by Matt Mattson

I just thought this was a cool recruitment idea (when combined with the explanation below) and wanted to share. I will give full credit for this idea to the Gamma Theta Chapter of Beta Theta Pi at Washington State University.

I was working with that chapter on their upcoming fall recruitment calendar, and they were trying to come up with some creative ways to take advantage of normal college student behavior. They wanted to have a non-threatening, non-traditional method for attracting non-Greek students to their fraternity house. Knowing what we know, normally fraternity houses are scary to non-Greek students, and the most logical of them wouldn't dare set foot on frat house property (for good reason, in my opinion). So we were trying to think of something that would make it more inviting.

So imagine this scenario. Throughout the first week of school, all of the chapter members are constantly wandering around campus selling raffle tickets for a charity. With every person they sell a ticket to, they have a short conversation, get their name and contact information, and let them know that the big raffle prize will be given away at the pancake breakfast on Sunday morning. The members are also spending time all week handing out applications for their recruitment scholarship. The scholarship awardees would be announced at the big pancake breakfast the chapter's putting on Sunday. The chapter has also been working with sororities and other referral sources all week to get referrals of good potential members. They offer to thank the sororities and other referral sources by inviting them to the big pancake breakfast on Sunday. At the parties and social events on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday ever member in the chapter is offering free “hangover” breakfast on Sunday morning to everyone they meet.

Then on Sunday, guess what, the chapter serves pancakes for breakfast under a big tent on their front lawn. That's it… nothing too crazy, just free pancakes from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or so.

What I love about the idea is not the pancakes, not the tent, and to be honest, not that it is at the house (it might be better if it was somewhere else on campus). What I love about the idea is that it gives all the chapter members something of value to talk about (a.k.a. an “icebreaker”) when they're meeting people all week. It also provides REASONS to invite people to the event (saying thanks to the referral sources, scholarship awarded, raffle prize given, etc.), instead of just inviting people to an event for the sake of the event. 

Other variations on this idea might be to invite faculty, staff, alumni, parents etc. to attend, or even help. An organization might consider “charging” a $1 donation to a local charity, or 5 canned goods for breakfast. A chapter might consider working with the “orientation office” on campus to make this part of the university's orientation week. The organization might consider putting out yard games and turning it into a natural afternoon barbecue — making it an all day event.

Pancakes can be cheap, and better yet, they could be donated if the event was for charity.

Just thought it was a unique idea that could definitely work.

by Matt Mattson & Josh Orendi

One of the most popular recruitment ideas we share with fraternity leaders is what is known as the “recruitment scholarship.” 

This is a concept that has been mastered by a few international fraternity headquarters, especially Beta Theta Pi. Check out their whole program here: http://www.betathetapi.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=494&Itemid=268

Here's an example of an on-line application (created by a Phired Up Extreme Recruitment Makeover client): http://www.wsubeta.net/recruitment/scholarship_app.php

Here's where you can find Phired Up's new sample application: http://www.phiredup.com/files/admin/Mattson_&_Orendi_Honorary_Scholarship.doc

Here's how we describe the scholarship idea in our presentations and in a free resource you can find here: http://www.phiredup.com/files/admin/Presentation_Part_2_&_3_Handouts__6_cyl__vbsp__etc_.pdf

Offer a scholarship ($300-$500 is fine) to all non-Greek men; distribute scholarship applications far and wide; collect the scholarship applications (which include name/contact info of all applicants; consider interviews for top applicants; give away one scholarship to a deserving young man; follow up with all applicants you're interested in. Many chapters take on this great initiative, but fail to maximize it because they simply mail out the applications to all incoming freshmen. A better way to do it is to print up 2000 applications, and have your brothers hand them out around campus using an adaptation of the script below. However, giving out the scholarships applications isn't the most important part ‐ use the lure of free money as an icebreaker to start meaningful conversations with the strangers you're giving the applications to.

Here's an example of how to distribute it:
“Excuse me, are you interested in a $500 scholarship opportunity? My name is Matt, and I'm part of an organization on campus that celebrates academic potential ‐ that's just one of our values, and this is one way we represent that. Anyway, this is a simple one-page scholarship application, and all you have to do is fill it out to be considered for a $500 cash scholarship. Hey, don't I know you from Physics class?”

We got an E-mail today from a fraternity leader at the University of Michigan who wanted to do this whole scholarship thing right, so we put together a list of ways to market the scholarship to incoming freshman, and thought we’d share it with everyone. Here it is!
* A lot of chapters we work with that do summer recruitment efforts make a flier and print out a bunch of the applications (or make an on-line version available) and work with local high school counselors in and around their hometown to advertise it to students that are heading to their university.

* If you have a list of incoming freshmen or your names list that you built in the spring, or even incoming students you find on Facebook, send it to them.

* I STRONGLY recommend this approach. Print out about 2000-3000 copies (no kidding). Give each of your brothers a big-ass stack on the first day that new students arrive on campus for orientation or freshman move-in (or whatever). Tell your guys their only job is to walk around campus and hand out scholarship applications — the important thing is that they hand them out personally, meet the people they're giving them to, and use the applications as an icebreaker to a normal conversation. Encourage members to get names and contact info of everyone they meet, and maybe (hopefully) invite them to lunch, coffee, a study session, a pick-up football game, a recruitment event, or whatever.

* Use Facebook in anyway you can to get the word out about it.

* Give the application away at activities fairs, summer orientation days, registration days, etc.

* Talk to the Financial Aid / Scholarships Office or the Admissions office to see if they’ll let you include the application in a packet that they're already sending out or that they give away at registration/orientation days.

* You’ll notice on my sample application there are no fraternity letters or insignia. Be authentic, but there is not really a big need to advertise that you're a frat guy giving out a scholarship… If I'm a freshman, that seems fishy.

* Partner with an organization on campus that has credibility and name recognition (e.g. Student Activities, Student Government, Cheer team, etc.). This will increase your response rate and serve as a nice PR move.

* Find an alumnus to endow the scholarship (work with your HQ Foundation) and name the scholarship after him. Now the scholarship doesn't cost the chapter anything, you cultivated and honored a big time donor, and you have a reason not to display fraternity letters at the top of the application (which typically turns potential applicants off).

* Mail the applications to “the parents of…” not to the undergrad! Mom's fill out scholarships because they pay the bills.

* Include transfer students in your mailing list.

* Include women in your scholarship. You're building a great referral network, but also giving yourself a Names List of women you can share with a partner sorority in return for more referrals from their members.

* Include a self addressed envelope.

* Create an easy way for people to apply online.

* Celebrate the winners by having a banquet for all applicants (that's a recruitment event), with parents if possible. Post congratulations posters/advertisements for the winner (that's good PR). And make sure you actually give away the award and money (that's called integrity).