As the new school year rapidly approaches, we want to encourage House Corporations to take a fresh look at their operating practices. In the past year, we have shared new systems, processes and tools for you to use, and we want to encourage you, no matter how good or great your current systems and processes are, to “up your game” to the next level!

As a committee, we would suggest you meet and ask some reflective questions to start a new academic year: 

• What did we do best last year and how can we take that experience and apply it to other areas of our operations? (Why did that area go so well?) 
• What were some of the most painful areas last year? What do we need to change in our processes and policies to make those areas better this year?
• How are our finances? Do we have adequate reserves for an emergency or two?
• How well did we communicate with the chapter last year? What can we do better this year?
• Have we started working on our graduate brother communication plan?
• Are we 100% focused on safety? Are we using the safety checklist provided by the fraternity? What can we do to make the house even safer this year?

Steve Bocher
Chairman of 1848 Housing

Perge!

After summer, whether there were tenants in your chapter house or not, it is almost time to reopen the chapter house for the fall semester. Welcome the brothers moving in for the first time, new members and potential members with a chapter house that is clean, in working order and fully functioning. 

Click here to see the Safety Checklist, which can be used for pre-opening to ensure the house is ready for occupancy.

Go through the Opening the Chapter House checklist before tenants move in.

Lastly, view the Beginning of the Year Tips for some helpful information about organizing the undergrads. 

Visit the Best Practices for House Corporations page on the website to see a list of our suggest best practices. If you come across an issues, it is likely the answer will be on this page.

Another resource for house corporations that the Fraternity provides is a library of past housing webinars. Visit the Housing Webinars page to view the most recent webinar, New Communication Plan for House Corporations, and to see a schedule future webinars. The webinars are a great tool that explain some major house corporation ideas and problems more in depth than a Google search, an email or a single document can do. 

Finally, the 1848 Housing Committee has worked to identify business partners for our house corporations. Our Preferred Business Partners are exclusive partnerships with companies that we believe have exemplified themselves to be some of the best in their industry. While we have done research into these businesses, vast differences exist in our properties and house corporation needs. It is critically important that you verify that the services of these companies meet your specific needs. 

We are working to identify additional companies which represent a wide range of service areas that we believe have good reputations and track records for providing services within Phi Gamma Delta or the larger national Greek system. While not necessarily named as Preferred Partners, these companies may be a good resource for house corporations to consider. If your house corporation has had a good experience with a company in any of these categories, please share their contact information with us.

In each newsletter, we plan to provide some information and updates from our Preferred Partners: 

• Upper Crust Food Service provided an article regarding beginning of the year considerations with your kitchen and food service.
• Columns Fundraising provided an article about submitting a request for proposal for fundraising services. 

All nonprofit entities in the US, including house corporations, are required to file an annual tax return with the IRS. The return is some version of the Form 990 and is due by the 15th day of the 5th month following the close of the fiscal year. For those house corporations that have adopted a fiscal year end consistent with the Fraternity's on June 30, this is due by November 15, 2019. 

Nonprofit entities that fail to file the annual return for three consecutive years will have their tax-exempt status revoked. The loss of tax-exempt status means that the entity must operate as a for-profit entity, with its revenue, such as dues and rent, subject to income tax. Unfortunately, several chapters and house corporations have lost their exempt status and are working through an onerous process to regain it. To check if your chapter/house corporation is on the revocation list, visit this page on the IRS website.

If your chapter/house corporation is not on the list, but you know that the tax return has not been filed for one or more years, you should give this your immediate attention. And, we suggest you engage a local tax professional to assist you. The Fraternity may also be able to direct you to assistance if your tax-exempt status has been revoked by contacting Will Shier.

We continue to see an increasing number of host institutions requiring fraternity chapters, and in some cases house corporations, to execute relationship or housing agreements with the institution. 

Many of these agreements require that the institution be named as an insured on the chapter/house corporation’s liability insurance and that the chapter or house corporation indemnify the institution. Some of these requirements are not feasible or are inequitable. 

Any such document should not be executed until it has been reviewed by the Fraternity’s insurance agency. It can be sent to Executive Director Rob Caudill.

The best house corporations across the country, regardless of which fraternity or sorority, have a few things in common: organization, communication, money management and a few others. This is a really helpful piece, titled The Seven Habits of Highly Successful House Corporations. Check it out and share it with your fellow house corporation members.

House corporation officers are encouraged to regularly update their member rosters with the Fraternity. Contact Director of Graduate Involvement Thomas Lovejoy to determine who is currently listed in the Fraternity's records and/or to update these records.

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You are receiving this newsletter because you are listed as a House Corporation member for a Phi Gamma Delta Chapter/Colony. If you are no longer a member of a House Corporation contact Thomas Lovejoy, Director of Graduate Involvement. 

You may also contact Thomas to determine who is currently listed in the Fraternity's records.