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19. Tau | NPHC with Donna Jones Anderson
8 Plays3 days ago
Donna Jones Anderson, the national president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, visited "Ethocast" to let us in on what NPHC is really about. She talked about programs and initiative that many may not realize the organization does, including an idea from a major department store that turned into millions of dollars in scholarships. Donna also gave us her big dream for NPHC's future.
About the Guest
Donna Jones Anderson is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., the Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter. She was initiated at the University of Pittsburgh where she collected fond memories of Greek life. Her favorite Divine Nine memory, however, is taking the oath to become the NPHC president. Professionally, Donna is a senior business technical analyst and IT support manager for PMA Companies.
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Transcript
Introduction & Guest Introduction
00:00:00
Speaker
This is an episode that I have been waiting to do and it is simply divine. Nine. Because it is with the president of the National Panhellenic Council. It's episode tau of Ethocast. Episode tau. It kind of sounds like poody tang. Tip it tau on the capital.
00:00:23
Speaker
Welcome to Ethocast, a podcast about sound leadership practices to boost life in college fraternities and sororities. I'm Eddie Francis, presenter of Followership to Leadership and the Black Greek Success Program, presentations designed to help Greeks become more effective leaders. On Ethocast, I'll share lessons learned from my college days, my career journey and leadership research. Ethocast is a four hour edification limited to series and presented by Edify Adventures. This is Ethocast, leadership to the letter. Thank you so much for joining me on Ethocast.
Role of National Panhellenic Council
00:00:59
Speaker
I'm Eddie Francis and joining me is someone I'm really excited about talking to because um as I mentioned in the earlier episodes, I wanted to get an idea of what
00:01:08
Speaker
ah the national umbrella organizations of Organizations look like and well I decided I was gonna ask the good folks from the National Panhellenic Council and they said yes and Donna Jones Anderson She's a national president of the National Panhellenic Council national and so ah welcome to etho cast. How are you? I am so good. How are you? I I am doing well. And so, um, right before we started the interview, I was explaining to sister Anderson here that I had been involved in NPAC. So North Dallas is where I had the opportunity to, uh, get involved with pan when I was part of the road, new Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. And,
00:01:49
Speaker
Now that I'm back in New Orleans back home, I was a member of the Sigma Lambda chapter one point. And so I was a representative for the greater New Orleans pan. And so it is a pleasure to talk to you and for folks who may not know what NPHC is, tell us about NPHC and what you do.
History & Growth of NPHC
00:02:10
Speaker
NPHC is the National Pan-Hellenic Council Incorporated. Pan-Hellenic means ah Greeks all. So it's all of the Greeks together. ah We started with about four chapters originally for organizations and then the next year the other ah but for joined and then in nineteen and leave ninety seven the io is joined we were the elite eight ye and then we became the divine nine so yes if we have a tenth one i'm not sure what the name will be but okay I know, you know, I've been thinking about that though. I have been thinking, you what if we get a 10th? What's it going to be? so I have no idea what that would be. We do have an organization who's interested, but they don't. We're not sure if they fit the criteria. There is strict criteria criteria when the IODA is joined. We have strict criteria as to what the composition of your organization should be.
00:03:06
Speaker
But there's actually, I actually think that's really cool that there is an organization that's interested in making us attend. So I was initiated into Alpha in 1989. So it was, well, we were calling it the great eight of five back then. Yeah, it could be the great eight.
00:03:24
Speaker
Yeah, The Great Eight, The Elite Eight. But yeah, when when there were eight, and then and then I remember the news of Iota Five Theater making us The Divine Nine, which I thought was really, really cool. Very cool. Yeah, so when when you when you take a look at what NPHC does, um let's
Donna's Greek Life Journey
00:03:44
Speaker
start with you. Let's start with your story. So your what's your sorority and what attracted you to Greek life?
00:03:51
Speaker
My story is I'm a member of Delta Sigma Theta, sorority incorporated. I was initiated at Mu chapter at the University of Pittsburgh. We just celebrated 103 years. So I'm in a Centennial Collegiate chapter that has rich history all throughout ah Pennsylvania and and in Pittsburgh.
00:04:13
Speaker
I was drawn to Delta because my oldest sister went to school prior to me, went to college, and all she talked about was Deltas and Qs. And so when I was in high school, there were four where there were five Black girls in my class. I went to private Catholic school, and me and my best friend vowed that we would be Deltas. We were going to separate. She was going to University of Delaware. I was going to University of Pittsburgh. So I went to Pitt. I became a Delta. She went to University of Delaware, and she wanted to pledge Delta, but um it was a little harder, I think.
00:04:52
Speaker
And they had a charter chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sword Incorporated. So she is on the charter line of Alpha Kappa Alpha University of Delaware. and She was my but best friend in high school. So at Pitt, it was the best years of my life. oh Campus were the best. We were maybe 8% minority. so we we So all of the Greeks were so close and we all stuck together because it's a big huge campus, but we it was just like a family. It didn't seem like we were only a small minority of the can of the campus life.
00:05:35
Speaker
We are still on Facebook to this day. um i was in ah d I was in Atlanta for the celebration bowl, and there was a picture of all the council presidents, and I'm there also. And Azada from my campus, when I pledged, sent me a picture. She was there in the audience. She's like, oh, this is you.
00:05:56
Speaker
My nephew is on, it went to Jackson state and he's now a champion. So oh that's cool. The connection is so real.
NPHC Community Bonds
00:06:04
Speaker
And and that's sort of what drew me to MPHC too, is that family atmosphere of the fraternities and sororities that pledged together, that were in the yard together.
00:06:15
Speaker
that work together, that um have family together, that married or have so many connections. And it really is like a family. And so I was offered ah the opportunity to go to a meeting because I wasn't associated with MPHC on my campus back in my day. They have a really thriving MPHC there now, but I um was offered to come and I said, what's MPHC? And she said, it's Greeks working together. And so I went, um I was um welcomed by the president who was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. She was the sweetest, nicest person.
00:06:56
Speaker
I came back, I became the secretary, then I became president, then I became a regional officer, then I became a national officer. So it just kind of propelled me into this life. And I love every single minute of working with Greeks and and and our community and doing public service and um finding partners that align with us and finding partners that want to um help ah elevate us like the SBA yeah of the Red Cross. were We're helping people with sickle cell by giving blood all over the country. We're doing it amazing things that we can do individually, but when we're together, wow, it is really powerful. And so i um that's my goal this year. We have our national leadership conference every two years. And so this year I'll be going on out of office at our conference.
00:07:50
Speaker
and um in October and I want to elevate the partnerships even further. We're talking with um people that really need us, like people that need donations of kidneys, people that need the blood donations that we talked about,
00:08:11
Speaker
people like St. Jude's and the kids that need help with cancer. So we we do the fun things and we do the stepping and we do the socializing and and the fellowship, but we do the service as well. It's all wrapped up into one neat package that makes us the divide nine. The views expressed on Ethocast do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts, guests, or any entities with which this podcast's participants are affiliated. Questions, comments, email eddie at eddiefrancis.com.
Partnerships & Initiatives
00:08:45
Speaker
So you mentioned some of the programs and initiatives that the National Panhellenic Council is doing. What are a couple that you are really proud of and that you have seen do some really good work?
00:08:59
Speaker
Well, I received an email a couple of years ago from someone from Macy's and they were inquired about how they could partner with the panel at council. um And then I usually set up the meetings for the council president's meeting every month. And so they um they were invited and they pitched their proposal for the sorority dresses. And now they have fraternity wear at Macy's.
00:09:26
Speaker
If you type in Divine9 on Macy's dot.com, it should bring up the the collection. um They've given millions in scholarships to the sorority so far, and the fraternities will be ben benefiting as well. So it was It was a concept by folks that worked there that were in in the fraternities and sororities and that concept turned into fruitful um cooperation and um beneficial for our collegiates and those that received the scholarship funds.
00:10:06
Speaker
So it's it's wonderful. um We have Good Health Wins, which is a collaboration that happened during COVID, for us to get out the word about getting the vaccine, because there was hesitancy about getting it at first, and Good Health Wins was connected with ah the National Institute of Health, and um no, the other one that's in Atlanta.
00:10:31
Speaker
the Oh, the CDC. CDC, yeah. Yeah. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, yeah. And so they wanted us, and so we vaccinated and gave information ah to millions of our constituents through events, fun events, like food and vaccines and and fashion and vaccines. and ah So all kinds of um unique ah experiences all over the country to get people to get the vaccine that we did. It was really, really, really successful. um All of us research is within IH and they are trying to get us to sign up to be um clinical trial participants because the normal clinical trial is someone maybe Caucasian at 60 years old.
00:11:22
Speaker
And that medicine might be perfect for them, but for us, it might not work as well. yeah And so if we if we're not in that process for the clinical trials, it's hard for us to make sure that that medicine is going to be good for us as well. So they're trying to get a million people signed up for um clinical trials.
00:11:42
Speaker
And ah we have JPMorgan Chase for financial health and wealth.
Financial Contributions & Scholarships
00:11:46
Speaker
ah They're giving um money to collegiate councils, giving them financial ah information before they graduate, going to different cities, and even internationally, supporting our organizations um with the financial information and and service that they give to the community.
00:12:08
Speaker
Did I see, did I see a big scholarship announcement, uh, from the celebration bowl from NPHC? So the celebration bowl was the $20 million dollars check, which is, which is, it says greater than $20 million. dollars All of the organizations, the nine, um, plus the, uh, the monies that NPHC has collected in the 2023, 2024.
00:12:35
Speaker
totally exceed the $20 million. We were being modest about that, but our organizations give greatly. On the local level, the local councils, the local chapters and and councils give money to the high school students. Our ah um um Regional level gives scholarships and the national level gets millions of dollars in scholarships we give every year um for all of our organizations. So it's just a testament to what we do together um in sync and cooperation.
00:13:11
Speaker
that can be very fruitful for our community. And we just wanted to let people just skip know a little bit about that. So people are talking about that $20 million. dollars Absolutely. It's kind of a is's kind of a big number. it is It is, but it's lots of, we have but we have good sponsors.
00:13:29
Speaker
yeah who help us and then our members give a scholarship funds out of their own pocket so that local given out of your pocket and then with the sponsors and then other partners and ah ah scholarship luncheons all over and scholarship galas that all feeds into that 20 million dollars.
00:13:48
Speaker
I think that is such a great point to make because from community to community, you'll have your detractors who will say, well, we see that you know we'll see that y'all are having a good time and we'll see that y'all are stepping and stuff like that, but what are you really doing? and then there'll be a gala. And they say, OK, well, y'all are being fancy at the gala. But what people don't realize is that the reason a gala is there is to raise scholarship money because, I mean, one of the greatest assets anybody can have is their education. um Very sorely something I'm not going to say is needed in the black community. It is beloved in the black community for us to be able to help each other with education.
00:14:29
Speaker
And so I love that you make this point that when you put it all together from around the country, um you actually do see some kind of movement there. Speaking of which.
00:14:42
Speaker
We, it was something that ah that that I talked to, you know, one of my colleagues about all the time. So I have a colleague by the name of Mike Ayalon. He has this organization called Brick University. They represent me as a speaker. And one thing Mike says is, I really wish that the other fraternities and sororities could get their alumni as involved as the NPAC fraternities and sororities. And when you think about that, how does NPAC facilitate that kind of involvement? Because we know that and with among the divine eye, our alumni, we can't wait to mentor you know our college brothers and sisters. What role does NPAC play in that?
Lifelong Commitment in NPHC
00:15:24
Speaker
NPHC and all of the Divine Nine organizations are a lifetime commitment. It's not just college. It's not just after college for a couple of years. It's you go to college, you do your service and community um involvement there. And then you go home or go to a new city and you join a council and then you and your local chapter and your financial with your local chapter. You go to the
00:15:57
Speaker
but ah conventions and conferences and leadership for your organization. And you also attend ah events with MPHC with the collective organizations. So it's it's our founders. um We stand on their shoulders and we don't want to let them down. They work so hard to start our organizations and they marched early in 1930s. uh in in 20s and 30s for civil rights and women's rights and and the right to vote and and all that we can't we can't stop we have to it is a lifetime commitment we have uh sores and fredders who have 75 years of service in the organization and those are those are the ones that we look up to we aspire to and
00:16:44
Speaker
when you can't help but feel um wonderful when you do the service in your community and see the results that the organizations have. The impact is just incredible. And if you're not financial and you're not working with your organization, then join.
00:17:04
Speaker
and and join the feeling because it is there. And and um so we we are a proponent of that lifetime commitment continuing um way beyond your college years. And how do you do it? I don't know. We need it for our community. yeah no We don't have an uncle.
00:17:23
Speaker
you know, at a major corporation that can get us in. We have to, we have to, we have each other, right? um And we do help each other get into corporations, but we we definitely need to continue our service beyond our college years.
00:17:40
Speaker
And I think something that even we as members forget sometimes is the abuse that some of our founders took in founding these fraternities and sororities. So they saw something so much bigger than themselves. And it it wasn't just having a good time. It wasn't just getting together and and having smokes or whatever and teas and things like that. Like they you you You look over the history of the founders of the organizations, you know, there's this consistency that they just wanted to do something that meant something to black America overall, you know, and it it wasn't about just that one thing they were doing at that one time um on campus. So I love that you you mentioned um the impact of of really recognizing the role that our founders played
00:18:28
Speaker
in in alumni members just remaining involved. I mean, i know i look, i'm in a I'm at a point right now where not I'm not as active as I'd like to be with my alumni chapter, and I feel pretty guilty about it. but so that So that is very that is very real. All right, so last question here. Let's talk about your vision. you are you are ah You're about to wind up your term with NPAC.
00:18:57
Speaker
What's your vision for NPAC going forward? How do you want to hand the baton off to the next national president?
Vision for NPHC Event Centers
00:19:05
Speaker
My vision is that in all of our major cities, we have an NPHC place to go for all of our meetings and our events. We have an NPHC sort of like um oh
00:19:28
Speaker
event center. Oh, I love this. Okay. And we don't have to go to hotel this or hotel that for our luncheons or our balls or our galas. We have our own place and we're, we're, we're hiring our members to run it. We're hiring our collegiates to be their service. We're keeping the money within our community and in our D9 family, and we're growing our wealth by bye continuing to have the scholarship endowments of the million dollars so that the interests will give scholarships every year for the work in perpetuity.
00:20:14
Speaker
So those divine nine event centers would be um so awesome. Dallas could have one, Philly could have one, DC could have one, Detroit. We we got to get there. um I talked to one of the um ah spring in in Baltimore area and um they said they had the opportunity to buy a building and they didn't take it. And now they're giving all their money to you know, this one caterer every time you have a crab fest and the tickets are $100, right? So if if we can get there, we can grow our economic prowess and be even more powerful. And we can have events for other groups yeah ah and activities for other groups and they pay us.
00:21:08
Speaker
So that's that's my vision for MPHC and to keep keep going and and have those endowments forever to give scholarships to our our youth who need it desperately.
00:21:20
Speaker
I'm going to put my money that if anybody can pull it off, it would be Dallas. Dallas get one, one of the NPA season or maybe all of them can get together yeah in Dallas because I have to say, you know, there were times when I was sitting those meetings and I'm going, okay, what's going on in here? What what are we talking about? But Everybody wanted to be there and everybody wanted to work together and to be with one another and that and that and I do miss that I miss that about the North of Dallas pan, but um
00:21:54
Speaker
Donna Jones Anderson, a national president of the National Panhellenic Council. Thank you so much for joining me on Ethocast. You're welcome. Thanks for inviting me. It was a pleasure. Ethocast is a four hour edification limited series. If you like what you heard, like and follow this podcast for more leadership insights for your fraternity or sorority chapter to find out how you can bring followership to leadership or the black Greek success program to your campus or a campus near you.
00:22:22
Speaker
Email today. Eddie at Eddie Francis dot com. Until next time, spread brotherly and sisterly love wherever you go.