On Oct. 23, Kappa Delta not only celebrated 127 years of sisterhood, but also celebrated, for the very first time, Founders Day of Giving! 

It was a day full of sisterhood, friendly competition and many gifts “of truth, of honor, of duty, without which there can be no true friendship.” If you missed it, here are some highlights! 

YOUR IMPACT

Our challenge was clear: we aimed to raise $150,000! Thanks to 1,918 Kappa Deltas and friends, together we raised $324,143.62! That’s more than double our goal and triple what was raised on Giving Tuesday last November – thanks to you! 

We sincerely want to thank every single one of you who made a gift on Founders Day of Giving, so sisters of every era can have the resources they need to thrive and make a difference. 

Because of the gifts given on Founders Day of Giving, the Kappa Delta Foundation can:   

• Provide scholarship support to sisters worried about the cost and affordability of earning a college education 
• Offer dynamic programs like Confident Conversations at no cost to all KDs. 
• Facilitate critical training and professional development for the Leadership Development Consultants, who are key to the success of KD’s collegiate chapters, officers and advisors.  
• Expand discussion-based prevention education programs that will give your collegiate sisters tools to have important conversations and make brave decisions for their own wellbeing. 

And, so much more! 

Don’t worry – if you missed making your gift on Founders Day of Giving, you can make a gift any time at donate.kappadelta.org! 

CHALLENGE AND MATCHING GIFTS

The campaign kicked off with generous KD sisters offering matching and challenge gifts to encourage giving throughout the day. 

Many thanks to the following sisters leading the way with their matching and challenge gifts: 

• Anonymous (Beta Pi-Florida) 
• Karmen Hendrix Bryant (Zeta Gamma-Arkansas/Fayetteville) 
• Cheryl Smart Erman (Beta Epsilon-Tulsa) 
• Samantha Fast Furstein (Alpha Sigma-New Hampshire) 
• Dr. Anila Jain (Delta Eta-South Florida) 
• Kirsten Jakmas Kuykendoll (Gamma Nu-Miami/Ohio) 
• Beth Martin Langford (Kappa Alpha-Florida State)  
• Dot Mears (Gamma Mu-Valdosta State) 
• Kristin Power (Epsilon Kappa-Cal Poly/San Luis Obispo) 
• Michelle Parmley Rabideau (Sigma Omicron-Illinois) 
• Tricia Ruma Spence & Dale Spence (Epsilon Alpha-Missouri S&T) 
• Corre Anding Stegall (Alpha Chi-Louisiana Tech) 
• Peri Andrus Sexton (Epsilon Phi-California/Santa Barbara)   
• Susan Stockton (Delta Gamma-Western Kentucky) 
• Bonnie Purvis Warren (Beta Sigma-Southern Mississippi) 

CELEBRATING OUR FOUNDERS

Several donors made gifts of $1,897 to honor and celebrate each of our four founders: Julia, Lenora, Sara and Mary. Thank you: 

• Sarah Richardson Cardoza (Nu-Oklahoma State)  
• Joy Farmer Dunlap (Delta Delta-Troy)  
• Liz Metz Fuchs (Zeta Omicron-Wake Forest)  
• Brandi Cappaert Harper (Mu-Millsaps) 
• Shea Keefe Jacobs (Delta Eta-South Florida)  
• Julianne Paunescu (Alpha Delta-Rhodes) 
• Rhonda Jones Rouse (Zeta Gamma-Arkansas/Fayetteville)  
• Jennifer Priebe Wood (Zeta Gamma-Arkansas/Fayetteville) 

CHAPTER CHALLENGE

105 sisters from 79 chapters answered to call to serve as Chapter Champions who rallied sisters from across the country to make an impact on Kappa Delta! Serious bragging rights were on the line in the Chapter Challenge as chapters engaged in friendly competition to raise the most dollars and secure the top spot on the leaderboard. We are so thankful for each Chapter Champion for her hard work! 

So, who came out on top?? 

Congratulations to Alpha Epsilon-Tennessee/Knoxville and Champion Shannon Popik Hampson for raising the most funds and winning the Founders Day of Giving Chapter Challenge! Together, 45 sisters and friends joined in their efforts and raised $18,904. 

We’d also like to give an honorable mention to Zeta Gamma-Arkansas/Fayetteville who had the largest number of individuals make donations – 109 in total and who had 62 collegians donate, the largest number of collegians to give! 

You can check out the full leaderboard here to see how your chapter stacked up against the competition! 

WHO’S READY FOR NEXT YEAR? 

Mark your calendars to join us for Kappa Delta’s 128th birthday and the 2nd Founders Day of Giving on Oct. 23, 2025!

We can’t wait to see what we accomplish together next year.