Volunteer-A-Thon
READING IS AN ADVENTURE
Join Phi Eta Sigma members across the country for a national service challenge that starts in your own community. Volunteer for a cause you care about, raise funds for childhood literacy, or collect books for young readers. Compete for individual awards and help your chapter make a run for the KIP Cup.
Why Service Matters
Service is one way Phi Eta Sigma lives out its mission to develop character. When you show up week after week to tutor a student, ask a librarian what books their young readers need, or follow through on a promise to a community partner, you practice listening, taking responsibility, and being someone others can count on.
The Volunteer-a-Thon gives you a place to start. Choose a project that meets a need in your community, work alongside people who know that need firsthand, and bring what you learn back to your chapter. The relationships you build can shape how you serve and lead long after the competition ends.
The KIP Cup and other prizes
A tutoring session, a donation to the Run for Reading, and a stack of books collected on campus can each make a difference.
Over the course of the Volunteer-a-Thon (November-March), those efforts add up. The KIP Cup is Phi Eta Sigma’s top chapter award for the Volunteer-a-Thon. It goes to the overall winning chapter and comes with a $1,500 prize.
Chapters and individual members can also earn awards in each of the three competition categories.
The 2026 KIP Cup recipient was
Butler University
Three Ways to Compete in the
Volunteer-A-Thon
Hours
Served
Give your time to a cause you care about. Tutor a student, help at a food pantry, or join a chapter service project. Log your volunteer hours through Phi Eta Sigma’s GivePulse group to participate in the hours served competition.
5k for $10K Run for Reading
Run or walk a 5K and rally your friends, family, and chapter to support childhood literacy. Together, we’re working toward a $10,000 fundraising goal to help more children get access to books and reading resources. Awards in this category recognize the most money donated.
Mary Jo Dwyer Book Drive
Help put more books in the hands of young readers. Organize a collection on campus, invite friends and classmates to donate, or start with one of the suggested monthly titles. Awards in this category recognize the most books donated.
Each category will have a chapter ($500) and individual ($300) winner.
Looking for Inspiration
From November through March, each Volunteer-a-Thon theme gives you a place to start. Try a service project with your chapter, pick a book to discuss with fellow members, or add the month’s suggested title to your book drive. Use the ideas below to find a project that fits what your community needs.
Your volunteer hours count even if your project falls outside the monthly theme.
November · Choose Your Own Adventure
Kick off the Volunteer-a-Thon by choosing a cause that matters to you. Help with a campus service project, pitch in at a food drive, or volunteer with a community meal program.
Book club — Walking with the Wind or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Suggested donation — Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
December · The Joy of Hidden Treasures
Host a book drive or collect children’s books, school supplies, and other learning materials for a local organization.
Book club — Bowling Alone or The Midnight Library
Suggested donation — The Giving Tree
January · Explore New Horizons
Help young learners build confidence by reading with students, tutoring, or volunteering with a school, literacy program, or after-school group.
Book club — The Book Thief or I Am Malala
Suggested donation — Matilda
February · The Quest Continues
Team up with your chapter to support a library program, make bookmarks for young readers, or write notes of appreciation to educators and librarians.
Book club — The Reading List or The Boys in the Boat
Suggested donation — The One and Only Ivan
March · Complete the Quest
Celebrate National Reading Month and Phi Eta Sigma’s Founders Day with a literacy awareness event, a run or walk fundraiser, or a chapter service project.
Book club — Just Mercy or The Giver
Suggested donation — Library Lion
Volunteer-A-Thon
Book Club
Read along with Phi Eta Sigma from November through March. Each month, choose one of the two featured books and join our national virtual book club to discuss the selections with members from chapters across the country.
From memoirs to novels, this year’s picks explore courage, belonging, and what it means to show up for others. Find your next read in the monthly themes section and bring a favorite passage or a question you’d like to discuss.
Stay Informed
Details about upcoming Volunteer-A-Thon activities are shared through official Phi Eta Sigma communications.
To ensure you receive important updates from the National Office, members are encouraged to keep their contact information current.
You’ll be redirected to Phi Eta Sigma’s official member system.