Indianapolis, July 17, 2025 – A fierce fraternity advocate throughout his 20+ year professional career, Jason N. Butler was passionate and dedicated to helping fraternal foundations grow and thrive through all aspects of his work. Jason passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 28, 2025; he was a loyal friend, colleague and fraternity man.
It is for Jason’s life’s work dedicated to advancing the fraternal movement that he has been recognized as the 2025 William D. Jenkins Outstanding Foundation Professional. Jason’s award will be presented posthumously on Sunday, Aug. 24, during a memorial gathering in advance of FFE Seminar.
“Jason didn’t need a spotlight to lead. He was guided by instinct, conviction and a strong belief in the power of fraternal organizations,” shared FarmHouse Foundation Executive Director & CEO and FFE Past President Allison Rickels, CFRE. “Jason never settled and had high expectations of himself and everyone around him. He believed in doing things the right way — with heart, discipline and excellence.” At the time of his passing, he was serving the FarmHouse Foundation as the Director of Leadership Giving, a vital role in major and estate giving, donor stewardship, data management and securing annual support for the FH Excellence Fund.
Jason was a dedicated member of Delta Chi Fraternity who served the organization as a Leadership Consultant, Director of Chapter Services, Board of Regents member and Delta Chi Foundation Board member. “Thanks in no small part to Jason’s leadership and vision, our Foundation adopted best practices and advanced rapidly in both structure and strategy,” said Delta Chi Foundation Executive Director Justin Sherman.
During his 15‐year career with Pennington & Company, he served as a Consultant, Vice President and Partner, raising money for men’s and women’s fraternities. He led Pennington’s foundation division, counseling fraternal foundations in operations, capital campaigns, prospect research, and staff and volunteer training. During his tenure, he worked with 20 fraternity and sorority foundations and led 16 chapter housing campaigns.
Throughout his six years on the FFE Board of Directors, from 2016 to 2022 — including his presidency from 2020 to 2021 — Jason consistently advocated for prioritizing research as a cornerstone of the organization’s strategic vision. He was an early and vocal champion of both the Fraternities Matter and Amplifying Sorority Campaigns, helping to lay the groundwork for their current success through his steadfast leadership and personal investment.
“He helped all of us understand better how to use research to validate our work, programs and initiatives for our undergraduate members,” shared Kappa Alpha Order Executive Vice President and FFE Past President Ben W. Satcher, Jr. “By showing the importance of data, he was very successful in fundraising for our members. His ability to show the value, show the impact, and show the outcomes was what made him a highly successful fundraiser.”
The Foundation for Fraternal Excellence is proud to present Jason with the 2025 William D. Jenkins Outstanding Foundation Professional Award and looks forward to gathering the fraternal foundation community this August to present the award to Jason’s family and Delta Chi.
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ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR FRATERNAL EXCELLENCE
The Foundation for Fraternal Excellence (FFE) cultivates a culture of care, provides connections and supports research across the fraternal community. Often known as the “heart” of a fraternal organization, foundations and fundraising professionals come together to comprise membership and benefit from programs, services and resources for fraternal fundraising. FFE also provides operational support for established, new and emerging fraternal foundations and works hand-in-hand with several fraternal communities to strengthen and improve the entire fraternity/sorority experience.
