National Programs

The Guide Right Program, conceived in 1922, is the most important national service program of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. The purposes of the Guide Right Service Program are to place the training, experience and friendly interest of successful men at the disposal of youth needing inspiration and counsel regarding their choice of a life’s career, and to arouse the interest of the entire community in the problems of youth as they seek to realize lives of usefulness.

The basic objectives of Guide Right may be summarized as follows:

To inspire service in the public interest through the cultural enrichment and character development of African American males between the ages of 5 and 25
To develop leadership skills while monitoring, encouraging, and rewarding outstanding academic performance
To refine self-image, self-esteem, social skills, and environmental awareness
To assist parents in the handling of their children by giving them opportunities to talk over their problems with those who know and are successful in their chosen vocations.
To afford the less fortunate youths a respite from the drudgery of the streets, through sponsored trips to ball games, zoological gardens, museums, picnics, hikes, etc.
To inform youth of the values of higher education, of assistance available for continues educational pursuits, scholarships, loans, professional counseling, and fellowships.

The Kappa League was founded Thursday, February 12, 1970 by the Los Angeles (CA) Alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi; under the direction of Leon W Steward. Steward brought the idea to Los Angeles from Dayton, Ohio, where he had worked closely with Jay Crosby to expand the guide right activities of Dayton (OH) Alumni chapter. The Kappa League is a series of activities designed to help young high school male students develop their leadership talents. The activities provide both challenging and rewarding experiences to enhance their lives. The goal of the League is to help the students achieve worthy goals for themselves and to make meaningful contributions to their communities. The League includes a series of workshops to achieve its goals.

The “Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation,” established in 1981, is the philanthropic arm of the fraternity and assists both alumni and undergraduate chapters in support of scholarships, after-school programs, and national projects such as Habitat for Humanity. The Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation was conceived by Dr. Oliver S. Gumbs, the 23rd Grand Polemarch. His dream began to take shape at a May 1982 with the past Grand Polemarchs and the national officers in Washington, D.C. He proposed forming a separate 501(c)(3) charitable foundation to accept contributions to finance the headquarter’s renovation project. Fraternity members contributing to the new foundation could deduct their donations as charitable contributions for income tax purposes. The Foundation would also accept contributions from individuals, organizations and businesses.

Further information: National Pan-Hellenic Council and North-American Interfraternity Conference

The fraternity maintains dual membership in the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) and the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC).

The NPHC is composed of nine international black Greek-letter sororities and fraternities and promotes interaction through forums, meetings, and other mediums for the exchange of information, and engages in cooperative programming and initiatives through various activities and functions. The NIC serves to advocate the needs of its member fraternities through enrichment of the fraternity experience, advancement and growth of the fraternity community, and enhancement of the educational mission of the host institutions.