
Prospective member goal: 40 students (20 fall term/20 spring term)
A prospective member is a student that attends a recruitment event.
Bid extension goal: 30 students (15 fall term/15 spring term)
A bid extension is asking a prospective member to join the pledge program.
Pledge goal: 20 pledges (10 fall term/10 spring term)
A pledge is a student that accepts the bid extension, commits to the pledge program and has completed the
induction ceremony.
Initiate goal: 16 initiates (8 fall term/8 spring term)
An initiate is a student that fully completes the pledge program and has become a brother member.
Financial
The chapter will need to have a steady flow of money in order to run effectively. Do not forget that the
chapter will be charged insurance fees each September for the entire year. This is a per member fee, so
please be sure to incorporate this amount into your chapter dues. The minimum expenditures are given;
please do not forget to plan for professional, service, recruitment, fundraising and social events.
Member Dues
Fraternity member fee: $135 ($47.50 per semester and $30 insurance per year).
These fees cover regional support, subscription to The Diary, administration fees and liability.
Suggested local member fee: $20 ($10 per semester)
Pledge Dues
Fraternity pledge fee: $39 per pledge.
This fee covers the Fraternal Pledge Exam, Pledge Education Program (PEP) Manual and pledge recognition
button.
Suggested local pledge fee: $10 per pledge
Initiation Dues
Fraternity initiation fee: $65 per initiate.
New Chapter Three-Year Plan
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This fee covers a one year subscription to The Diary, initiation pin, membership certificate and card.
Suggested local initiation fee: $10 per pledge
Fundraising
Fundraising goal: $15 per member (including pledges)
The main source of income for the chapter will be the local dues. It will be up to the chapter to set a budget
and assess the necessary local dues based on the budgetary needs. The second source of income is fundraising
which is raised and used at the discretion of the chapter. The other sources of income for chapters may
include: grants, sponsorships, donations, university funding, etc.
Ritual Trunk
Ritual trunk cost: $1495 ($83.05/month)
The ritual trunk will need to be paid within the 18 months from the date of installation. The chapter does not
have to pay the cost of the ritual trunk all at once, so break it down per month. It is recommended to either
fundraise to cover the cost or divide it per person by including it in the local member dues.
(If this deadline is not met, the chapter will be charged finance fees.)
Fraternity Events
Convention savings plan: $150
Per the Board of Directors’ Statement of Policy, the chapter is to budget $150 for the convention savings plan.
This savings plan covers expenses for one and half students from your chapter.
Principled Business Leadership Institute: The chapter should budget for the expenses related to attending the
Principled Business Leadership Institute held each February.
Forward Balance
Forwarding budget to next year: $500
The overall goal of the chapter should be to have a forwarding balance to the next academic term that will
cover the initial expense of that semester.
Annual Chapter Report (ACR)
ACR Goal: 53,800
Minimum Standards: 25,000
Membership: 7,500
Training: 5,000
Events: 5,800
Demographics: 5,000
Funding: 1,500
Administrative: 4,000
The guideline above reflects the minimum amount of points the chapter should strive to attain its first year.
The chapter should always strive to receive the most points available on the ACR each year. As a new chapter,
the goal should be to provide great programming and events for its members, but to also gradually build up
the chapter over three years.
New Chapter Three-Year Plan
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Planning guides: One of the requirements for the ACR are the planning guides. The purpose of the planning
guides is to not only help with conducting events, but for easier transition management.
The planning guides need to be completed for any event the chapter lists on the ACR. No matter how big or
small the event, the planning guides encompasses two parts: planning and a post event evaluation. Before an
event takes place, the member or committee in charge of coordinating the event needs to complete the
planning portion of the planning guide. After the event took place, the member or committee in charge of
coordinating the event needs to make it a priority to document the lessons learned from conducting the
event. The more consistency with a project, the easier it gets, and the more successful the event.
|Year Two|
Membership
The chapter should be working towards developing its target market to build membership. The key to building
a strong chapter foundation is to recruit those within the chapter’s target market. Please refer to Road to
Brotherhood, page 10, on how to develop a target market.
Prospective member goal: 45 students (23 fall term/22 spring term)
A prospective member is a student that attends a recruitment event.
Bid extension goal: 35 students (18 fall term/17 spring term)
A bid extension is asking a prospective member to join the pledge program.
Pledge goal: 25 pledges (13 fall term/12 spring term)
A pledge is a student that accepts the bid extension, commits to the pledge program and has completed the
induction ceremony.
Initiate goal: 20 initiates (10 fall term/10 spring term)
An initiate is a student that fully completes the pledge program and has become a brother member.
Financial
The chapter will need to have a steady flow of money in order to run effectively. The ritual trunk should be
completely paid for within Year Two (18 months after installation). The chapter local dues may have changed
from Year One. The chapter should have more fundraisers and recruitment events as well as more members
than before. Be sure to have a completed budget for all expenditures and income for the chapter. The
minimum expenditures are given.
Member Dues
Fraternity member fee: $140 ($47.50 per semester and $30 insurance per year).
These fees cover regional support, subscription to The Diary, administration fees and liability.
New Chapter Three-Year Plan
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Suggested local member fee: $30 ($15 per semester)
Pledge Dues
Fraternity pledge fee: $39 per pledge.
This fee pays for the Fraternal Pledge Exam, Pledge Education Program (PEP) Manual and pledge recognition
button.
Suggested local pledge fee: $10 per pledge
Initiation Dues
Fraternity initiation fee: $65 per initiate.
This fee pays for a one year subscription to The Diary, initiation pin, membership certificate and card.
Suggested local initiation fee: $10 per pledge
Fundraising
Fundraising goal: $20 per member (including pledges)
Ritual Trunk
Ritual trunk payment: $1,495 (payments must be completed by 18th month after installation)
(If this deadline is not met, the chapter will be charged finance fees.)
Fraternity Events
Convention savings plan: $150
Per the Board of Directors’ Statement of Policy, the chapter is to budget $150 for the convention savings plan.
This savings plan covers expenses for one and half students from your chapter.
Principled Business Leadership Institute: The chapter should budget for the expenses related to attending
the Principled Business Leadership Institute held each February.
Forward Balance
Forwarding balance to next year: $1,000
The overall goal of the chapter should be to have a forwarding balance to the next academic term that will
cover the initial expense of that semester.
Annual Chapter Report (ACR)
ACR Goal: 77,600
Minimum Standards: 25,000
Membership: 15,000
Training: 10,000
Events: 11,600
Demographics: 5,000
Funding: 3,000
Administrative: 8,000
The guideline above reflects the minimum amount of points the chapter should strive to attain its first year.
The chapter should always strive to receive the most points available on the ACR each year. As a new chapter,
New Chapter Three-Year Plan
8 | Page
the goal should be to provide great programming and events for its members, but to also gradually build up
the chapter over three years.
Planning guides: One of the requirements for the ACR are the planning guides. The purpose of the planning
guides is to not only help with conducting events, but for easier transition management.
The planning guides need to be completed for any event the chapter lists on the ACR. No matter how big or
small the event, the planning guides encompasses two parts: planning and a post event evaluation. Before an
event takes place, the member or committee in charge of coordinating the event needs to complete the
planning portion of the planning guide. After the event took place, the member or committee in charge of
coordinating the event needs to make it a priority to document the lessons learned from conducting the
event. The more consistency with a project, the easier it gets, and the more successful the event.
|Year Three|
Membership
The target market for the chapter should be well established by the third year. The membership goal may
increase, but the quality of students the chapter is bringing in should not be compromised. Bringing in a wide
range of students that fit the chapter’s target market is preferred. This does not mean turning a prospective
member away because they don’t meet a stringent set of rules, instead each student should be evaluated on a
level of potential when they aren’t an exact fit of the target market. It is important to utilize the chapter’s
target market as a rough guideline for membership, but the goal of the chapter should be a diverse and ethical
group of students regardless of school year, age or major.
Prospective member goal: 50 students (25 fall term/25 spring term)
These fees cover regional support, subscription to The Diary, administration fees and liability.
Bid extension goal: 40 students (20 fall term/20 spring term)
A bid extension is asking a prospective member to join the pledge program.
Pledge goal: 30 pledges (15 fall term/15 spring term)
A pledge is a student that accepts the bid extension, commits to the pledge program and has completed the
induction ceremony.
Initiate goal: 25 initiates (13 fall term/12 spring term)
An initiate is a student that fully completes the pledge program and has become a brother member.
Financial
The financial goal for the chapter is to become maintain financially stability. In Year Three, the chapter should
focus on establishing an investment account or a specific savings plan for events and programming. Fraternity
events, as well as certain local chapter events, are held annually. Therefore, the chapter should prepare and
budget for those types of events well in advance. At this point, the chapter has established a solid budget and
New Chapter Three-Year Plan
9 | Page
recurring programming and events; this allows the chapter to focus on fundraising and directing the chapter
toward fiscal responsibility.
Member Dues
Fraternity member fee: $145 ($47.50 per semester and $30 insurance per year).
These fees cover regional support, subscription to The Diary, administration fees and liability.
Suggested local member fee: $20 per semester
Pledge Dues
Fraternity pledge fee: $39 per pledge.
This fee pays for the Fraternal Pledge Exam, Pledge Education Program (PEP) Manual and pledge recognition
button.
Suggested local pledge fee: $20 per pledge
Initiation Dues
Fraternity initiation fee: $65 per initiate.
This fee pays for a one year subscription to The Diary, initiation pin, membership certificate and card.
Suggested local initiation fee: $10 per pledge
Fundraising
Fundraising goal: $30 per member (including pledges)
Fraternity Events
Convention savings plan: $150
Per the Board of Directors’ Statement of Policy, the chapter is to budget $150 for the convention savings plan.
This savings plan covers expenses for one and half students from your chapter.
Principled Business Leadership Institute: The chapter should budget for the expenses related to attending the
Principled Business Leadership Institute held each February.
Travel fund account: Optional account to off-set expenses to fraternity events
Forward Balance
Forwarding balance to next year: $1,500
Annual Chapter Report (ACR)
ACR Goal: 100,000
Minimum Standards: 25,000
Membership: 22,500
Training: 15,000
New Chapter Three-Year Plan
Events: 17,500
Demographics: 5,000
Funding: 5,000
Administrative: 10,000
10 | Page
By Year Three the chapter should strive to achieve the most points possible on the ACR. Reaching 100,000
points is a great accomplishment! Upon receiving 100,000 points on the ACR, the chapter is recognized as
Chapter of the Year.
Planning guides: One of the requirements for the ACR are the planning guides. The purpose of the planning
guides is to not only help with conducting events, but for easier transition management.
The planning guides need to be completed for any event the chapter lists on the ACR. No matter how big or
small the event, the planning guides encompasses two parts: planning and a post event evaluation. Before an
event takes place, the member or committee in charge of coordinating the event needs to complete the
planning portion of the planning guide. After the event took place, the member or committee in charge of
coordinating the event needs to make it a priority to document the lessons learned from conducting the
event. The more consistency with a project, the easier it gets, and the more successful the event.
|Additional Resources|
For documents and educational materials, refer to the Forms and Documents page of akpsi.org.
Revised 05/13