The Phi Kappa Psi Foundation’s OneFund is often considered the star of the show because of the many uses and ways it can strengthen a chapter.  However, the Foundation has several different tools chapters may have in their toolbelt, including the Chapter Leadership Fund.  

Leadership Funds get right to the Phi Psi virtue of fostering leadership and transforming young Phi Psis into confident leaders.  These funds can be used for individual leadership awards or chapter-wide leadership programming, programming that builds effective teams and more confident leaders of all members.  And, these programs can be fun!  

The Pennsylvania Theta Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi used its Leadership Fund to host a leadership development and team building outing for brothers and new members at Hangdog Outdoor Adventure in Easton, PA. The hands-on environment of the ropes course fostered essential leadership and team-building competencies by encouraging members to work together to bring everyone back safely to solid ground.  

Brothers and new members engaged in challenges that required clear communication, strategic problem solving, collaboration, and mutual support. These activities naturally promote teamwork and trust, as members navigate physical and mental obstacles together. Real-time decision-making and role rotation during group tasks offered practical leadership experience, while conflict resolution was practiced through negotiation and compromise in high-pressure scenarios.  

Just as importantly, the outing strengthened camaraderie among members. Facing challenges together—encouraging one another, overcoming fears, and celebrating shared successes—deepened interpersonal bonds and cultivated a more unified chapter. This experience is was not only recreational but transformational, equipping brothers and new members with the tools and mindset to lead with confidence, empathy, and collaboration.   

Chapter Advisor Tommaso Marsella wrote in his grant request about the use of the Leadership Fund for the event, “we believe this outing fully meets the foundation’s goals of empowering emerging leaders through experiential learning.”    

If you are interested in learning more about Leadership Funds and all the different ways they can address the critical leadership development needs of Phi Psi members, reach out to the Foundation’s Director of Scholarships & Grant Programs Angel Johnson-Brebner.