![Image of Brother Kaden Warren (Syracuse '21)](https://www.pkpfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Kaden-Warren_Syracuse-21.jpg)
Phi Psis Have Truly Changed My Life
Kaden Warner says he grew up “in a bubble.” Being raised in the most affluent city in Georgia, Kaden didn’t have to worry how things would be paid for. As his college years approached, he assumed that “if I got the grades, someone else would take care of the financial part.”
But Kaden’s parents made it clear that he had a responsibility to contribute $4,000 annually to his education. That reality upset him at first. “But the experience has ultimately helped me better understand how the racial wealth gap impacts families on a personal level.”
On his winning application for New York Beta’s Hunter Brooks Watson Scholarship, Kaden enumerated the school year and summer jobs that have helped him hold up his end of the deal. He serves as a technology consultant on campus, helping to troubleshoot and solve IT problems for both the Whitman School of Management and individual students experiencing problems.
He also has nurtured a strong interest in serving the needs of the less fortunate. In 2021, Brother Warner began volunteering during the summer at The Drake House, a nonprofit organization in Georgia that assists single mothers and their children who are experiencing homelessness.
“Many of the families housed there had experienced abuse at the hands of a male figure. So at first, the children were understandably cold towards me. I committed to playing with them for hours a day, to show them there are men who genuinely care for them. I learned from these kids who have persevered through circumstances nobody should have to go through … if they can look homelessness in the eyes and keep smiling every day, what would be my excuse to be anything other than grateful for all the blessings I have in my life?”
After having never imagined that a fraternity could offer him anything of enduring value, Kaden today praises the merits of Phi Kappa Psi.
“My undergraduate days in the chapter have truly changed my life. I am fortunate to know I’ve had 80+ brothers who are always there to pick me up. And beyond that, without Phi Psi, I wouldn’t know how to lead, quite honestly. I had been a little to into myself through high school, but after having been elected to shadow the Executive Board and serve as our chapter’s Vice President, I learned so much about how to manage a large group of diverse people. I hope everyone who joins a fraternity is as fortunate as I have been.”
“Managing a sizable group of 19-22-year-old men is not easy. Honestly, it’s sometimes very challenging. Phi Psi has made me a much more patient person. As a leader, I’ve learned how to allow people to be themselves, while empowering them to be the best version of themselves.”
“I pledge to honor this scholarship by striving for academic excellence, engaging in community service, and embodying the values that Phi Kappa Psi represents … I hope to make you proud in my future endeavors.”
“I definitely want to do something in the future to address the racial wealth gap. I’m currently also working for BNP, a global bank based in Paris that’s committed to financing sustainable projects – I love seeing how the world is progressing toward renewable energy. If we don’t do something around our planet, we won’t have one anymore. My heart, thanks to Phi Psi, is focused on helping people and the planet.”
![Image of Brother Frank Lynch (Colorado '21)](https://www.pkpfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Frank-Lynch_Colorado-21.jpg)
Live Ever. Die Never.
For Colorado Alpha scholarship winner Frank Lynch, the familiar Phi Psi motto holds deep significance.
Earlier this year, Frank was awarded the “Honor Connor” scholarship. This chapter-based award was created in memory of Connor Thomson, an undergraduate chapter brother who died in a car accident in late 2020. “To live ever and die never reflects the vision our brothers have for keeping Connor’s legacy alive for brothers to come,” Frank says. “Even though I was never able to meet Connor personally, the impact he has had on me during the past years of my college life is a true testament to who he was and what he represented. The red Honor Connor bracelet I wear daily reminds me to serve others, and always lend a helping hand with a positive attitude regardless of the situation. This is the message I received from his father and the older brothers who were best friends with him.”
Brother Lynch’s commitment to service is evident in various fraternity and campus roles.
His leadership as Academic Chair his sophomore year left a positive mark on the chapter. “I did grade check-ins with every brother throughout the semester, with weekly presentations of awards to brothers attending study halls and improving their scores. With this strategy, I led our brothers from a #14 ranking to #2 in average GPA among all men’s fraternities on campus.”
As a peer mentor within the Leeds School of Business and Director of Membership in an honors society for accounting and finance students, Frank is also changing lives for the better. “I am able to advise students on networking, interviews, and obtaining internships, which provide them a jumpstart on their professional careers.”
At home in Chicago, Frank serves alongside his dad at Saint Mary of the Lake soup kitchen. And last spring, he studied and served for a semester in Tanzania. “It is so beautiful there – my favorite place in the world. I spent days volunteering in local villages impacted by climate change. I have been able to raise and personally donate thousands to build churches and provide aid to schools and orphanages. Teaching the children English has been very rewarding.” His time spent studying wildlife conservation was an eye-opening experience that helped Frank “learn new ways to help conserve what is left of the natural world for generations to come.”
It was after Brother Lynch’s father lost his job in February that Frank decided to apply for the Honor Connor scholarship. Beyond easing his parents’ burden of helping to pay for his schooling, “I wanted to represent Connor’s legacy and also honor his father David’s kindness and generosity.”
“I truly believe that the value of loving your neighbor is what is most important in life. Whether I know the person or it is a stranger I try my best to treat everyone with the respect they deserve … to help all people from different walks of life and putting differences aside for the common good of helping your neighbor.”
FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE OF $401,000 IN CHAPTER-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS ADMINISTERED/MANAGED ANNUALLY BY THE FOUNDATION
Alumni gifts directly fund not only the robust field of National and District Awards, they also make possible the Foundation’s administration of many more chapter-based scholarships. Few men’s fraternities exceed the scope of scholarship management our brotherhood is able to offer to every chapter.
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Your investment in Phi Psi today allows the Foundation to fund worthy initiatives, including scholarships and programs to enhance membership recruitment, chapter operations, and most importantly, personal growth and development.
You can ensure the future for Phi Psi and our undergraduate brothers is bright.
Additional Ways to Make an Impact
There are several ways that individuals, corporations and foundations can provide financial support to benefit the Phi Kappa Psi Foundation. Gifts may be designated to help specific areas such as leadership programs or chapter scholarships or may be contributed without restrictions to assist where the need is greatest.
Each year, alumni and friends provide the Foundation with much needed financial assistance through outright gifts of cash, securities, or other properties, which offer immediate benefits to thousands of undergraduates and alumni; and deferred gifts, which allow for the arranging of a gift now that has a future benefit for the Foundation. All gifts, in all forms, are important as they validate and support all aspects of the Foundation’s work.
Your tax benefits depend on what you give and when you give it. The Foundation team can assist you and your financial advisors with the details of reporting a gift to help support Phi Psi. Or if you’re still in the planning stages, ask us for help in how your donation can be more tax-efficient. We appreciate your support, so we’ll do all we can for you in return! For more information, contact the Foundation to discuss the full range of giving options and strategies.
The easiest and quickest way to support the Foundation is with a cash gift by check or credit card. Cash gifts given annually are vital to the Foundation’s operations and programs. We can also set up a recurring gift to charge your credit card a specific amount on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis.
Cash gifts are easy to make and carry tax benefits, but gifts of stock or other securities may be a more appropriate gift vehicle for your situation. Securities and property may be given directly to the Phi Psi Foundation as annual gifts, or they may be used to establish certain types of planned gifts.
Stocks & Securities
A gift of stock is valued for tax purposes on the date of transfer. The fair market value of gifts of long-term, capital gain securities or real estate are deductible based upon a donor’s adjusted gross income. Giving securities that have increased in value is a great way to both benefit the Foundation and bypass the capital gains tax due on a sale.
By far the best way to transfer securities is to do so through our online donation tool. Simply answer a few questions, print your forms, and follow the instructions to send them to your brokerage — this platform will automatically pull all of Phi Psi’s stock transfer information. It will also immediately alert us to your gift, so that we can properly thank you for your generosity.
If you would prefer to complete the transfer offline, simply contact the Foundation’s investment manager at the information below. Please also call the Foundation once you have completed the transfer. This helps ensure you receive proper recognition for your contribution and assures that the gift was credited to the proper fund.
Firm: Buckingham Strategic Wealth
Advisor: Tim Jost (tjost@bamadvisor.com | 314.783.2918)
If you do not have stocks in a broker account, you may have paper stock certificates printed in the Foundation’s legal name and delivered to the Foundation’s offices. Have the certificates issued to the “Endowment Fund of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity” and delivered to 5395 Emerson Way, Indianapolis, Indiana 46226.
A final option is to deliver to the Foundation paper stock certificates issued in your name. For security reasons, do not endorse the backs of the certificates. Instead, include a transmittal letter specifying your name and address and indicating how many shares you are contributing. Then, in a separate envelope, send the Foundation a stock power executed in blank with the signature guaranteed. Your bank or attorney should be able provide you with stock power forms and guarantee your signature. You must also include a cover letter confirming your gift.
Many companies offer employees a matching gift benefit that doubles the gift to the Foundation. Matching gifts make a critical contribution to the Annual Fund. When making your gift to the Foundation, check to see if your employer has a corporate matching gift program.
A gift to the Foundation by will or trust is a creative way to help in the long term, while still retaining full control of your assets during your lifetime. Each bequest to the Foundation serves as a legacy to future generations, and helps secure the future of the organization.
We have partnered with FreeWill to help you create your legal will online at no cost, and establish your legacy gift for free. Get started here.
Have you already created a gift in your will or trust to Phi Kappa Psi? Fill out this form to let us know!
Planned giving is a very special tool of philanthropy. It’s reserved for those individuals and families with both a clear vision and a sense of deep conviction – for both the near and long-term. Whatever form your planned gift takes, keep in mind that it is a wonderful way to support the Phi Psi Foundation.
If you are drawn to things that endure, how would you feel if your name, or the name of a loved one, someday became associated with the good works of the Foundation. A named scholarship, fellowship or a room at Laurel Hall is a lasting gift to the Foundation that permanently associates the name of the donor – or that of a family member, friend or chapter brother – with Phi Kappa Psi.