Philosophy of fundraising

[Student]

After watching several years of Cub Scout and Boy Scout fundraising activities, I've grown concerned that we may be losing sight of our Scouting ideals and methods. My question: are these concerns misplaced?

 

Most fundraisers in our council consist of sales of commercial products, such as popcorn, candy bars, and the like. These products usually have little or no tie to the Scouting program, and do not support the program except in the literal fundraising way.

 

Our troop committee has deliberately avoided such sales, even to the point of declining to participate in council-sponsored popcorn sales. Instead, we raise funds through activities where the Scouts perform a service (such as a pancake breakfast before a significant sporting event at a school) or make something themselves (such as bird houses and feeders for local bird species, or emergency flare/signal kits to carry in cars). These activities tie to and support the Scouting program.

 

For example, to build and sell custom bird feeders, the Scouts have to research the local species and the species feeding preferences. The Scouts check with the local wild animal park and birdwatchers society to learn the fine points. After completing their designs, the Scouts have to obtain materials and build the feeders. Marketing and sales of the feeders follows--to the general public, but also to specialized groups such as the birdwatchers. In some cases, the birdwatchers hire the Scouts to install and maintain the feeders in local sanctuaries. In all, the Scouts learn and grow in a far richer way than is possible by opening a case of lightbulbs and selling them door-to-door.

 

In designing these projects, we also have attempted to focus on customers who are not family members of the Scouts or otherwise associated with our troop. Scout families are already asked to provide much (in time and expense), and we did not want to further burden them.

 

Incidentally, although we have chosen not to participate in council fundraisers, we have made a point of donating a portion of the proceeds from our projects to the council. We have a responsibility to support the council that supports us.

 

Any thoughts? Are we making this too hard?

 

Student

 

[Eamonn]

While I see nothing wrong in what you are doing and I think that it is great that you have the Scouts involved in every step of the way.

However I do have some little things that nag at me and I think that if they are issues they are mine. I am in no way trying to put what you are doing down.

First I see the goal of fund raising as making money. Yes it sounds kind of obvious! We do have the BSA guidelines and the paper work that is needed and I do think that we need to follow the rules and not stray from them.

I don't see fund raising as being the program, but a means to help deliver the program.

I really like to get in, get out and get back to doing what we want to do.

We all see what we do as being what works for us. We want to get the most bang for our buck. It seems in our area that every youth group and school club is out washing cars every Saturday. What would I sooner do with a troop on a Saturday build Bird Houses or go camping?

How much money will the troop make? Who is going to buy them? If we end up just selling them to the parents of our Scouts are we just exchanging dollars?

When I was involved with a unit we sold popcorn, the popcorn sale has become known and is expected, we sell popcorn, the Girl Scouts sell cookies. If my goal is to make money I know that the popcorn sale is well organized well advertised and my buyers will buy it, eat it and be ready to buy more next time we try to sell it.

Our big thing was Frozen Pizza kits. They sold for about $15.00 of which $5.00 was profit. We had 3 Fundraising events a year the popcorn and 2 pizza sales. Of course there were people who hated the pizzas, but there were some who loved them and couldn't wait for the next sale and there were people who bought them just because the Scouts were selling them.

To be very honest there was no Philosophy, we wanted to make money as quickly and as effortlessly as possible and get back to doing all the good stuff that the money helped us do.

Eamonn.

[ScoutNut]

There is no reason that you can not incorporate the popcorn sale into program and still earn money. The Girl Scouts do it with their cookies.

 

Selling anything, weather it is something you make yourself or something readymade, can teach a lot of different skills.

 

Finances

Budgeting

Goal Setting

Public Speaking

Salesmenship

Marketing

Merchandising

 

Then there is the service aspect if the boys help on their council's popcorn delivery & return days.

 

(BTW - People pay to attend a pancake breakfast so the breakfast itself is not service. Working the breakfast might be service to your troop, but that's it)

 

[Trevorum]

In the end, the scouts and their families will always end up supporting the unit financially, either through direct cash contributions, or through donating their labor in a fund raiser. Fund raisers, be they popcorn drives, pancake breakfasts, or making & selling birdhouses always involve a significant amount of donated labor. It's easy to forget that when assessing fundraising options.

 

I'm curious as to how many units give their members the option of donating cash directly to the unit? This would eliminate the considerable diversion of time and energy away from program. On the other hand, as ScoutNut points out, there are non-financial advantages to be had from fundraisers. For example, our annual BBQ is a big event that serves to bring in all of the new parents in one role or another. It nets us about $7k after expenses. If we eliminated the BBQ, we'd have to collect $100 per scout annually. That would be much easier, but would probably be less successful on several counts.