Pinewoods Educational Foundation
P.O. Box 150
Averill Park, New York 12018
SUBJECT: Donating to PEF or Sigma Chi instead of RPI
Brothers;
By now I’m sure all of you have heard and read about the latest unilateral edicts from the Shirley Jackson administration regarding Greek life at RPI. The new rules they plan to impose will likely harm all chapters on campus and will probably kill several by delaying Rush and placing large burdens on what can be done in rush and pledging and limiting options for spring rush to fill the houses. (See news update on this attack at https://sigmachi-rpi.org/news/ )
These damaging edicts came with virtually no affected-stakeholder input or consultation and little consideration of the harm that would be done and are on top of the great damage her administration has already done to the Institute’s finances, graduate schools and college rating scores, not to mention the Summer Arch program. For those unfamiliar, see: https://renewrensselaer.org/findings/ . While others continue to “fight the good fight” to preserve our chapter and heritage, this letter was prompted by an alum of our chapter who no longer wishes to make donations to RPI and asked about how he could donate to us instead.
For those of you who wish to move your dollars and ammunition towards the Delta Psi chapter, there is good news! You CAN make tax deductible donations without it going to RPI and you can also do so with some direction of your funds. Several options exist:
- Unrestricted donations to The Pinewoods Educational Foundation (PEF – a 501 (c) 3 corporation) which owns the house at 58 Pinewoods Avenue and has the added mission of providing scholarships and leadership training and other career development for Delta Psi and the broader RPI community.
- “Restricted” donations to PEF earmarked for specific purposes (for example; Delta Psi undergraduate scholarships, paying down the mortgage, etc.)
- Donations through the Sigma Chi Foundation, earmarked for Delta Psi undergraduate scholarships. Arch Love left a hefty sum to the Sigma Chi Foundation for just that purpose and PEF still administers the Arch Love Fund and awards scholarships from that Fund each fall.
- Donate directly to Phi Epsilon Phi (the house corporation) which manages the property at 58 Pinewoods for the Foundation and maintains Alumni Relations responsibility. Note that donations to PEP are NOT tax deductible since it is not a 501 (c) 3 public charity as PEF is.
A while ago an RPI Development officer called me to ask me to put RPI in my will. My answer to him was the same as I hope yours will be: “Until the administration changes or they radically change their policies towards Greek Life, I will make all of my donations to my chapter so that they will have the resources to survive and fight her administration.” I hope many of you will agree and do likewise!
In hoc signo vinces,
Jim Manocchi ’75
Delta Psi of Sigma Chi
President, Pinewoods Educational Foundation
Sigma Chi Fraternity 