Eagle Scout Project Fundraising

[ajpuleo]

Hello all. I'm new to the forums, but I found these in hopes that I could get some council concerning my eagle scout project. The main question right now is funding. So here goes.

 

How much can one reasonably expect to fund raise for an Eagle Scout Service Project? What might be considered as too expensive?

Thank you all in advance, I hope that this will become a helpful resource for me.

[Sentinel947]

I've seen projects ranging from $250 to $25,000. Both are possible to fundraise for. What kind of project are you considering?

[ajpuleo]

Well I had the idea of installing AstroTurf on the football field at my high school. At the beginning of the year the middle school that feeds into our high school got a new field so I thought it may not be too difficult or expensive. However, looking at details on one website, the price is averaged at $750,000...

[Sentinel947]

Well I had the idea of installing AstroTurf on the football field at my high school. At the beginning of the year the middle school that feeds into our high school got a new field so I thought it may not be too difficult or expensive. However' date=' looking at details on one website, the price is averaged at $750,000...[/quote']

 

That seems like a financially ambitious project. I'd say that's well beyond what is reasonable for fundraising. Furthermore, it's important to remember that the Boy Scouts wants to see how you led the project. If you raise money for a new turf field, how do you lead people in installing that field? Sounds more like a professional contractors job.

 

While I think that project is a worthwhile community project, it might be a bit beyond the pale for an Eagle Project. Does your troop have an Eagle Adviser or a experienced Scoutmaster you can talk to? I'd recommend getting their advice.

 

As an Assistant Scoutmaster and Eagle Adviser myself, if you were one of my Scouts, I'd encourage you to find a different project that is not so massively expensive, that you feel passionate about doing, and that you can lead your peers in completing.

 

As a personal rant, there seems to be an arms race now to have the biggest, flashiest, most expensive Eagle project. Don't get sucked into that. Do something you want to do, for an organization or cause you are passionate about, that you can lead your peers. I've seen cheaper, smaller Eagle projects that were awesome because the Eagle Scout candidate did the work. I've seen huge, expensive Eagle projects that while they were great community projects, I'm not sure they were great Eagle project, because the candidate just kinda watched adults do everything.

 

Sentinel947

 

 

[EagleScout441]

If it were me, I'd follow Sentinel's advice and attempt to find another project $750,000 is a little much. It would probably take much longer to raise the funds than complete the actual project. I'm only 17 years old, my project wasn't that long ago. It costed about $400 and it took 77 hours not counting fund raising. Most of my funds were donations.

[Stosh]

Some of the best Eagle projects I have seen didn't cost a thing. Often, with the impending 18th birthday looming over these boys' heads, an extensive fundraiser could jeopardize finishing on time, too.

 

The one Eagle project that made the local newspaper, the regional newspaper and the state-wide newspaper, didn't involve a single penny. So it is possible to do a good job without having to make it a massive undertaking. The surprising thing about this boy's project, the District Eagle Committee called me up to question whether it was a worthwhile and appropriate project to begin with. A simple idea coupled with good leadership is all it takes.

 

Stosh

[fred johnson]

Another aspect is that fundraising is not supposed to be the primary focus of the Eagle project. I say that because the $750,000 probably includes installation. If the project is to raise $750k and then pay a company install it, it is not a good project.

 

It would be a good project if the $750,000 is for materials. And then, you, your fellow scouts, friends and family put the physical effort in to install it. The project focus would then be on how you coordinated your volunteers and led the project to completion.

 

Though I admire your ambition, I'd re-scope my project into something that is a stretch but more managable in size

[ajpuleo]

Thank you all for your quick replies, you've been very helpful in waking me up. $750,000 is a lot of money. The project would just be fundraising non stop and then paying someone else to do it. I read all your replies and forgot to respond, but I've been out searching for a project today (finding mostly dead ends), but I just got a great lead! The project is for a church. The man I talked with says that his youth group was going to build a garden for parents who had lost children, but none of the kids stepped up and actually made plans for it. He said they have the funds for it sitting around, and if I were to plan it, that the youth group members could help us scouts get the job done. I think coordinating between the two groups would show good leader skills. What do you all think?

[Sentinel947]

Thank you all for your quick replies' date=' you've been very helpful in waking me up. $750,000 is a lot of money. The project would just be fundraising non stop and then paying someone else to do it. I read all your replies and forgot to respond, but I've been out searching for a project today (finding mostly dead ends), but I just got a great lead! The project is for a church. The man I talked with says that his youth group was going to build a garden for parents who had lost children, but none of the kids stepped up and actually made plans for it. He said they have the funds for it sitting around, and if I were to plan it, that the youth group members could help us scouts get the job done. I think coordinating between the two groups would show good leader skills. What do you all think?[/quote']

 

 

That sounds like a fantastic project. Budget wise it sounds great. You have the opportunity to lead your fellow Scouts and outsiders, and it will have a benefit to a community organization. With the very basic details you gave us that passes the smell test.

 

But I ask again, do you have a Scoutmaster or other trusted adult who can help you?

 

Sentinel947

[ajpuleo]

Sorry Sentinel, although we don't have a specific eagle adviser, my scoutmaster has been working on this with me. To be honest, I think I knew that it was too expensive but was too embarrassed to ask him.

[Sentinel947]

Nothing wrong with having big goals. You definitely sound like you have a good idea, and you should definitely talk to your Scoutmaster about the Church garden idea,

[Gone]

I was asked the other day if "crowd-funding" sites were allowed by BSA. Calls and inquiries to our DE have gone without a reply (big surprise there, not). I did find this blog from 2014 which seems to give BSA's take on crowd funding.

 

Has anyone had any experience on using such sites as kickstarter.com or donationto.com? What was your response rate or how close did you come to your goal? How much did the site take? I saw gofundme.com takes nearly 8% on every $100. Anyone find a better site that has similar exposure but takes less of the donations?