Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority Incorporated

What Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority Incorporated does

Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Incorporated is a private nonprofit membership organization and the first multicultural Greek-letter sorority in the United States, founded November 21, 1981 at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, by five women under the motto "Mujeres Siempre Unidas" (Women Always United). The organization operates 71 undergraduate chapters across 19 states and Washington D.C., organized into Districts I through VII, plus the Aretias Graduate and Professional Chapter with local chapters active in New England, New York, North New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It serves approximately 1,941 active sisters representing 120+ ethnicities, delivering academic excellence support, leadership development, community service, and lifelong professional networking. Governance is conducted through an elected National Governing Council (NGC), and the organization is a founding member of the National Multicultural Greek Council.

The organization's core digital product is "The Jungle," a private member portal hosting chapter management tools, the Social Canopy private social feed, meeting and call functionality, and the MUseum archive that preserves every sister and every line since 1981. The portal includes anti-hazing acknowledgment workflows, user agreements, and an antiracism clause sign-on. The separate Mu Sigma Upsilon Foundation, established in 2017 and granted 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by the IRS in June 2018, operates the charitable arm offering named scholarships (typically $250-$500), chapter event grants ($100-$250), and disaster relief programs including MUnited Nations service trips to Puerto Rico (in partnership with Family Services Network of New York) and Orlando (Habitat for Humanity). The Foundation runs an annual Run Like an Amazon virtual 5K fundraiser at $19.81 per participant.

The business model combines recurring membership dues (national and chapter-level) with transaction-based fundraising ($19.81 race entry fees, Mother's Day Tea Party ticket sales), tax-deductible donations to the MSU Foundation, and external grants. Distribution is primarily through 71 undergraduate campus chapters and Aretias Local Chapters for graduate members, with technology-enabled fundraising channels including AmazonSmile, Google for Nonprofits, PayPal Giving Fund, and Facebook Charitable Giving. The Office of Expansion actively identifies new campuses for chapter charter, requiring a minimum of five dedicated undergraduates. Headcount is approximately 30, with most operational leadership staffed by elected volunteer officers supplemented by a newly hired first Executive Director (Lorean Valentin) providing professional nonprofit management.

Name

Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority Incorporated

Legal name

Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Inc.

Website

https://msu1981.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Incorporated is the nation's first multicultural Greek-letter sorority, operating 71 undergraduate chapters and the Aretias graduate chapter across 19 U.S. states and D.C. Founded in 1981 at Rutgers University, it serves approximately 1,941 active sisters through academic excellence, leadership development, community service, and lifelong professional networking, supported by its 501(c)(3) Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Bergen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Collegiate and Aretias graduate chapter members pay recurring national and chapter dues as part of ongoing membership. Fee amounts and deadlines are communicated before interviews and initiation.
2. Run Like an Amazon Virtual 5K: The Foundation's annual virtual 5K race with a $19.81 entry fee (nod to 1981 founding), funding scholarships, chapter grants, and MUnited Nations relief programs.
3. Mother's Day Tea Party: Annual tradition event with proceeds supporting Foundation scholarships and grants.
4. Donations & Charitable Giving: Tax-deductible donations to the MSU Foundation (501(c)(3) as of June 20, 2018) supporting scholarships, grants, event grants for chapters, and disaster relief funds.
5. Chapter Event Grants: Foundation provides grants to chapters for programming: $250 for large events, $100 for small events. Applications coordinated through chapter and NGC Philanthropy office.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Inc. is the first multicultural Greek-letter sorority in the United States, offering membership-based sisterhood through 71 undergraduate campus chapters and the Aretias graduate chapter network. Its core offerings center on membership intake and education, academic excellence standards, structured community service, and lifelong alumnae engagement, supported by a private member portal ("The Jungle") and a charitable Foundation providing scholarships, grants, and disaster-relief programs.

Product overview

Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Inc. is a membership-based multicultural sorority organization offering undergraduate and graduate chapter membership, with its primary digital product being The Jungle member portal for chapter management and sisterhood coordination. The organization's programmatic offerings include the Foundation (scholarships, grants, disaster relief), Run Like an Amazon (annual virtual 5K fundraiser), MUnited Nations (service trips), Aretias Graduate Chapter, The Amazonian magazine, and various workshop and study programs. The structure consists of a core sorority organization supported by its separate 501(c)(3) charitable Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Jungle (Member Portal) A private digital home for sisters providing chapter management tools, a social feed (Social Canopy), meeting and call functionality, and the MUseum archive for preserving sisterhood history since 1981.
• Aretias Graduate & Professional Chapter The official graduate, alumnae, and professional women's chapter established in 2005, offering lifelong sisterhood, mentorship, professional networking, and community service through local chapters across the country.
• New Member Education Program A guided onboarding season for prospective members covering MSU history, multiculturalism, leadership, service, and sisterhood values, concluding in full initiation.
• Mu Sigma Upsilon Foundation The 501(c)(3) charitable arm of the sorority offering scholarships, grants, and disaster relief funding through programs including Run Like an Amazon, Mother's Day Tea, and MUnited Nations mission trips.
• Run Like an Amazon Virtual 5K An annual virtual 5K fundraising event with a $19.81 entry fee (referencing the 1981 founding) that funds scholarships, grants, and relief programs.
• MUnited Nations Hands-on relief travel program partnering with organizations like Family Services Network of New York and Habitat for Humanity, providing disaster relief and community support.
• The Amazonian Magazine The organization's quarterly magazine featuring sisterhood stories, chapter news, and programmatic updates.
• MSU Foundation Scholarships Named scholarships awarded to members including Ceannaire Scholarship ($500), Lucy Dipini Memorial Scholarship ($500), Agbara Scholarship ($500), Bow and Arrow Scholarship ($500), Danielle N. Smith Aretias Graduate Scholarship ($500), Stella Cadente Scholarship ($500), and Alzando Scholarship ($250+$250).
• MSU Foundation Chapter Event Grants Foundation grants provided to chapters for programming — $250 for large events (conferences, galas, large-scale community programming) and $100 for small events (workshops, awareness programs, local service days).
• Aretias New York Workshop Series Workshop programming offered by the Aretias New York chapter covering topics such as The Vagina Monologues and reproductive wellness.

Quantifiable outcome

• S.T.A.R. rated chapters demonstrate measurable performance across academic achievement (average 3.3+ GPA), community service (100+ hours), and cultural programming.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Mu Mission partners with Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County for service travel trips. Sisters participate in home-building activities as part of the organization's hands-on relief mission program. The partnership connects MSU's service mission with Habitat's housing construction expertise.
• NAACPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018The current National Philanthropy of Mu Sigma Upsilon as of 2021, selected by a five-year vote of the sisterhood. All nationwide fundraising and awareness efforts are dedicated to the NAACP. The next vote is set for June 2026.
• AmazonSmileminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018MSU Foundation is registered with AmazonSmile (EIN 82-3074737), enabling shoppers to direct a percentage of qualifying purchases to the Foundation as a charitable donation.
• PayPal Giving FundminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018The Foundation receives donations through PayPal's charitable giving infrastructure, enabling tax-deductible contributions to be processed through the PayPal platform.
• Facebook Charitable GivingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018Facebook's charitable giving tools enable the Foundation to process donations directly through the Facebook platform, expanding the organization's digital fundraising reach.
• Family Services Network of New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017MSU Foundation partners with Family Services Network of New York for the MUnited Nations disaster relief mission trips. The partnership enables sisters to travel to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico for hands-on relief work including farming, roof repair, house building, nursing home engagement, mental wellness support, and LGBTQ+ youth shelter visits. The 2019 trip logged 900+ service hours and $5,166 in donations. This is the sorority's longest-running mission trip partnership.
• To Write Love on Her ArmsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Listed among Mu Mission community organization partners. To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) is a nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity Inc. Brother organization founded at Rutgers in 1979, two years before MSU. LSU and MSU share baby blue and white colors and are collectively known as the 'Upsilon Family.' Most directly comparable peer given shared founding campus, shared colors, and ongoing fraternal relationship.
• Kappa Delta Chi Sorority Inc. Latina-founded sorority established in 1987 with a service-based mission and multicultural membership model. Comparable to MSU as a peer in the National Multicultural Greek Council with overlapping cultural programming and chapter expansion strategy.
• Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority Inc. Multicultural Latin sorority founded in 1980 at Rutgers University — one year before MSU. Founding member of the National Multicultural Greek Council alongside MSU, with overlapping multicultural-by-design mission and similar chapter-based expansion model.
• Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Inc. Multicultural Latin sorority founded in 1987 at Rutgers University, also a founding member of the National Multicultural Greek Council. Directly comparable peer given shared multicultural Latin focus, similar chapter-network distribution, and overlapping target demographic of culturally engaged women in higher education.
• Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha Inc. Multicultural Latina sorority founded in 1990 with chapters across U.S. universities. Competes with MSU for the same multicultural sorority market and shares a similar cultural-heritage programming model aimed at Latin and multicultural women.
• Sigma Lambda Upsilon Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority Inc. Multicultural sorority founded in 1986, also a founding member of the National Multicultural Greek Council. Comparable to MSU in its cultural-heritage programming and chapter-network expansion approach targeting diverse women in higher education.
• Lambda Pi Chi Sorority Inc. Multicultural Latina-interest sorority founded in 1994 with chapter-based operations across U.S. campuses. Directly comparable peer in the multicultural Greek space, particularly around community service, scholarship programs, and cultural awareness programming.

Broad incumbents

• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Founded in 1908 as the first African American Greek-letter sorority. While historically African American rather than multicultural, it represents a broad incumbent in the cultural sorority space and a potential pipeline for MSU's graduate members pursuing culturally engaged alumnae networks.
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. African American sorority founded in 1922 with a service-based mission. Comparable as an established sorority incumbent with national philanthropy partnerships and a multi-state chapter network — a structural reference point for MSU's own expansion trajectory.
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Large African American sorority founded in 1913 with a major national service footprint. Comparable as a broad sorority incumbent whose service programs (Five-Point Programmatic Thrust) offer a benchmark for MSU's MUnited Nations and chapter service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/msu1981
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mu-sigma-upsilon-sorority-incorporated

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority Incorporated