According to the American Cancer Society statistics, because of major treatment advances in recent decades, more than 80 percent of children with cancer now survive five years or more. Overall, this is a huge increase since the mid-1970s, when the five-year survival rate was about 58 percent – and when Tri Delta committed itself to ending childhood cancer.
Childhood cancer is just one area of Tri Delta’s philanthropic focus. Today, Tri Delta remains committed to three aspects of philanthropy: sisters helping sisters through Tri Delta’s Foundation, our commitment to changing the way the world treats and defeats childhood cancer through our work with local and regional children’s hospitals and pediatric cancer initiatives and through our national partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Sisters Helping Sisters
At the core of Tri Delta philanthropy is Tri Delta’s Foundation. With support from our generous member-donors, Tri Delta’s Foundation raises funds to provide transformational programs, scholarships and emergency financial support to empower our sisters for a lifetime.
- Emergency financial assistance is provided to collegiate and alumnae sisters facing unforeseen financial crises through Crescent and Collegiate Crescent Fund grants.
- Undergraduate and graduate scholarships are awarded to more than 150 members each year to support them on their educational journeys.
- Tri Delta’s Foundation funds transformational programs designed to help members tackle the challenges faced by today’s college student. Foundation-funded programs include our Life After College Series, designed to launch our members from college to career, and our mental health initiative, Behind Happy Faces.
Committed to a Cure
In 1947, 13 alumnae chapters in Southern California organized a luncheon to help fund hematology-oncology research at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. From then on this “Sleighbell Luncheon” was held on the first Tuesday of December for decades and inspired similar events across the country and Tri Delta’s national philanthropic focus.
At the 1974 Convention, recognizing our members’ dedication and generosity, Tri Delta adopted children’s cancer charities as our philanthropic focus. Today, that focus represents millions of hours served – and dollars raised – to help find cures and save children battling childhood cancer.
Many of our alumnae chapters have longstanding partnerships with local children’s hospitals where they help fund cancer research and treatments. The Denver Alumnae Chapter’s partnership with Children’s Hospital Colorado has resulted in a more than $2 million endowment, while the Nashville Alumnae Chapter hosts the annual Eve of Janus Ball, the oldest fundraising event for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Tri Delta for St. Jude
In 1999, Tri Delta established a national partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to augment our longstanding commitment to end childhood cancer. Our partnership with St. Jude allows Tri Delta to make a global impact in the fight against childhood cancer as we help children live, scientist learn and St. Jude lead in its mission of finding cures for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
In 2014, Tri Delta committed to raising $60 million in 10 years for St. Jude – the single largest pledge to the hospital by a St. Jude partner. In honor of this commitment, St. Jude named its on-campus, short-term housing facility Tri Delta Place.
Today, support for St. Jude continues through creative fundraising at the collegiate level, support from our alumnae and participation in the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer and the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend.
Last year, Tri Delta celebrated the 20-year anniversary of our partnership with St. Jude! Over the last 20 years, this partnership has resulted in a grand total of $75 million raised to support the life-saving work of St. Jude.
Kind Alike to All
Tri Delta was founded as a society that would be “kind alike to all.” By supporting our three aspects of philanthropy, we are keeping our Founders’ vision alive today.