I suspect 2020 will be known in reference books and commentary as the Year of the Asterisk due to the many disruptions created by the coronavirus. I don’t need to list them all for you – your Thanksgiving celebration last week was likely different due to travel constraints and cautions about the size of gatherings, your daily interactions impacted as well.

And yet, despite the abrupt and necessary changes required to keep ourselves and others safe,

life has gone on. Not life as we knew it, but life as we’ve come to know it in 2020. Everything changed, but it didn’t. Colleges and universities held classes and students earned credits toward degrees, the nation held an election, and Phi Kappa Phi members continued to exhibit their love of learning and their commitment to our mission of excellence through their generous support of the Society’s awards program.

I am so grateful to those of you who have become donors. Many of you send a gift when renewing your dues, others respond to the annual fund letter that we send each fall, and others choose to donate on #GivingTuesday, which is tomorrow. Without much fanfare, Phi Kappa Phi passed a milestone this summer – our awards program now provides $1 million annually in grants and fellowships. That is possible only through your generosity and your faithful support.

May we count on you this year to help us extend the love of learning through our multi-faceted awards program? We would love to count you among our #GivingTuesday donors this year – just one click on the Donate button will allow you to direct your gift as you wish. And for a gift of $65 or more, we’re offering a special premium, a toasty ΦΚΦ blanket. You will also receive our deep gratitude for your support of this remarkable community of scholars. Thank you so much.