Texas Panhellenic Fundraises for Schools Around the World
- Sep 8, 2026
Texas Panhellenic, the organization that oversees 13 sorority chapters at The University of Texas at Austin, raised more than $45,000 during the 2025-2026 school year for the construction of a school in Senegal, which is set to break ground in fall 2026.
Texas Panhellenic raised the funds in partnership with Circle of Sisterhood and buildON, two nonprofits seeking to break barriers to education around the world, with a focus on girls and women. The school in Senegal will be the 50th school built by Circle of Sisterhood, an organization powered by sorority women and alumni.
To prepare for the construction, buildON is working with the community in Senegal by hosting meetings, acquiring rights to the land, gathering materials and setting up a project leadership committee with residents. BuildON asks for an equal gender split in the committee, with six men and six women — a rare occurrence in a place like Senegal.
“This is sometimes the first time that a woman is holding a formal position of power or leadership role,” said Morgan Dickerson, community engagement director of buildON.
In 2024, Texas Panhellenic fundraised $40,000 to repair a school in Nicaragua, replacing old rooms with a permanent and safe space, providing a more “stable learning environment,” said Carly Rodriguez, vice president of philanthropy for Texas Panhellenic. The school supported 78 students, including 40 girls.
Ginny Carroll, executive director and founder of Circle of Sisterhood, said she built the organization because she knew educated women would care deeply about giving girls access to school. Carroll said they chose to work with buildON because of the organization’s focus on equality in education for women and girls.
Rodriguez said that while each sorority in Texas Panhellenic advocates for its own philanthropy cause, they all come together to fundraise for Circle of Sisterhood.
“Panhellenic really is a united front,” Rodriguez said. “It might be 13 chapters, but it’s all one big family.”
