Greek organizations remain close to chapters through support, resources

Behind every greek organization is a national headquarters that oversees it: chartering colonies, offering resources and advice and ensuring that century-old policies and rituals are upheld.

The Indianapolis area is home to the headquarters of some 25 greek letter organizations, the National Panhellenic Conference, the North-American Interfraternity Conference and the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors.

The Midwest has seen an expansion of greek organizations and a higher concentration of their chapters each year. Thus, ease of access was the single most influential reason for locating their headquarters in Indianapolis, said Nancy Leonard, who was the executive director of Alpha Chi Omega for 21 years.

“I think just from a geographic perspective it makes sense,” Leonard said. “There is a lot movement of the leadership in and out of the headquarters, and Indianapolis has been fairly easy and economical to travel to.”

The organizations are scattered throughout Indianapolis. Some occupy renovated
houses in historic districts, while others share office space with other businesses. Founders Road, on Indianapolis’ north side, is home to many organizations.

That’s where Alpha Chi Omega is currently headquartered. It was one of the first greek organizations in Indianapolis, establishing permanent headquarters in 1929.

More recently, Marion County has offered significant tax breaks to non-profit organizations that are headquartered in Indianapolis, an incentive, Leonard said, that prompted several organizations to relocate.

For that same reason, Phi Kappa Psi moved from Cleveland in the early 1980s.
Will Haskett, the director of communications, said it is more convenient to support central Indiana Phi Psi chapters, but the organization’s leadership is careful to keep attention and resources balanced.

“It’s easier for our undergraduates to seek us out,” Haskett said. “Hop in a car and any of our staff can get to a dozen or so chapters in a three-hour drive or less, but we don’t extend more resources to those groups.”

Haskett said he sees no correlation between proximity and strength of chapters.

Junior Grant Anderson, president of Delta Tau Delta at IU, said having the fraternity’s headquarters so close has allowed for more personal, valuable interaction.

“For the most part, it’s phone or e-mail contact,” Anderson said, “but they come down a couple times a semester. I have personally sat down and talked with them. I go into the office and see how everything operates.”

Anderson said this type of relationship has made him and the rest of the fraternity more aware and willing to take advantage of the resources and support that the national Delta Tau Delta organization offers.

“Members know who I’m talking about. It’s not just some name off in the distance,” Anderson said. “It’s a greater level of respect.”

Nicki Meneley, executive director of the National Panhellenic Conference — the trade organization for 26 sororities — approaches the centralization of so many organizations with a more community-wide perspective. More than anything, she said being so close to so much promotes better networking.

“It’s nice to walk down the hall and say, ‘Hey, how are you guys handling this situation?’ or ‘Are you aware of what’s going on at xyz campus?’” Meneley said. “And I’ve become close friends with the director of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority. We converse on different topics and talk about issues from student affairs from a professional perspective versus a member group perspective.”

Organizations that are states away still reap benefits from this relationship. Meneley said alumni volunteers in the area ensure all chapters are represented, while technology keeps the community in constant communication.

Indianapolis, with its plethora of greek headquarters, has created a close-knit community of executives that share ideas, brainstorm solutions, co-sponsor events and attend the same seminars.

Staff and members of the respective organizations seem to agree that their close-knit community ultimately translates into stronger, healthier greek chapters.

“There’s great collaboration between greek organizations,” Haskett said. “Unlike how it may be seen on certain college campuses, when there is rivalry between sororities and fraternities, there is really no competition between our organization and other greek organizations. It’s very proactive.”