berliner Posted September 24, 2013 Author Share Posted September 24, 2013 Been there done that......American companies are used to being asked for help.......I have contacted various tent manufactures, National and local outdoor stores or outfitters. Without naming companies, most did not respond. I have contacted several local foundations with very specific request and no help.... Heck I can't even get our council to get boys in need books and shirt. I can get a dozen loaves of bread, a couple packs of hotdogs and kool aid donated by the local grocer, no problem. Now 4 DEs in 4 years should at least answer a call or an email - something is definately wrong. Help me out, who is the next one up from DE? Ever contacted them with a slight hint of the backlog? Dont let yourself be ignored and make yourself heard and seen. Be kind, be friendly but dont go away or back down. How far is this office from you? Drive by with a Patrol in tow? ;-) See if I ran into the same wall twice I would be looking to get around or over it ... How many boys do you need packs and bags for ? Ever asked Lions or Rotary for help ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 Been there done that......American companies are used to being asked for help.......I have contacted various tent manufactures, National and local outdoor stores or outfitters. Without naming companies, most did not respond. I have contacted several local foundations with very specific request and no help.... Heck I can't even get our council to get boys in need books and shirt. I can get a dozen loaves of bread, a couple packs of hotdogs and kool aid donated by the local grocer, no problem. The DE's are not making their friends of scouting goals and are punishing the district. Thats ok.....I have the hook up at the salvation army and good will......I am on the first call list for uniforms. But I haven't been called in a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomerscout Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 thank you very much boomerscout: yes indeed a visit to a local library can never replace 1,000 online searches! Ask the librarian by all means. -Check your records if before your time your pack/troop already apllied to something somewhere (treasurer/historian) -Gambling Trusts A lot of grants in NZ are given by Trusts run by the big gambling companies (casino/lotto). There is local licensed places that do smaller grants as well. Ohio now has casinoes. I'm sure they would like to present a "clean" community image, and so may help Basement. He should also check with the various vendors and suppliers servicing that casino including any union(s) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berliner Posted September 24, 2013 Author Share Posted September 24, 2013 thank you very much boomerscout: yes indeed a visit to a local library can never replace 1,000 online searches! Ask the librarian by all means. -Check your records if before your time your pack/troop already apllied to something somewhere (treasurer/historian) -Gambling Trusts A lot of grants in NZ are given by Trusts run by the big gambling companies (casino/lotto). There is local licensed places that do smaller grants as well. search term "corporate responsibility" I was looking at big defense contractors that hand out money to the community for their image ;-) Say, above the District Executive is the Council and above that National ... So if bmd has a problem with DE who is the next up the food chain/chain of command? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dedkad Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 thank you very much boomerscout: yes indeed a visit to a local library can never replace 1,000 online searches! Ask the librarian by all means. -Check your records if before your time your pack/troop already apllied to something somewhere (treasurer/historian) -Gambling Trusts A lot of grants in NZ are given by Trusts run by the big gambling companies (casino/lotto). There is local licensed places that do smaller grants as well. #4 on the Unit Fundraising application rules. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34427.pdf I wonder what your Council will think about receiving revenue from a gambling operation. Our Council rejected a request from our Charter Organization to give their proceeds from one night of bingo to Boy Scouts. We managed to make it work by earmarking the money towards one of the Boy Scout camps instead, which was marketed as a "youth camp" with no mention of Boy Scouts. I'm sure with a little creative thought, you could wash the money clean and get it to your unit, but it is not as straightforward as just "here you go". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 Drive right past a casino on the way to work.......I have looked longing at it and thought about it.....I am sure council would frown upon it...... Our unit is fairly close only one unit is closer than us to it....... Hmmmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berliner Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 thank you very much boomerscout: yes indeed a visit to a local library can never replace 1,000 online searches! Ask the librarian by all means. -Check your records if before your time your pack/troop already apllied to something somewhere (treasurer/historian) -Gambling Trusts A lot of grants in NZ are given by Trusts run by the big gambling companies (casino/lotto). There is local licensed places that do smaller grants as well. thank dedkad - I did not know that link 4. "Selling raffle tickets or other games of chance is a direct violation of the BSA Rules and Regulations, which forbid gambling. The product must not detract from the ideals and principles of the BSA." Now as it is worded I cannot see how a grant or contribution from a casino would break those rules, as non of the scouts or scouters would be selling tickets or enterting a game of chance (lets forget about the chance of the application being approved). Similiar rule in New Zealand: no raffle tickets etc to be sold by scouts. Casino funding scout hut roof = no problem. LOL about washing money clean ... A scout is clean and there should be no need to launder funds or hide anything, and please be creative in other areas than accounting. Just phrase things right ROFL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berliner Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 Drive right past a casino on the way to work.......I have looked longing at it and thought about it.....I am sure council would frown upon it...... Our unit is fairly close only one unit is closer than us to it....... Hmmmmmthere you go: scouted out a new possibility to try. Grant me a bit more info: I know what you need, but how many boys? And what city/state are you in? Again: do you have Rotary, Lions or a Lodge in your area? (check Yellowpages) You have to think of these people a bit like adult scouts: all they do is fundraise and help here and there ... !!! The number of ASMs and SMs who are in lodges can be quite surprising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Drive right past a casino on the way to work.......I have looked longing at it and thought about it.....I am sure council would frown upon it...... Our unit is fairly close only one unit is closer than us to it....... HmmmmmI am pretty sure the local council figures out who I am they will toss me out with the things written on this forum about them and their shennigans over the years.... We do have a Kiwanis club that does give us a $100 to maintain their signs when entering our burg boundarys. The Rotarians support another unit.... no lions......VFW can't afford the rent on their building....... No mighty whitey clubs here......Moose, Elks or Eagles. Our wealthy suburban neighbors guard their fundraising turf very aggressively...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomerscout Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Local council can't do much if CO wants to retain you. In their minds, they will see you as the lesser of two evils -- the greater being the loss of the troop and declining membership in the BSA. If the casino, or their vendors or suppliers, does cut you a check, merely have the ASM or a rep from the CO stand in for the photo op. The caption could say something like gambling chips supplier supports local youth programs without mentioning it's specifically for your troop Go in with a specific dollar amount in mind. On paper have x tents at $ each, y # of sleeping bags at $ each. Pictures from a catalog will help. A collection of $500 checks from all the vendors would be quite nice. Probably wear a suit instead of your SM uniform. Don't forget the photographs of your Scouts doing Scout stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomerscout Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Visit all the churches within a ten mile radius. Even the wealthier (?) churches will do some outreach into disadvantaged neighborhoods. Thirty dollars, wisely used, may become eighty dollars next year and two hundred the next. Talk to the church's office manager. Even if they don't contribute, they may offer useful advice as you make your network larger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berliner Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 I just learned something new ^o^ See, I didnt know Kiwanis (orignal name: The Benevolent Order of Brothers, Motto: “serving the children of the worldâ€Â, behind Lions and Rotary the Kiwanis is the 3rd largest) Rotary supports another unit - do you know how? Did you ask them? Did you ask Kiwanis? That VFW cant pay their own rent is sad. But just maybe one of these old grunts can help you. Did you ask? basementdweller - I understand you better than you think. If you have become a personna non gratta then you need a new face - any volunteer or parent that could help you as Committee Fundraising Officer or Grant Administrator? You can still do a lot of the work and the planning and all behind the scenes, but I think you need a new face LOL 8-) If you figure out you need X amount of dollars, go out to 10 churches and ask for 1/10 of X. First do 10-20 mile circles around your location, but do also look at state and national level outside BSA. Draft a committe letter that you can send to organisations, stores, trusts, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 well I applied to the owner of the casino's foundation for enough funds for 7 tents. I also applied to a national retailers foundation for funds for 4 boy for summer camp.... The CC raised his eye brows when I told him what I was doin....... We will see..... It wasn't as hard as you made it sound....Filled the forms, a few fed numbers....Sent it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berliner Posted September 26, 2013 Author Share Posted September 26, 2013 Raised his eye brow? Please explain ^o^ Well thanks :-) I actually was not trying to make it sound hard but the opposite, so that people arent afraid to try it out and apply 8-) If your first or fifth or tenth application just dont give but try to figure out what you can alter to be succesful. Anything I can help you with - just ask :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Raised his eye brow? Please explain ^o^ Well thanks :-) I actually was not trying to make it sound hard but the opposite, so that people arent afraid to try it out and apply 8-) If your first or fifth or tenth application just dont give but try to figure out what you can alter to be succesful. Anything I can help you with - just ask :-) He wasn't all that thrilled by it......He was OK when I told him the money wasn't coming directly from The casino......I will probably never hear back. Kinda like fishing.....ya never know till you try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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