FUNDING SCOUTING

Tax Deductions

People who do volunteer work frequently ask about the tax deductions they can take. In general, taxpayers must itemize to take any deductions, and they cannot deduct the value of the time they devote to the volunteer effort, nor can they deduct childcare costs incurred in order to perform the work. However, the un-reimbursed costs of the following are deductible:

Actual cost of driving to and from a volunteer site or 14 cents per mile plus tolls and parking if you use the optional mileage rate rather than the actual cost.
Plane, train and bus tickets to facilitate your volunteer work.
Meals and lodging costs if the volunteer work required you to be away overnight.
Purchase and maintenance cost of required uniforms that would be unsuitable for any other use.

WHO PAYS FOR SCOUTING?

Youth Members

Assisted by their parents or guardians, boys in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Varsity Scouting and young men and women in Venturing pay their share from personal savings and participation in money-earning projects. Members buy their own uniforms, handbooks, and personal equipment and pay their own camp fees and activity fees.

Packs, Troops, Teams, and Posts

Weekly or monthly dues and funds from approved money-earning projects meet expenses for supplies and activities in the Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout Troop, Varsity Scout Team, and Venturing Crew. These monies help pay for camping equipment, registration fees, Boys' Life magazine, uniform insignias, special activities, and program materials.

Community Organizations

Each chartered organization using the Scouting program provides a meeting place and adult volunteer leadership for its BSA unit's. The chartered organization and Chief Cornplanter Council must approve unit money-earning projects before the launch of the project.

Local Council

Financial resources for the Chief Cornplanter Council (the local nonprofit corporation chartered by the National Council) come from an annual Friends of Scouting (FOS) campaign, local United Ways, foundation grants, special events, project sales, investment income, trust funds, bequests, and gifts of real and personal property. These funds provide for:

Professional staff guidance and support
Organization of new Scouting units
Service for existing units, training of volunteer leaders
Maintenance of council camps
They also finance the operation of the Chief Cornplanter Council’s Betts Service Center, where volunteer leaders can obtain:

- Literature

- Insignias

- Advancement badges

- Other items vital to the program

In addition, the service center maintains advancement and membership records.

National Organization

Funds to support the national organization of the Boy Scouts of America come from registration fees, Chief Cornplanter Council service fees, investment income, Scouting and Boys' Life magazines, sale of uniforms and equipment, and contributions from individuals. These monies help to deliver the program of the BSA (through four regional service centers and more than 300 local councils) to chartered organizations that use the Scouting program to meet the needs of their youth.

"THE COUNCIL PAYS ME MONEY?"

It comes as quite a surprise to many donors that, after all these years of making gifts to the BSA, there is now a way for them to get back money from the BSA. A common type of a gift called a gift annuity makes this possible for you and other donors.

The gift annuity is simply a contract between you and Boy Scouts of America. You make a gift of cash, stocks, bonds, or any number of other items of property. In return, the BSA agrees to pay you a guaranteed annual annuity for the rest of your life. If you are married, the annuity can also be paid to your spouse for life as well. The annuity amount depends on your age -- the older you are, the larger the annuity you will receive each year.

In addition to the annual income (part of which is often tax free, by the way), you also receive an income tax charitable deduction the year you make the gift annuity. Your gift to the Chief Cornplanter Council can be large or small, and the gift annuity is very simple to create.

Contact Scout Executive Kevin Bonner for more information about the gift annuity. You won't look at giving to Scouting in the same way again!

FOUNDERS CIRCLE

The Founders Circle was designed to recognize individuals, and families that make deferred gifts to local council endowment funds. Donors are recognized for gift commitments with a minimum value of $100,000. The donor qualifies for the membership in the Founders Circle with gifts through:

Bequest in a will or codicil

Charitable Remainder Trust

Gift Annuity or BSA Pooled Income Fund

Life Insurance

Retirement Plan/IRA designation

Other deferred gifts approved by the local council

There are four levels of membership in the Founders Circle:

Bronze $100,000 minimum gift commitment

Silver $250,000 minimum gift commitment

Gold $500,000 minimum gift commitment

Platinum $1,000,000 minimum gift commitment

The early founders of the BSA had the vision and commitment to make Scouting the number one values based youth organization in the world. In that spirit, we honor the modern day visionaries who qualify for the Founders Circle in their commitment to perpetuate the visions and beliefs of those founders.

For information on the Founder's Award and/or any of the gifting vehicles listed above contact Bob Zimmerman, Council Endowment Committee Chair, or Kevin Bonner at the Betts Scout Service Center.

Be A Friend of Scouting

In 1910, Lord Robert-Baden Powell created something special - an organization that boys could join to learn about woodcraft, first-aid, nature, swimming, sports, hiking, camping, canoeing and other fun things, while, at the same time, learning leadership, integrity, character, Duty to God, and patriotism.

From its beginnings almost 100 years ago, Scouting has grown to become the largest youth development organization in the world.

The movement would never have been able to grow without the financial support of people like us to help.

Locally, the Chief Cornplanter Council is the organization that supports and administers the Scouting program. They serve nearly 1000 young people in Warren County in Pennsylvania.

Each year we ask the "Friends of Scouting" to help our Council financially so that it has all the resources necessary to provide the Scouting program to as many youth as possible.

FACTS

The Chief Cornplanter Council receives no government funding.
The Chief Cornplanter Council receives about 24% of our income we need to fund our program from our local United Fund. We appreciate their support and encourage you to support them as well!
All registration fees paid by members go directly to the BSA National Office in Texas for registration purposes only. The Chief Cornplanter Council takes none of it.
Any Cub Packs or Scout Troops selling anything besides popcorn get 100% of the amount they sell.
The Council only accepts about 27% of the annual Scout Popcorn Sale to pay for the coordination, advertising and administration of the sale. The boys who sell the popcorn receive the highest percentage of the proceeds.
It will cost the Chief Cornplanter Council about $150 per boy to provide the Scouting program in our area this year.

Won't you please help?

Thank you.

Checks should be made payable to "Chief Cornplanter Council" and be mailed to:

Chief Cornplanter Council
316 4th Avenue
Warren, PA 16365