Since its founding in 1858, Delta Tau Delta has fostered leaders and innovators, advocates, change agents and community servants by promoting self-discovery, skills development and relationship building. We are squarely focused on Forging the Future for every Delt.
Mission & Values
Our mission is simple but straightforward: “Committed to Lives of Excellence.” Our members should be committed to living lives that reflect themselves, the Fraternity and every part of their being to a level of excellence. We, as a Fraternity, are dedicated to helping men achieve this level of excellence in their own lives. The Mission and Values of our Fraternity are a public version of the private Ritual we hold dear and are the driving force behind the operations of our Fraternity.
Our Principles
Truth is fundamental to any organization, but truth is particularly critical to Delta Tau Delta because honest relationships are mandatory for brotherhood. Telling the truth to yourself and others is fundamental to your commitment to a life of personal and professional excellence.
Courage means aggressively taking on challenges and being a leader in the face of adversity. It means caring for the lives of the people around you and understanding that sometimes saying "NO" is a necessary act of responsibility and love for your brothers and the Fraternity as a whole.
Faith is a belief in yourself that what you are doing is right. Whether your faith comes from yourself, your family or your god. Faith also means being loyal and trusting among people. It means knowing people will make correct choices or decisions, provided they have the necessary information and they understand the result of their actions.
Power begins as inner strength. Power is a combination of talents and inherent abilities and wisdom. Through united individuals, we can do so much more as a brotherhood than we can alone. The power of an organization, when combined with truth, courage and faith leads us into the future and ensures success.
Our Obligations
Integrity is Essential: Integrity means doing what you say you will do. Integrity establishes credibility for yourself and the Fraternity, and having it means others can trust you, believe you and count on you.
Accountability is Fundamental to all Commitments: Accountability means holding to your promises, making you responsible for both your words and your actions.
Lifelong Learning and Growth are Vital: There is no status quo in the pursuit of excellence — you are either moving ahead through continuous growth and learning or going backward and slowly narrowing your choice and opportunities in life. There is no point in today's world where one can afford to stop learning and growing.
Strengthening Community is Essential to our Vitality: The pursuit of a life of excellence must occur through constant interaction with many different communities. Therefore, a strong community is vital for your future as well as the Fraternity’s.
Brotherhood Sustains Us: Delta Tau Delta is an organization that relies on brotherhood to hold us together. Brotherhood involves individual responsibility to one’s self and to others.
What Are We About?
Integrity
Integrity is more than a word. It is a commitment to investing oneself into excellence in all aspects of life. Delta Tau Delta is looking for men committed to lives of excellence.
Accountability
We are only as good as our word. Accountability is doing what you say you will do. The core of accountability is personal honor. Delta Tau Delta is composed of honorable men who value accountability.
Opportunity
As a potential founding father, the Fraternity provides you with a way to leave your mark on campus for decades to come. You have the ability to influence the thoughts and actions of generations of men. With such glory comes necessary work. If you are interested in rolling up your sleeves and creating a values-driven fraternity, Delta Tau Delta is the right choice.
Growth
Founding Fathers are men of unequivocal talent. They are men who leave college with a resume unlike any peer. These men achieve personal growth and development through the work of the Fraternity. They have experience that sets them apart from everyone else. It takes a strong commitment from a man who is willing to learn through new experiences. Founding Fathers are unlike any other college student.
What Are We Not?
Drugs
Delta Tau Delta takes a firm stance against illegal drugs. The Fraternity will not tolerate any member using illegal drugs.
Alcohol
Delta Tau Delta aligns its alcohol policies with those of the host institution. The Fraternity will not tolerate underage drinking or alcohol abuse. In addition, this colony's programs will not be centered on alcohol. While Delta Tau Delta is a social fraternity it is the Fraternity's belief that, while alcohol is a part of American culture, it is not and will not be a focus of the Fraternity.
Hazing
Hazing is defined as any action taken or situation created intentionally, whether on or off Fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment or ridicule. Delta Tau Delta takes a firm stance against hazing in any shape or form.
The Chapter Experience
Looking to make a larger impact in the colony? Being an officer is a great way to do that. Click the button below to learn more about each officer opportunity and how much time you would be committing.
We know you are pulled in many directions during the school year, but every member is expected to have an impact on the chapter, large or small. Below are the time commitments we expect from every member each week, from all colony members to officers on the executive board. If there is a position you want to hold but are worried about the time commitment, please reach out to a member of the expansion team for officer opportunities.
All colony members: One to three hours per week
Administrative officers: Approximately three to six hours per week
Executive officers: Approximately six to 10 hours per week
Financial Investment
Overall, the Fraternity sees dues per semester on average totaling approximately $450-$550 per member. Below is an outline of where those funds are applied and how they are used.
One-Time Fees
New Member Fee: $95 - Provides you access to myDelt resources, which include online officer training and leadership development modules. In addition, this pays for your new member pin, Founding Father t-shirt and covers your registration in the Fraternity.
Initiation Fee & Loyalty Fund Contribution: $177 - Once the colony meets specified requirements, such as establishing Bylaws, recruiting additional members, setting its dues structure, etc., it will charter and become a full chapter in Delta Tau Delta. This fee includes initiation dues, a contribution to Delta Tau Delta's Loyalty Fund, your badge and membership certificate.
Annual Fees
Membership Fee: $285 - This money becomes the operating budget for the International Fraternity. Money in this fund provides for the chapter’s registration for various Fraternity programs and conferences, staff support, materials, supplies, etc.
Insurance Fee: Chapters are assessed approximately $127 per man per year for liability insurance that covers members in the event of unforeseen circumstances, including the member accident protection program, which provides additional insurance coverage for injuries in some circumstances.
Semester Fees
Local Dues: This money goes directly to colony operations. Colonies use this money for recruitment, food, socials, brotherhood, service, etc. Local dues will be decided by a vote of the colony.
Fraternity Programs
Life of Excellence (LOE)
Delta Tau Delta provides education and learning through its member development and experience framework, the Life of Excellence. The Life of Excellence is a way for our members to identify areas of growth for themselves while providing them the confidence and competence to meet or exceed their own expectations. This framework is relevant to Delts of all ages, across all seasons of life. It is comprised of four domains that while distinct, are also deeply related to one another. The four domains are: Personal Leadership, Professional Development, Wellness & Well-Being, and Strengthening Community.
COMPASS Experiences
COMPASS Experiences are Delta Tau Delta's personal development experience focused on providing participants with the skills and tools needed to be successful on campus and in life. The COMPASS Experiences are rooted in developing personal leadership capacity and preparing participants for life after college. Moreover, this program helps our members succeed as they prepare to take on leadership roles, professional careers, and develop relationships within their community, always remembering they are their own compass as they go about Forging the Future.
Presidents Excellence Institute
PresX is focused on transferable leadership skills that will make you a strong leader both in your presidency and after. PresX is the opportunity to practice skills and be given feedback by coaches and peer leaders before taking those skills back to your chapter.
Karnea
Karnea, billed as the greatest of all Delt events, is the legislative body and general convention for the Fraternity. Held biennially, the national convention is an excellent way to interact with brothers from across the globe. Karnea is truly a special experience for every Delt who participates. In addition to the legislative portion of the convention, attendees also participate in community service, philanthropy, and an out-of-hotel social event. The event concludes with the Karnea banquet, honoring prominent Fraternity alumni, distinguished undergraduates, and the distribution of awards. Delta Tau Delta Fraternity's next Karnea will occur at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Ariz., from Aug. 5-9, 2026.
Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation
Since its founding in 1981, the Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation has granted over $27,000,000 to the Fraternity and its chapters for educational and leadership training, scholarships, and Shelter construction and improvements.
Undergraduates receive support from the Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation in three primary ways:
Fellowships: Awards that offset the cost of attendance at Delt-hosted educational and developmental programs. These awards help cover registration costs, travel, meals, etc.
Grants: The Foundation provides grants direct to the Fraternity and chapters for educational initiatives helping reduce costs in order to keep the dues you pay low.
The Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation is also available to train you on philanthropic best practices, consult with you on fundraising initiatives and more. Contact the Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation at foundation@delts.org for more information.
Philanthropy
Delta Tau Delta and Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) have formed a national partnership focused on philanthropic endeavors and community service. All chapters and colonies on college campuses nationwide are encouraged to work closely with local Breakthrough T1D chapters in order to raise funds and awareness about type 1 diabetes (T1D). Breakthrough T1D is the worldwide leader for research toward curing, treating and preventing T1D and its complications.
Did something catch your attention that you would like to know more about, or is there information you still need from Delta Tau Delta? Contact one of our chapter leadership consultants for assistance.
Joe Hiatt (University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2024)
If you or any of your friends know worthy men who are not a part of Greek life but should be, we want to meet them. To refer a man to Delta Tau Delta, please click the button below to share his information.
