History of Delta Gamma Foundation

Although Delta Gamma's good work actually began in 1873 when the Founders adopted the motto "Do Good," the Foundation was not incorporated until 1951. Early in the 1900s, the Student Loan Fund was established.

The meeting of wartime emergencies in 1914 led to Delta Gamma's support of a hospital in Holland and a home for war orphans in Belgium. In 1936, at the urging of blind member Ruth Billow, Eta-Akron, Delta Gammas adopted Sight Conservation and Aid to the Blind as an international project.

Delta Gamma's work for the visually impaired became unique among philanthropies as members answered the needs within their own communities as well as on the international scene.

The Ruth Billow Memorial Fund provides financial aid to visually impaired members and educational grants to those members pursuing careers in services to the visually impaired.

Scholarships were added to the Grants and Loans program in 1957. More than $300,000 is awarded annually in scholarships, fellowships, and loans to recognize and assist outstanding members.

In recent years, the scope of the Foundation has expanded to include a wellness program, Well Aware; a career networking system, Cable Connection; and educational programming and leadership training. In 1990, the Delta Gamma Foundation acquired ART OF THE EYE, an educational exhibit created by professional artists who are visually impaired. All of the Foundation activities are supported by staff housed in the Dorothy Garrett Martin Foundation Center at Delta Gamma Executive Offices in Columbus, Ohio.

The Foundation is governed by the Delta Gamma Foundation Constitution and Articles of Incorporation, the Convention and the Foundation Board of Trustees.

The work of the Foundation is financed by gifts from collegiate chapters, alumnae groups, individual members and their friends/relatives, other foundations, Foundation fund raising, investment income and Fraternity allocations authorized by the Board of Trustees.