Thursday, August 21, 2014

It's DG Award Application Season

As the summer days begin to dwindle and the autumn wonders begin their parade, Delta Gammas know – it’s Awards season!   Now is the time to consider nominating outstanding alumnae who Do Good for the Fraternity, with the Foundation, in their communities, or as professionals.  They are the women who take to heart the advice of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”   Below is a list of individual alumnae awards.  More specific criteria for each award can be found at the Delta Gamma website at deltagamma.org in the library and all award applications can be found in eOps+.  Nominations and complete packages are due on September 15th.  

The Cable Award - The Cable Award recognizes alumnae who, through years of serving Delta Gamma, have evidenced unusual loyalty and devotion far beyond normal alumnae participation.  Criteria and instruction sheets for annual individual alumnae awards may be found here.  Applications are due September 15. 

The Oxford Award - The Oxford Award recognizes alumnae who exemplify the Delta Gamma philosophy of service to community through volunteer and philanthropic activities.  Recipients bring a sense of pride to their alumnae groups through outstanding community efforts and involvement.  Criteria and instruction sheets for annual individual alumnae awards may be found here.  Applications are due September 15.  

The Anchor Award - The Anchor Award recognizes alumnae who have received the Cable Award winner and whose Fraternity service and achievements extend  beyond the local level with a demonstrable, unique, and lasting impact on every member of the Fraternity.  Anchor Award winners are a mainstay, providing Delta Gamma a lifetime of reliable support from which all members benefit.  Criteria and instruction sheets for annual individual alumnae awards may be found here.  Applications are due September 15. 

The Shield Award - The Shield Award recognizes alumnae who have achieved unique and noteworthy distinctions through leadership and verifiable accomplishments in their chosen fields of professional expertise. Criteria and instruction sheets for annual individual alumnae awards may be found here.  Applications are due September 15. 

The Order of the Delta Gamma Rose - The Order of the Delta Gamma Rose is the highest award presented by the Fraternity, honoring alumnae who have made distinguished contributions to the nation and/or the world. Recipients are renowned in their chosen fields, and MUST have received (inter)national recognition because of their individual efforts and talents. Criteria and instruction sheets for annual individual alumnae awards may be found here.  Applications are due September 15. 

HELPFUL DOs & DON’Ts:
Do review the criteria for each award well in advance of preparing the application. This will give you an opportunity to gather all of the information that you will need to complete the application.
Do consider ALL she has accomplished.  She has probably accomplished even more than the “little bits of good” that inspired you to nominate her in the first place.  Take a minute to think about it, discuss it with others who know and work with her, write down a few thoughts, then GO FOR IT!  
Do ask! Do you have questions about some of the awards or any part of the process?  Just ask your Regional Alumnae Specialist (RAS), Regional Collegiate Specialist (RCS), or contact the Fraternity Director: Awards at awards@deltagamma.org 
Don’t wait until the last minute! As we all know, computers and websites are fickle things. Just when you need them to work, they don’t.  Plan ahead! 
Do brag!  Now is the time to tell us all of the wonderful things that make you so proud to call her “sister”.  Has she won other awards or recognition?  Did she single-handedly pull it off?  Hasshe been there day in and day out, with huge impact and an even bigger smile? Tell us!  Has she inspired or helped the collegians? Tell us!  Is she the stalwart, depenedable and yet cheerful crew leader?  Tell us! 

Consider nominating an alumna you know for doing good in an overwhelming way.  

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Delta Gamma launches first-ever “Do Good” Week

What is “Do Good” Week?
You may have heard the news. Delta Gamma Fraternity is sponsoring a new initiative, Delta Gamma “Do Good” Week. This week is all about doing good deeds. As Delta Gammas, we pledged to “Do Good” when we accepted our bids into the Fraternity. In fact, our Fraternity letters were even chosen because they represent the desire to “Do Good.” 

Now, the Fraternity plans to highlight the good that our members do during our first ever Delta Gamma “Do Good” Week. 

No matter where you live or how busy your schedule, you can participate. From September 14 to September 20, we are asking that each Delta Gamma do at least one act of kindness for another person or the environment, and then share it with us. This is an opportunity to connect with the Fraternity’s founding values, brighten someone’s day and better your community. 

How can I participate?
You can help carry groceries to someone’s car, call a relative to catch up, stay late at work to help a coworker with a project, put change in an expired meter or even pick up trash in your neighborhood. We also encourage you to check out what your alumnae group or collegiate chapter is doing to participate. Many are planning group service events.

Check out the “Do Good” Week Participation Guide in the Delta Gamma website library to learn more on how you can participate and promote “Do Good” Week. The guide provides examples of good deeds, a Facebook cover photo, a link to our “Do Good” Pinterest board, tips for promoting “Do Good” Week on social media and how to share your “Do Good” story with us and online. There are other resources available for your download, such as printable save the date cards for you to distribute to family and friends who may be interested in participating.  

How can I share what I’ve done?
Be sure to use the hash tag #DGDoGoodWeek when posting about your “Do Good” Week plans, experiences and stories. We would love to see your photos too.  Post them with the hash tag and/ or email them to AlumnaeDept@deltagamma.org. 

In addition to “Doing Good,” you can also show your support and Delta Gamma pride by purchasing official “Do Good” Week merchandise and apparel from our official “Do Good” Week vendor, Explosion Sportswear.  Just follow the link to the view and purchase the available items by August 15th https://squareup.com/market/explosion-sportswear-2 (note: you may need to copy and paste the link directly into your preferred browser). 

“Do Good” Week is a chance for Delta Gammas to come together to be kind, give back and help others. The idea is to create a wave of hope across North America, or even the world.
Thanks for joining us and “Doing Good.”