1. Host an “APO for a Day”
Give students a taste of Alpha Phi Omega by hosting “APO for a Day” over a weekend where non-members can attend a leadership, friendship and/or service event hosted by the chapter. Finish the event with peer-to-peer mingling/APO information to make connections that may result in membership. If your chapter has space in the budget, free food is always an enticing bonus!
2. Create Chapter Recruitment Challenges
Have recruitment challenges amongst chapter members (throw in a few fun rewards like merch from the APO Shop). The challenge is to invite as many non-member students as possible to the next service event – the brother with the most invited attendees at that service event wins a small prize or extra hours towards their service requirement.
3. It’s The Little Things!
Grand recruitment activities are great, however, don’t forget the value of doing little things to create positive energy for someone and improve visibility on campus. Ask members to throw on their APO gear and…
- …open doors between classes
- …post positive affirmation sticky notes on campus with “courtesy of Alpha Phi Omega” in the corner
- …offer to throw trash away for people outside the food court
- …hand out candy and a smile between classes
- …wish students a good day as they head into class in the morning or head to the parking lot at the end of the day
4. Put Strategy into Social Media
Social media is undoubtedly a great (and budget-friendly) tool for building a digital community if used effectively. To make the most of it and expand your reach, consider adding strategy to what is shared and how. Are you tagging the campus and student life on your recruitment activities posts? Maybe ask if the campus social media team would consider highlighting the chapter during recruitment to help grow membership or share a story about a project the chapter conducted to improve the campus or surrounding community. The more you share the story and value of APO through your networks, the better visibility you will have.
If you aren’t already…
- Announce upcoming events and invite non-members
- Highlight chapter and member accomplishments
- Show the fun the chapter has with ways to get involved
- Keep information, including pictures and videos, relevant to the culture of the chapter and campus.
💡 Think About It! 💡 What if the chapter added a social media committee or chair position to develop a strategy for leveraging social media for recruitment and sharing the hard work of the chapter? Great leadership opportunity that grows the chapter’s visibility!
5. Show ‘Em How You Serve!
APO is at its best when our members are providing service together and building relationships. Why not plan a service project that’s open to anyone on campus a few times each semester – you can utilize events that you would be hosting anyway and have a chance to introduce your organization to students. Also, consider hosting these events in more public locations – a card-making night is just as much fun in a common area and will draw more attention than a classroom! Consider projects that are meaningful to the surrounding communities and don’t break the budget like a campus cleanup day.
6. Connect with Faculty & Staff
Campus resources can expand beyond material things – connect with faculty and staff members to start the conversation and act on opportunities that allow chapter members to get in front of other students. Campus administrators love organizations who are willing to come to them and ask where the student group can give back to the campus in a meaningful way!
💡 Think About It! 💡 The connections you make with campus administrators may lead to a fruitful advisor relationship in the future! The more people exposed to the chapter, the more opportunities for growth and innovation.
7. Help w/ Campus Events
Collaborate with the student life office or career services to inquire about sponsoring events on campus. If there is a well-known speaker, concert or other highly attended event, offer the chapter’s service for a shout-out or permission to promote the Fraternity in other ways. For example, hand out water at long lines for events, offer to clean up the stadium after a football game, etc. Be sure your members are wearing their favorite APO apparel!