It’s rush season, arguably the most important time of year for fraternities and sororities! It’s time to choose who will be the new face of the chapter, and who will continue the legacy.
No matter the size or budget of your chapter, it is crucial to enter into rush week prepared so you attract and impress potential new members (PNMs) for your fraternity or sorority.
Whether you are a rush chair, treasurer, or president of your Greek life chapter, make sure you’re prepared for rush season. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of top tips for the e-board for rush that will make recruitment a breeze. We’ve also got some tips on how to best manage your chapter financially throughout the year.
10 Tips for Managing Rush Week
1. Create a Rush Plan
Plan out ALL rush events, long before students return to campus. Why? So the e-board can budget and prepare for any rush activities, and all members are on the same page about the schedule. PNMs will be able to tell that your fraternity is organized, and cares about rush week.
2. Create Content for Social Media
Ever since the explosion of ‘Rushtok’, having a social media presence during rush is not an option, it’s the new standard! It’s a great way to get potential members acquainted with your chapter while they’re still on summer break. Record a video of what goes on at your frat or sorority, and use that to create an ‘advertisement’ for your chapter on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc..
3. Collect Dues from Members Early
Putting on rush events can cost a lot of money. Make sure your chapter doesn’t run into a negative by collecting dues from existing members.
If you need an easy way to collect dues from members, check out Crowded Collect– members pay through Apple Pay, debit or credit card, ACH, and the board can track incoming payments & send reminders!
4. Create a Rush Budget
Agree with the e-board what the budget is for rush, and then allocate funds accordingly. An easy way to stay on budget is by using Expense Cards to make purchases. These cars are only loaded with the amount you put on them, you can track how the money was used, and redeem any unused funds. Much easier and more comfortable than asking members to pay out of pocket, keeping track of receipts, and reimbursing them later.
5. Mandate Member attendance at Rush Events
In order for the rushees to get the right impression of the fraternity or sorority, make sure that all of your members are at rush events! Your members will bring the vibes, make it fun, and show the true colors of your chapter.
6. Engage Alumni
Don’t be shy to let your fraternity’s alumni know what’s going on during rush week. For one, this would help alumni feel connected to the chapter, which can increase alumni donations, and subsidize fraternity events. Alumni also may have connections that might be useful for rush week: for hosting events, or recommend certain rushees.
7. Integrate Philanthropy
Doing philanthropy is likely an important part of being a member of your fraternity or sorority, so why not bring it into recruitment so potential members know what they are getting themselves into?
Host a philanthropy event during rush week that conveys your chapter’s values and is also fun & gives members and PNMs the opportunity to get to know each other and work together. For example, packing meals for people in need, or writing cards for the children’s hospital can be a great setting for bonding while doing philanthropy.
8. Host Creative Events
Rushees might be attending events for a few different fraternities and sororities – make your chapter’s events stand out! Don’t just stick to the typical events, here are some ideas we have:
- Rent out a bar for the night
- Order in Chick-fil-A (or any other food) to the house,
- Karaoke night (with board members as judges)
- Bonfire night where existing members and alumni share why they joined the sorority or fraternity
- Cultural food night
9. Collect PNW info in forms
Don’t use a piece of paper that can get lost, or a text message chain, create a free Google form for your rush events. Create a QR code for the event, and ensure that each rushee fills out the form before entering the event. This way, no one gets lost in the process and you can do due diligence on picking the right new members for your fraternity.
10. Keep Rushee Info Online
Track all of the rushees in an organized shared Google sheet between all the relevant e-board members. You can integrate the Google form to auto-populate a Google sheet. That way, people can make notes, do due diligence, and update information and nothing will get lost. It’s a much better way than over text or on paper.
And those are Crowded’s 10 tips for recruitment season!
If your chapter is struggling with chapter financial management, now is the time to act before initiating new members.
We suggest using a platform that unifies all financial tools needed for your chapter this semester: dues collection, fundraising, spending, membership management, and end-of-year 990 Form filing (Crowded is the only platform that can do all that in one… and it’s free!)
Start the year off on the right foot with a great rush week, lots of bids, and an ironclad dues collection method.
