How do you actually become a member? Is there an open application?

Membership is by invitation only. The first required step is attending an Informational Interest Meeting hosted by a local Zeta chapter. Attendance does not guarantee an invitation. Undergraduates must have at least 12 credit hours at their institution and a GPA of 2.75 or higher.

What does membership look like after you join?

Members participate in community service programs under the Z-HOPE framework, attend chapter events, hold officer and committee positions, and serve as mentors to youth affiliates. The sorority has health advocacy campaigns, scholarship programs, and national partnerships with organizations like Google, March of Dimes, and Mental Health America.

What types of membership exist beyond the standard undergraduate track?

There are five membership types: Undergraduate (currently pursuing a bachelor's degree), Graduate (holds at least one undergraduate degree), Honorary (designated by the international body for exemplary community service), Life Member (paid additional fees for lifetime status), and Zeta Dove (50+ years of exemplary service to the sorority).

Zeta Phi Beta

Black or African American·Greek Life·Community Service/Nonprofit·Health/Wellness·Academic Societies

Zeta Phi Beta is a historically Black sorority founded in 1920 at Howard University, built on Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood. Members participate in community service programs (Z-HOPE), health advocacy campaigns with partners like March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society, and leadership development. With 125,000+ members across 875+ chapters worldwide, joining means entering a lifelong network of college-educated women committed to transforming communities locally and globally.

125,000+

Total initiated members

875+

Chapters worldwide

$3,500,000

Scholarships awarded to college students (past five years)

$125,000

Pearl Anna Neal Scholarship (awarded annually since 2021)

$7,000,000+

Funds raised for March of Dimes since 1998

2.75

Minimum GPA required for undergraduate membership

Events They Host

Founders' Day Global Day of Service

Annual day of service tied to the sorority's January 16 founding date, focused on community impact. The 2025 event centered on maternal health advocacy.

March for Babies (Walk for Babies)

Annual national fundraising walk supporting March of Dimes. Zeta has participated as a national team since 1998, raising more than $7 million total.

Prematurity Awareness Month (ZPAP) Events

Chapters host Z-HOPE community awareness events throughout November to earn Z-HOPE points in conjunction with the March of Dimes Prematurity Awareness Month campaign.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer / Relay for Life

Chapters participate in American Cancer Society fundraising events including Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks and Relay for Life.

Cancer-Related Community Workshops

Chapters host cancer awareness and education workshops as part of the American Cancer Society partnership.

Mental Health Awareness Events and Workshops

Local chapters facilitate educational events and workshops in partnership with Mental Health America, particularly during Mental Health Month (May).

Grow with Google: Black Women Lead Workshops

Skills training workshops covering resume building, interview training, entrepreneurship design thinking, analytics, and online marketing fundamentals, offered to Black women in communities where Zeta chapters serve.

Member Experiences

Reclamation Discount Period

Annual July 1 through September 30 campaign to welcome inactive members back to the sorority, with reduced national-level dues during the discount window.