Foundation Supported Programs

Chapter House Endowment Fund (CHEF)

The Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation’s CHEF program provides educational grants to house corporations for chapter housing, furnishings, equipment and annual maintenance.

Educational grants are provided for facilities, services, or goods for the benefit of Fraternity members where the benefit is similar to those provided by colleges and universities for the education of the general student body. This includes:

• Study Rooms, including the fixtures and furniture (ex: study carrels, lighting and tables).
• Computer rooms including the furniture, fixtures, computer terminals, printers, and Internet connections particularly if hooked to the university computer system.
• A computer, desk and chair may also be provided in the student dormitory room. Furthermore, if the university dormitories are wired for computer use, then the chapter house may be wired too.
• Libraries used solely for educational purposes.
• Storage areas for educational materials, e.g., old tests, easels, poster boards, and architectural models.
• Leadership training rooms and related audio visual equipment and conference tables. Please note that all of these areas and furnishings must be used exclusively for educational purposes. IRS rulings do not contemplate any mixed use.

The annual building operating expenses allocated to dedicated library, study, computer, or instructional areas, for example, (property taxes, property insurance premiums, utility costs, maintenance cost). The percentage applied should not exceed the total square footage of exclusively educational space over the total square footage of the chapter house. (This formula for computing the percentage and cost may change without notice. The Foundation reserves the right to change the formula at anytime and without notice and require outside legal opinion as directed by the Foundation.)

IRS rulings indicate that to determine the amount of the grant that can be made for a particular project, a square footage approach is appropriate. NOTE: The space, equipment and/or furnishings shall be used 100% for academic purposes. Study rooms equipped with beds DO NOT qualify; dining rooms also used for study DO NOT qualify.

Graduates may contribute to a specific CHEF account, but the Foundation must retain ultimate control over the use of all contributed funds. The Foundation may not legally obligate funds to a particular project. Qualified applications for educational grants will be considered for amounts up to the combined value of contributions received by the Foundation for a particular CHEF account. The house corporation president, treasurer and chapter president must sign an agreement on behalf of the house corporation.

CHEF accounts pay their own investment management fees, administrative and distribution fees.