↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier →

Sigma Phi Society

Tucson, AZ · EIN 135392442 · Form 990 · FY2020 · Micro (<$100K) · www.sigmaphi.org
revenue
$43K
expenses
$106K
net assets
$215K
employees
0
program ratio
61%
mission · from form 990

Education

profile · synthesized from sources

Sigma Phi Society is a social fraternity founded in 1827, recognized as the oldest in continuous existence in the United States. It supports academic excellence among its undergraduate chapters through awards, stipends, and educational programs administered by its affiliated 501(c)(3) foundation. The organization owns and preserves the historic Thorsen House in Berkeley, California, and publishes a periodic newsletter, The Flame, highlighting member achievements and activities.

named programs · 6 · from sources

what they call their work

Academic Excellence Award
Provides $50 per semester or $33 per trimester to undergraduate brothers who achieve Dean's List recognition; recipients are recognized in The Flame.
Campus Speaker Program
Supports educational events by funding speakers at undergraduate chapter events.
Convention Leadership Seminar
Hosts educational symposiums and leadership development events for members.
Graduate Research Project Stipend
Offers up to $500 in reimbursement for approved research projects pursued by Sigma Phi brothers in graduate programs; recipients are recognized in The Flame.
Honor Society Key Reimbursement
Reimburses costs for honor society membership keys such as Phi Beta Kappa or Tau Beta Pi for active brothers.
Thorsen House Restoration
Ongoing preservation and restoration of the historic Thorsen House in Berkeley, CA, including seismic retrofitting, structural repairs, and finish restoration.
activities · 5 groups

what they do

  • Academic Recognition and Chapter Publications Support 13 activities
    • Academic Honor Support
      Offers reimbursement for honor society keys such as Phi Beta Kappa or Tau Beta Pi.
    • Awarding Best Newsletter
      Presents awards for the Best Undergrad Newsletter and Best Graduate Newsletter.
    • Awarding best newsletter prizes
      Presents awards for the Best Undergrad Newsletter and Best Graduate Newsletter.
    • Awarding newsletter and honor society recognition
      Presents awards for the Best Undergrad Newsletter and Best Graduate Newsletter, and offers reimbursement for honor society keys like Phi Beta Kappa or Tau Beta Pi.
    • Awarding newsletter and honor society recognition
      Presents awards for the Best Undergrad Newsletter and Best Graduate Newsletter, and offers reimbursement for honor society keys such as Phi Beta Kappa or Tau Beta Pi.
    • Honor society key reimbursement
      Offers reimbursement to members for honor society keys, such as Phi Beta Kappa or Tau Beta Pi.
    • Providing honor society key reimbursements
      Offers reimbursement for honor society keys, such as Phi Beta Kappa or Tau Beta Pi.
    • Publication of The Flame newsletter
      Produces and publishes a periodical newsletter titled The Flame, which includes recognition of members' academic achievements and features awards for best undergraduate and graduate newsletters.
    • Publications and Communications Support
      Produces and publishes a periodical newsletter titled The Flame, recognizes members' academic achievements in its publication, and presents awards for Best Undergrad and Best Graduate Newsletter.
    • Publishing The Flame Newsletter
      Produces and publishes a periodical newsletter titled The Flame.
    • Publishing The Flame newsletter
      Produces and publishes a periodical newsletter titled The Flame, which also recognizes undergraduate members for academic excellence.
    • Publishing The Flame newsletter
      Produces and publishes a periodical newsletter titled The Flame, which also recognizes undergraduate members for academic excellence.
    • Reimbursing Honor Society Keys
      Offers reimbursement for honor society keys, such as Phi Beta Kappa or Tau Beta Pi.
  • Chapter House Educational Infrastructure Funding 9 activities
    • Chapter House Infrastructure and Financial Support
      Provides stipends for printers and wireless infrastructure, funds education-related improvements for chapter houses, and makes mortgage investments for chapter house purchases or loans, including for Alpha of North Carolina.
    • Chapter house infrastructure and education funding
      Funds education-related improvements for chapter houses, provides stipends for wireless infrastructure and printers, and offers a stipend for inviting a professor to dinner.
    • Funding Chapter House Education Improvements
      Funds education-related improvements for chapter houses, including stipends for wireless infrastructure and printers.
    • Funding chapter house education improvements
      Funds education-related improvements for chapter houses, including stipends for wireless infrastructure and printers.
    • Making Chapter House Mortgage Investments
      Makes mortgage investments for chapter house purchases or loans, including for Alpha of North Carolina.
    • Making mortgage investments for chapter houses
      Makes mortgage investments for chapter house purchases or loans, including for Alpha of North Carolina.
    • Mortgage investments for chapter houses
      Makes mortgage investments and provides loans to support chapter house purchases, including for Alpha of North Carolina.
    • Providing chapter house improvements and stipends
      Funds education-related improvements for chapter houses, including stipends for wireless infrastructure and printers, and makes mortgage investments for chapter house purchases or loans, such as for Alpha of North Carolina.
    • Providing chapter house support
      Funds education-related improvements for chapter houses, provides stipends for wireless infrastructure and printers, and makes mortgage investments for chapter house purchases or loans, including for Alpha of North Carolina.
  • Women's Leadership Development Programs 8 activities
    • Campus Speaker Program and educational events
      Operates a Campus Speaker Program and organizes Convention Leadership Seminars and Educational Symposiums to support member development.
    • Leadership and Educational Programming
      Operates a Campus Speaker Program and organizes Convention Leadership Seminars or Educational Symposiums to support member development.
    • Operating a Campus Speaker Program
      Operates a Campus Speaker Program.
    • Operating a Campus Speaker Program
      Operates a Campus Speaker Program to bring speakers to campuses.
    • Operating academic and leadership programs
      Operates a Campus Speaker Program, organizes Convention Leadership Seminars or Educational Symposiums, and offers stipends for inviting professors to dinner.
    • Organizing Leadership Seminars and Educational Symposiums
      Organizes Convention Leadership Seminars or Educational Symposiums.
    • Organizing educational programs and events
      Operates a Campus Speaker Program, organizes Convention Leadership Seminars or Educational Symposiums, and offers stipends for inviting professors to dinner.
    • Organizing leadership seminars and educational symposiums
      Organizes Convention Leadership Seminars or Educational Symposiums.
  • Arts Instruction and Cultural Programming 5 activities
    • Graduate Research Support
      Reimburses Sigma Phi brothers pursuing advanced degrees up to $500 for expenses related to approved graduate research projects.
    • Graduate research expense reimbursement
      Reimburses Sigma Phi brothers pursuing advanced degrees up to $500 for expenses related to approved graduate research projects.
    • Reimbursing Graduate Research Expenses
      Reimburses Sigma Phi brothers pursuing advanced degrees up to $500 for expenses related to approved graduate research projects.
    • Reimbursing graduate research expenses
      Reimburses Sigma Phi brothers pursuing advanced degrees up to $500 for expenses related to approved graduate research projects.
    • Reimbursing graduate research expenses
      Reimburses Sigma Phi brothers pursuing advanced degrees up to $500 for expenses related to approved graduate research projects.
  • Uncategorized 20 activities
    • Academic Awards and Recognition Program
      Provides financial awards of up to $100 annually and $50 per semester (or $33 per trimester) to undergraduate members who achieve Dean's List recognition, along with public recognition in The Flame. Also presents Academic Excellence Awards to active members with Dean's List honors.
    • Academic Engagement Stipends
      Offers a stipend for members who invite a professor to dinner, promoting academic engagement.
    • Academic awards and recognition for undergraduate members
      Provides financial awards of up to $100 annually and $50 per semester (or $33 per trimester) to undergraduate members who achieve Dean's List recognition, along with formal recognition in The Flame, the organization's publication.
    • Awarding Academic Excellence Awards
      Provides financial awards of up to $100 per year to undergraduate members for academic achievement, specifically $50 per semester or $33 per trimester for those on the Dean's List, and recognizes these members in its publication, The Flame.
    • Awarding academic achievement grants
      Provides financial awards of up to $100 per year to undergraduate members for academic achievement, specifically $50 per semester or $33 per trimester for those on the Dean's List.
    • Awarding academic achievement grants
      Provides financial awards of up to $100 per year to undergraduate members for academic achievement, specifically $50 per semester or $33 per trimester for those on the Dean's List.
    • Chapter Expansion Oversight
      Maintains a limited expansion model by establishing chapters only at high-quality institutions to preserve community intimacy.
    • Chapter expansion and alumni engagement
      Maintains a limited expansion model by establishing chapters only at high-quality institutions to preserve community intimacy, and supports operational funding through alumni dues contributions to enable alumni engagement and maintain relationships with undergraduate chapters.
    • Limited chapter expansion model
      Maintains a limited expansion model by establishing chapters only at high-quality institutions to preserve community intimacy.
    • Maintaining a Limited Expansion Model
      Maintains a limited expansion model, establishing chapters only at high-quality institutions to preserve community intimacy.
    • Maintaining a limited chapter expansion model
      Maintains a limited expansion model, establishing chapters only at high-quality institutions to preserve community intimacy.
    • Maintaining a limited expansion model
      Maintains a limited expansion model, establishing chapters only at high-quality institutions to preserve community intimacy.
    • Offering stipends for professor dinners
      Offers a stipend for inviting a professor to dinner.
    • Preserving and Restoring the Thorsen House
      Owns and has preserved the Thorsen House since 1942, undertaking restoration efforts such as the timber balcony, structural shoring, wood flooring, shingle installation, original finish restoration, and exterior window painting.
    • Preserving and restoring the Thorsen House
      Owns and preserves the Thorsen House since 1942, undertaking restoration efforts such as timber balcony restoration, structural shoring, new wood flooring, shingle installation, original finish restoration, and exterior window painting.
    • Preserving and restoring the Thorsen House
      Owns and preserves the Thorsen House since 1942, undertaking restoration efforts such as the timber balcony, structural shoring, wood flooring, shingles, original finishes, and window exteriors.
    • Preserving and restoring the Thorsen House
      Owns and preserves the Thorsen House since 1942, undertaking restoration efforts such as timber balcony restoration, structural shoring, new wood flooring, shingle installation, original finish restoration, and exterior window painting.
    • Providing Professor Dinner Stipends
      Offers a stipend for inviting a professor to dinner.
    • Thorsen House Preservation and Restoration
      Owns and maintains the Thorsen House since 1942, conducting ongoing restoration and preservation work including structural shoring, balcony and flooring repairs, shingle replacement, wood paneling refinishing, and exterior painting to original specifications.
    • Thorsen House preservation and restoration
      Owns, maintains, and restores the Thorsen House, including structural improvements such as shoring, flooring, shingle replacement, balcony restoration, wood paneling refinishing, and exterior painting to original specifications.
financials · form 990 · fy2020
revenue
Total revenue$43K
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$44K102%
Investment income$-734-2%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$106K
Program expenses61%
Admin / overhead39%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$36K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$221K
Cash$9K
Investments$145K
Liabilities$5K
Net assets$215K
Liquid reserves17.4 mo
1 years on record · 2020–2020
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2020

who runs it

board members · 1
  • Ronald Lackey — General Counsel
relationships · 15

who they work with

  • Cornell University Partner — Hosts the Epsilon of New York chapter of Sigma Phi Society
  • Hamilton College Partner — Hosts the Beta of New York chapter of Sigma Phi Society
  • Hobart College Partner — Hosts the Delta of New York chapter of Sigma Phi Society
  • Lehigh University Partner — Hosts the Alpha of Pennsylvania chapter of Sigma Phi Society
  • Sigma Phi Educational Foundation Network — Administers the Academic Excellence Program on behalf of Sigma Phi Society.
  • Sigma Phi Educational Foundation (SPEF) Partner — Evaluates graduate research projects and provides reimbursement for approved projects.
  • Union College Partner — Hosts the Alpha of New York chapter of Sigma Phi Society
  • University of California - Berkeley Partner — Hosts the Alpha of California chapter of Sigma Phi Society
  • University of Michigan Partner — Hosts the Alpha of Michigan chapter of Sigma Phi Society
  • University of North Carolina Partner — Hosts the Alpha of North Carolina chapter of Sigma Phi Society
  • University of Texas - Austin Partner — Future host of the Alpha of Texas chapter of Sigma Phi Society
  • University of Vermont Partner — Hosts the Alpha of Vermont chapter of Sigma Phi Society
  • University of Virginia Partner — Hosts the Alpha of Virginia chapter of Sigma Phi Society
  • University of Wisconsin - Madison Partner — Hosts the Alpha of Wisconsin chapter of Sigma Phi Society
  • Williams College Partner — Hosts the Alpha of Massachusetts chapter of Sigma Phi Society