Manitoba Alpha Leadership Award Winners

A Vision for Recognizing Undergraduate Leaders at the University of Manitoba

Dear Phis and friends of Manitoba Alpha:

Effective leadership is critical to enabling teams and organizations of all types to achieve their goals. No doubt you saw the highly positive impact of great leadership both in the active chapter during university and during your working career thereafter.

In the past decade, Phi Delta Theta has been doing a great deal to change from being primarily a social organization to one that highly values and supports leadership development. This transformation is fundamental to ensuring that our Fraternity stays relevant to the demands of the future.

This is your opportunity to provide leverage for the development of great leaders at the University of Manitoba. Your support will certainly help the Fraternity to attract and retain people having the “right stuff.”

Think of it: If Manitoba Alpha became widely recognized as the fraternity that attracts a diverse group of young men having interest and skill in multiple areas, effectively develops great leaders, and promotes great teamwork and lifelong friendships, how good would that be for our future success?!

Please help us to develop great leaders at the University of Manitoba by contributing to the Manitoba Alpha Leadership Fund.

Yours in the Bond,

Ian Craigon ’72
Ken Ransby ’69
John Zaplatynsky ’68

Establishing the Manitoba Alpha Leadership Fund

In September 2017, the brothers of the 1967 Manitoba Alpha pledge class gathered in Winnipeg to celebrate their 50th year as Phi Delts. Many laughs and wonderful stories were shared. Poignantly, moving tributes were given with respect to their pledge classmates Dr. Don Low and Roy Stevenson, who entered the Chapter Grand in recent years.

After that evening, several of the brothers talked with other Manitoba Phi Delt alumni about funding leadership awards that would:

Honour Manitoba Phis like Don and Roy who have added immeasurably to the success of our chapter over the years.  The contributions of Manitoba Alpha Phi Delts to the chapter, to the province of Manitoba, and to Canada over the years have been truly outstanding.

Recognize outstanding active campus leaders, hopefully one or more annually, who are good scholars and stand out in terms of leadership on campus.

Several Manitoba Alpha alumni worked with the Phi Delta Theta Canadian Foundation to establish an endowed fund and the Manitoba Alpha Leadership Fund has been created. It is a model for other Canadian Chapters to emulate.

Principles for Success

• By administering the fund under the aegis of the Canadian Foundation, tax receipts will be issued for all donations to this designated fund.
• Awards will be granted, hopefully annually, to campus leaders who have had academic success but have also demonstrated excellence in leadership.
• A Manitoba Alpha Leadership Fund steering group will provide ongoing input to the Canadian Foundation on establishing award criteria, reviewing candidates, investing the capital, and promoting the fund among Manitoba Alpha alumni.
• The fund must be large enough to support $7,500 to $10,000 in awards per year without depleting capital.
• Funds raised will not be used for chapter house acquisition or renovations.

Fundraising Success To Date

We launched the Leadership Fund in September, 2018, with a goal of raising at least $300,000. This was intended to fund about $10,000 per year in awards on an ongoing basis without impairing capital over the long term.

We are delighted to report that, as of April 2021, we have over $307,000 pledged and received.  This outstanding success has been made possible by contributions from:

• 32 Phi alumni
• 6 outstanding women and men contributing as “Friends of Phis”
• Manitoba Alpha Active Chapter

If you have not already done so, please contribute to the Leadership Fund to continue to grow our fund. This is NOT an annual solicitation; we have created an endowed, designated Fund from the outset to recognize and support Manitoba Alpha leadership development on an ongoing basis. The instructions for making your donation are noted in the next section.

Donating to the Manitoba Alpha Leadership Fund

We look forward to your enthusiastic support for this leadership fund. Regardless of what method you use to make your donation, we’ll ensure that your gift is directed to the Manitoba Alpha Leadership Fund.

You can make your donation a single or recurring (monthly or annual) gift through any of the following methods:

1) By Cheque:

Canadian Phi Delta Theta Foundation
54 Curtis Crescent, King City, ON  L7B 1C3

This is our preference for larger donations as it minimizes processing costs. Please provide your name, address, telephone, and email address. In your letter, please let us know if you are honouring a Phi, family member or friend. We would love to receive your thoughts and best wishes! A Canadian tax receipt will be mailed to you promptly.

2) By Credit Card (single or recurring frequency):

Visit our Donate page to donate online or use the giving box below. You will receive an instant Canadian tax receipt by using your credit or debit card.

3) Donations of Securities:

Securities can be donated (and a tax receipt issued) via our online partner CanadaHelps.

4) Donations in U.S. dollars:

Donations of USD $5,000+ can be facilitated and a US tax receipt can be issued. To make a US $ donation please contact Rob McInnes, Canadian Foundation Chairman.

For more information about the Manitoba Alpha Leadership Fund contact Rob McInnes, Canadian Foundation Chairman.