In the interest of never having a deserving college student decline an invitation to join Omicron Delta Kappa because of cost, the Gift of Membership Program supports the underwriting of the national initiation fee for collegiate members who are Pell-eligible or who have other significant financial constraints. Through the provision of membership in O∆K, these collegiate members will have access to other programs, including scholarships, leadership development programs, and career resources.
Currently, each circle is eligible for one (1) Gift of Membership and one (1) Key Fund grant.
Due to the overwhelming generosity of our members, we continue to have significant funds for the Gift of Membership. We currently can provide over 200 gifts for FY 2023.
Gift of Membership Request Form (Circle Advisors Only)
Gift of Membership Details
What is covered?
Each grant covers all or a portion of the $94 National Lifetime Membership Fee. The circle advisor submitting the form chooses to select “Pay Full Fee” or “Pay Partial Fee.” With Pay Partial Fee, Circles may choose to require the candidate to pay for a portion of their membership fee and have the grant cover the rest. For example: The grant covers $50, and the candidate pays the $44 balance.
Request Process
To receive a Gift of Membership, a circle advisor must submit the Gift of Membership Request Form. The form requires general information about the student and a short description of the need. This does not need to be detailed or offer financial information that may be confidential. The Gift of Membership review team wants to know if the student is on aid (Pell Grant or other financial aid) and/or has a financial hardship such as loss of primary income source, single-parent working, etc.
To receive a Key Fund Gift of Membership, the advisor must specify if the candidate is a member of an historically underrepresented and marginalized ethnic population and that the awarding of this gift will assist in the national goals to diversify our membership.
The process does not require the applicant to submit an essay or documentation. A conversation or email exchange between advisor and applicant is sufficient if well justified to the National Headquarters.
Candidate Application
The circle must have received and accepted an application BEFORE it can request a Gift of Membership. The circle must verify by the acceptance that the individual is worthy of membership and the only barrier to membership is funding.
Deadline
There is no specific deadline for the Gift of Membership request. However, in order for the gift to be processed in time to meet the certificate submission, we recommend submitting the request no later than seven business days before the submission of the certificate order.
Opportunity Fund and Key Fund
Additional information about the Opportunity Fund that supports the Gift of Membership program is at this link. The Key Fund also supports the gift of membership from historically underrepresented and marginalized ethnic populations.
Please get in touch with Jamie Bouldin, director of membership services (jamie@odk.org), for more information.
