Message from Leadership
Reflecting on the past fiscal year, new Pi Beta Phi Foundation Trustees
KATHY PIZZETTA SPRINGER , Mississippi Alpha, and Ex Officio, Fraternity Grand Vice President Alumnae BETH TORRES , Illinois Zeta, share their insights on the power of Pi Phi, the impact of our philanthropic efforts and how we shape the future together.
KATHY PIZZETTA SPRINGER
Mississippi Alpha Pi Beta Phi Foundation Trustee
BETH
TORRES
Illinois Zeta
Ex-Officio, Grand Vice President Alumnae
LOOKING BACK ON THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR, WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS STAND OUT AS MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU?
Kathy: At Pi Phi’s 75th Biennial Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, we heard from Arkansas Alpha Chapter President JOSIE BOYKIN who received the 2024-2025 Diane Althoff Education scholarship from Pi Beta Phi Foundation. It allowed her to specialize in her major and pursue her goal of becoming an educator. I’m proud our Foundation awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships this academic year for collegians and alumnae to pursue their academic goals.
Beth: The ways chapters and alumnae clubs served their local communities was truly inspiring. Our members saw challenges and responded with action—organizing book drives, contributing to The Literacy Fund at Pi Beta Phi Foundation and volunteering with literacy partners and schools. These efforts directly resulted in nearly
30,000 books being donated across North America and vital funding for literacy initiatives close to home.
HOW
IS THE FOUNDATION’S WORK TODAY CREATING LONGTERM IMPACT FOR THE FUTURE?
Kathy: Pi Phi changes lives by fostering a lifelong love of reading. When the Fraternity invests in literacy initiatives we help break down barriers to education such as limited access to books at home, underfunded school libraries and the lack of culturally relevant reading materials in many communities. By promoting literacy, we help build healthier communities and a sustainable workforce.
Sorority women are also breaking barriers every day, using chapter and Fraternity leadership roles as springboards for personal and professional success. Donor support helps enable Pi Phi to provide intentional, values-based leadership programs that equip members with the confidence and skills they need to lead with purpose.
Beth: Through Local Impact Grants, Pi Phis have identified and donated to local literacy programs, reminding us that Pi Beta Phi’s international impact begins with local engagement. This year, we
celebrated a major milestone: more than $1 million awarded through Local Impact Grants since the program began in 2013. This momentum is driven by our chapters and alumnae clubs—what matters to them, what makes their Pi Phi experience meaningful and how they want to give back.
WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU SHARE WITH SUPPORTERS OF THE FOUNDATION?
Kathy: Our Foundation is the fuel that powers Pi Beta Phi’s future. Our founders imagined a community where women could support one another, grow as leaders and live out values that would shape their lives and the world around them. Your investment today helps secure a bright, sustainable future for Pi Beta Phi. I encourage you to invite a sister and friend to join you as a proud Foundation donor.
Beth: This Fraternity is shaped by Foundation donors. Your support empowers students through scholarships, improves chapter facilities through housing initiatives and helps Pi Phi expand its reach and deepen its impact in communities across North America. Foundation supporters are actively guiding and advancing the work done by Pi Phi.
Because of You, Our Future is Bright
For more than 150 years, Pi Beta Phi has been a guiding light for women to find their purpose, grow as leaders and discover true and Sincere Friendship. Our 12 founders envisioned a bright future for Pi Beta Phi, and we have the responsibility to honor their vision by sustaining our sisterhood for generations to come.
When you give to Pi Beta Phi Foundation, you are helping Pi Phi fulfill its mission to cultivate leaders, develop women of intellect and integrity, build a more literate society and support the sisters who will carry our legacy forward. Whether you are a first-time donor, a loyal monthly donor or include Pi Beta Phi in your estate plans, your generosity makes a difference. From the firstgeneration college student pursuing her academic goals with a Pi Beta Phi scholarship, to the sister who found hope in a disaster-relief grant, to the child holding a new book for the very first time—gifts to Pi Beta Phi Foundation come to life in the stories we share. We’re honored to share these highlights from the past fiscal year within this
report. The Pi Beta Phi Foundation 2024-2025 fiscal year Impact Report will be shared in early November.
OPERATIONS
Every gift to Pi Beta Phi Foundation is vital to advancing our mission.
Many donors choose to support areas especially meaningful to them—whether through scholarships, literacy, leadership programs, housing campaigns or other restricted funds. These gifts are essential and help sustain the Pi Phi experience; however, restricted gifts can only be used for their designated purpose.
To ensure Pi Phi can meet every need of our sisterhood, our Foundation relies on unrestricted gifts to the Friendship Fund. These flexible dollars make our work possible by covering essential operational needs such as salaries, technology, printing, travel and other day-to-day expenses. Once these needs are met, Friendship Fund dollars can then be directed toward other priorities such as scholarships, literacy, leadership programming and emergency assistance—wherever the need is
greatest. Last fiscal year, donors contributed $1,254,911 to the Friendship Fund through wine carnations, Pi Phi Giving Day donations, monthly giving and more. Because of these gifts, our Foundation had the strength to sustain operations, respond to urgent needs and plan boldly for the future.
“I may not know where the need is, but I trust that Pi Phi does. If I want my gift to do the most good for the most people, I want to put my money where it’s mobile and accessible. Our leadership and Board Members are making big
decisions, and I want to give them the resources to fund those priorities.”
— SHARON MALONE , M.D., Texas Epsilon
When we give together, we can ensure Pi Beta Phi remains a source of friendship, leadership and lifelong impact. The stories within these pages are in part thanks to your unrestricted gifts to the Friendship Fund. Scan the QR code to learn more about the Friendship Fund and other ways to ensure Pi Phi’s ongoing success.
Texas Epsilon’s Executive Council at Pi Beta Phi Headquarters during College Weekend 2025. From left: WHITNEY COLPITTS , AVERY PESEK , SASHA VANNOY , KARA WILLIAMS , ISABELLA ROGERS , AUTUMN GARZA-SAMFORD , ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ and GRACE TALLEY.
LEADERSHIP
Ensuring every Pi Phi has the opportunity to reach their leadership potential is a testament to our shared values. Through purposeful and relevant leadership development events and programming, Pi Phis gain confidence in their skills and discover their authentic leadership style. By supporting their growth, you are shaping leaders who will inspire change on campus, in their careers and throughout their communities.
Foundation donors directly support and empower our members’ leadership journeys by giving to Chapter Leadership Education Expendable (CLEE) funds. CLEE funds eliminate financial barriers to leadership programming and educational opportunities for both chapter leaders and individual members. in 2025, the Texas Epsilon Chapter utilized its CLEE fund to enable all Executive
Council members to attend College Weekend, providing more sisters the opportunity to refine their skills and step boldly into their leadership potential. The chapter’s Executive Council reflected on their gratitude for the opportunity to develop their skills alongside one another.
“College Weekend not only gave us practical tools and leadership training but also a sense of empowerment and connection. The new perspectives gained from these connections are essential to our chapter’s success, and they helped each leader feel more supported in their role. Your generosity didn't just send us to this event—it inspired us and gave us the reassurance that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. We are so deeply grateful for your belief in us and the chance to grow into stronger leaders.”
— KARA WILLIAMS , Texas Epsilon Chapter President
During the 2025 fiscal year, $36,337.81 from CLEE funds was granted to chapters thanks to unwavering and generous support. To view the full list of established CLEE funds, visit pibetaphi.org/CLEE-funds or scan the QR code.
To learn how you can start a CLEE fund and empower leaders in your chapter, contact Foundation Program Manager Betsy McCune at bmccune@pibetaphi.org .
SCHOLARSHIPS
Pi Phis are lifelong learners bound by a shared love for education. Whether collegiate or alumnae designated, Pi Beta Phi Foundation scholarships enable our sisters to pursue their academic dreams while surrounded by an empowering, supportive community. When we invest in our members’ academic journeys, we’re not only uplifting one sister—we’re investing in the world around us.
“The Adele Collins Mason Alumnae Continuing Education Scholarship represented more than just financial support—it was a beacon of encouragement. As a working mother, it lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders and affirmed that my aspirations are worthy of support and celebration.
“To every donor who makes scholarships like this possible: your generosity is nothing short of transformative. Because of your kindness, I walked across that graduation stage with a heart full of pride and gratitude, knowing I was able to pursue my ambitions without sacrificing the well-being of my family.”
— CASSIE MEGNA, New York Epsilon
Thanks to scholarship fund gifts, Pi Phi awarded $317,846 in scholarships to 106 collegiate and alumnae sisters for the 2024-2025 academic year— 106 lives forever changed. Scan the QR code to learn more about scholarships and see the 2025-2026 scholarship recipients.
Cassie with her husband and daughter.
LITERACY
For more than a century, Pi Beta Phi has believed in the power of reading to unlock potential and transform lives. Through Read > Lead > Achieve ® philanthropic efforts, Pi Phis champion reading initiatives with hands-on service and financial support, creating a more productive and literate society.
Thanks to generous gifts to The Literacy Fund at Pi Beta Phi Foundation, children across North America experienced the joy of new books, teachers received vital classroom resources and students
were paired with Pi Phi mentors who encouraged them to dream big. From Champions are Readers ® to Fraternity Day of Service Signature Events, Pi Beta Phi Literacy Grants and Local Impact Grants, sisters worked side by side with schools and community partners to share the life-changing gift of literacy.
One of the most meaningful ways this impact comes to life is through Local Impact Grants. Since 2013, Pi Beta Phi Foundation has awarded more than 500 Local Impact Grants to literacy-focused nonprofits across North America. Last fiscal year, our Foundation celebrated a
From left: JORDAN DISMORE , EMILY ENGLE and EDITH WEBSTER at the Leap Frog Program literacy carnival hosted by Mississippi Beta.
significant milestone—$1 million awarded through the Local Impact Grant program—investing in our local communities to expand literacy access and inspire future readers and leaders. Each Local Impact Grant begins with a gift to The Literacy Fund and a nomination from a Pi Phi chapter or alumnae club. For Mississippi Beta, there was no question who they would nominate. Having spent countless hours volunteering with The Leap Frog Program—a free afterschool literacy program in Oxford, Mississippi—chapter members knew firsthand the difference the organization makes in the lives of local children.
“Leap Frog has the special gift of creating a safe environment where everyone can be themselves and succeed. The children in the program have created lasting relationships with members of Mississippi Beta—bonds that deserve to be celebrated. In the spirit of readers becoming leaders, Leap Frog’s commitment to education aligns closely with Pi Phi’s values and literacy mission.”
— KALYN BARR , Mississippi Beta, Vice President Community Relations
Fourth and fifth from left: Mississippi Betas KALYN BARR and MADISON BUSCHARDT sit with children at the Leap Frog Program literacy carnival.
Thanks to our generous donors, children across North America are discovering the joy of reading and the confidence to imagine brighter futures.
BECAUSE OF DONOR GIFTS
TO THE LITERACY FUND, PI BETA PHI FOUNDATION
GRANTED $443,029 TO FUND
PI PHI’S LITERACY INITIATIVES.
$150,000 awarded in Pi Beta Phi Literacy Grants, allowing educators and community partners to purchase 28,548 new books and 4,005 units of school supplies and hygiene products for children in need.
10,000 books distributed through the Fraternity Day of Service Signature Event in Louisville, Kentucky.
$116,262 awarded in Local Impact Grants to 26 literacy-focused nonprofits.
To learn m ore about Pi Beta Phi’s Read > Lead > Achieve initiatives, view grant recipients and see how you can make a difference, scan the QR code or visit pibetaphi.org/ literacy
SUPPORTING SISTERS IN NEED
In moments of deep uncertainty, a small act of support can spark lasting hope. The Emma Harper Turner (EHT) Fund provides confidential, one-time emergency grants to Pi Phis facing unexpected financial crises.
Supporting the EHT Fund is more than giving to our Foundation, it’s honoring our promise to every sister. Each grant ensures no Pi Phi has to walk through hardship alone—a reminder that the strength of our sisterhood can be found in caring for one another.
For one alumna recipient, the grant arrived after more than a decade marked by personal loss, chronic health challenges and mounting financial stress. Once an energetic professional and caregiver to her parents, she found herself battling overwhelming adversity on her own.
“After living a beautiful, loving life, I was suddenly living on faith and dwindling hope. But when the letter from Pi Phi arrived, I cried tears of joy. For the first time in years, I felt calm. I smiled. I felt gratitude. I felt hope. Pi Phi gave me more than financial relief—
Pi Phi reminded me who I am, and that I’m not alone. It gave me the strength to keep going.”
Through gifts to the Emma Harper Turner Fund, our Foundation supported 16 sisters with confidential EHT Fund grants totaling $63,300 last fiscal year.
HOUSING
Whether a traditional chapter house, campus suite or non-residential lodge, Pi Phi chapter facilities create communities of supportive, likeminded women. When you support the Pi Phi housing experience, you're investing in more
than just a building—you're shaping every sister who finds a home within its walls.
Housing needs are complex and ever evolving. Your donations to our Foundation help us deliver a premier housing experience for our members while reducing financial strain on our chapters. From providing an environment that supports educational needs to funding facility improvements and ensuring routine safety upgrades, your generosity strengthens every aspect of chapter living for both current and future sisters.
Members of Louisiana Beta's Chapter Leadership Team in front of the chapter facility. From left: Chapter President GABBY CARTER , Vice President Community Relations OLIVIA PRESCOTT , Vice President Recruitment
AMELIE HEBERT , Director Recruitment Events LANDRY LEGENDRE and Director Service and Philanthropy MARY COURTLAND FIELD
By giving to special funds—such as Chapter House Improvement Program (CHIP) and Educational Area Grant Program (EAGP) funds— alumnae can directly support a chapter close to their heart, whether it be through funding ongoing expenses or a significant renovation project. The Texas Eta Chapter recently created more functional living spaces and tailored study rooms to meet the needs of its growing membership.
“Witnessing the unwavering support from donors during Texas Eta's campaign was inspiring. Each gift brought us closer to improving such a vital part of the Pi Phi experience. This renovation created a home our members are proud of that supports both academic success and lifelong friendships. On behalf of Texas Eta, thank you for your incredible support. Because of you, our members will have a beautiful and inspiring space to live, learn and grow together."
—Texas Eta Collegian
Gifts last fiscal year helped direct $2,783,807 to chapters through CHIP and EAGP funds, upholding our commitment to ensuring every
Pi Phi has a place to call home. Contact our Foundation staff at fndn@pibetaphi.org to learn about the ways you can support these efforts.
HERITAGE
Pi Beta Phi’s story began more than 150 years ago when 12 bold women gathered in a small room in Monmouth, Illinois, and dared to imagine a future shaped by friendship, leadership and Lifelong Commitment. Their vision created a movement that continues to unite generations of women in Sincere Friendship.
Today, Holt House stands as a reminder of our collective history, the Fraternity’s humble beginnings and our founders’ vision of a bright future for Pi Beta Phi.
This past fiscal year, gifts to the Heritage Fund supported the operations and upkeep of Holt House—preserving our history and preparing us for our shared future. Each gift is a reminder that our heritage is not only something to be remembered, but also something to be lived and shared with every new generation of Pi Phis.
Illinois Alpha members pose in front of Holt House before their Initiation Ceremony.
Points of Interest
MEET THE NEW MEMBERS OF PI BETA PHI FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Pi Beta Phi Foundation is proud to announce new members of our Board of Trustees to help provide essential governance and oversight for the Foundation as we plan for a bright future for Pi Beta Phi.
Trustee – Kathy Pizzetta Springer, Mississippi Alpha
As the CEO of the United Way of Mississippi, Kathy brings extensive leadership experience, having served on the Mississippi Gamma Alumnae Advisory Committee (AAC) from 2014 to 2022. During her tenure, she held roles including AAC Chair, Risk Management, Housing and Member Development. She is a charter member of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Alumnae Club, where she served as President and Vice President Communications.
Ex-Officio, Grand Vice President Alumnae –Beth Torres, Illinois Zeta
Beth has served our Fraternity in many ways, including as Alumnae Club President for both the Chicago Windy City, Illinois, and Nashville, Tennessee, Alumnae Clubs; on various AACs and Chapter House Corporations and as a Foundation Trustee 2012-2017. Most recently she served as past Director Community Relations. In her professional life, Beth is the President and CEO of Make-A-Wish ® Middle Tennessee.
Join us in welcoming our newest trustees as we continue to light the way forward for future generations of Pi Phis. Scan the QR code to learn more about our Foundation Trustees: pibetaphi.org/leadership/foundation-board .
SHINE BRIGHT THIS GIVINGTUESDAY
Join the millions of people who celebrate the collective power of giving on Tuesday, December 2. Your gifts on GivingTuesday support the Friendship Fund. From leadership, literacy, emergency assistance grants and more, your support empowers our sisters to shine bright for generations to come. Save the date for Tuesday, December 2, or join the celebration early by donating today!
SHAPING PI PHI'S FUTURE
We’ve highlighted the top 10 updates shared at our 75 th Biennial Convention. These updates span every corner of the organization, including membership, housing, philanthropy, literacy and more. Each one reflects months, or even years, of research, member feedback and strategic planning. Scan the QR code to learn more.
BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR
Make an impact all year long by becoming a monthly donor to Pi Beta Phi Foundation! Each month, your gift reinforces your belief in the power of our sisterhood and makes a difference for our members and communities.
Just imagine what $10, $25 or $50 a month can do for Pi Phi—providing scholarships, supporting sisters in need and improving communities through the power of literacy. Every gift makes a difference, and donors like you sustain Pi Beta Phi for generations to come. Scan the QR code to set up your monthly giving and email fndn@pibetaphi.org with any questions.
Town & Country Commons Drive
1154
Town & Country, Missouri 63017
Board of Trustees
President Wendy Labreche Pratt, Massachusetts Beta
Vice President Finance
Donna Butterworth, Virginia Eta
Vice President Development
Kathleen Meriano, New York Eta
Secretary
Michael Bettin, Utah Alpha
Trustees
Connell Sullivan Branan, California Gamma
Kim Barger Durand, Oregon Alpha
Alison Veit Heafitz, Illinois Zeta
Kathy Pizzetta Springer, Mississippi Alpha
Ex-Officio
Beth Torres, Illinois Zeta
Alisa Brooks Rudlang, Minnesota Alpha
See Foundation staff at pibetaphi.org/staff
The Bow is available to download in a fully accessible digital format, compatible with screen readers, to ensure everyone can enjoy our content.
Download The Bow at pibetaphi.org/bow .
You can ensure an even brighter future for our sisterhood. Your gifts to the Friendship Fund help Pi Phi prepare members to lead, award scholarships, fund our literacy work, care for our sisters—and so much more. Make a gift today at pibetaphi.org/bowgiving or scan the QR code.