How to offer financial assistance to Scouting families in need

“I don’t have any income at this time, so I need help if possible.” Cub Scout Support

“Our family’s currently in Section 8 housing and on food stamps.”

“I’m a teacher’s aide and a single mother of two children.”

Those are just a few snippets of the financial assistance forms Pack 3371 in Lafayette, Ind., received last fall. The pack recruited more than 20 boys, and nine needed help to pay for registration fees, uniforms and/or activities. A few parents said they couldn’t enroll their boys without financial assistance.

“They’ll help out however they can. But money they don’t have,” says Cubmaster Jeff Rattray. Fortunately for those families, Pack 3371 is committed to making Scouting available to every interested boy. “We’ve taken care of all these people,” Rattray says. “We don’t want to leave anybody out.”

Pack 226 in Edmond, Okla., has a similar philosophy, says Cubmaster Joe Priest. “If a boy wants to join Scouts, we’ll make it happen no matter what the financial situation is,” he says. “When we have our open house night, I make that really clear to all parents.”

How can your pack help families that are struggling? You can start by considering a few simple questions.

How much can you afford?

Unless your pack has lots of spare cash (and what pack does?), it’s important to consider how much assistance you can afford to give. You don’t want to overpromise and under deliver, nor do you want to fall short in other areas.

When Pack 226’s leaders set up their assistance program, they voted to create a rolling balance of $500, which Priest says has been sufficient. Rattray’s pack, on the other hand, doesn’t cap its assistance, although the pack has had to rework its budget after helping so many families last fall.

Where will the money come from?

Since money doesn’t grow on trees, you must identify a funding source. The obvious source is a fundraiser like selling popcorn. You could earmark a certain percentage of income for your scholarship fund or set aside money that exceeds a given threshold.

But money can come from a couple of other sources as well: your chartered organization and pack families. Pack 226’s fund actually began with donations from leaders, Priest says. “It kind of started with a few of the leaders putting money in whenever they could.”

Rattray says adults in his pack occasionally make donations as well. In fact, he has noticed that promoting the pack’s scholarship fund spurs donations to it.

How will parents apply for help?

In Pack 3371, parents are asked to complete the Sagamore Council’s campership form, which asks for such information as how much popcorn their boy sold and, if none, why not. “Instead of being need-based, it’s merit-based,” Rattray says. In Pack 226, parents simply contact Priest if they need help.

Whether you use a form or not, it’s important to have a system that preserves confidentiality. “The only one allowed to make a decision [on scholarships] is myself or our assistant Cubmaster or our committee chair,” Priest says.

Pack 3371 also strives to maintain confidentiality with its applications. Rattray acknowledges, however, “when you’re a den leader, you know who’s got issues and who doesn’t.”

What do you expect of families?

Decide up front what, if anything, you’ll ask of families receiving assistance. Pack 226 requires them to sell popcorn, which helps replenish the scholarship fund. Rather than take the prizes the Last Frontier Council offers, the pack takes a higher commission for Scouting-related purchases. “It’s a great life lesson at that age,” Priest says. “It’s awesome to see the smile on their face when they are able to earn their own way in Scouting.”

Pack 3371 also encourages Scouts receiving assistance to sell popcorn, offering them a range of incentives when they do. If a boy sells enough popcorn, he can cover next year’s registration fee, book and neckerchief and still have money left over for his Scout account. “Some of them sold plenty of popcorn this fall and won’t need assistance next year because they’ve covered themselves and other boys that way,” Rattray says. “Some of them are putting needy-Scout forms through for next year.”

What other help is available?

Many councils offer camperships for day camp and resident camp, and some have other assistance available as well. Rattray suggests checking with your council to see what help is available. For example, the Sagamore Council offers half-camperships, so Pack 3371 is able to split the cost of camp for needy Scouts with the council. That helps the pack preserve its funds while ensuring that Scouts can attend camp.

It was camp, by the way, that first taught Rattray about financial assistance. After he had gone away to college, he heard that one of the boys in his troop was going to summer camp on scholarship. But the troop didn’t have a scholarship fund. Rattray’s dad, who was the Scoutmaster, had quietly paid the boy’s way.

That example continues to guide Rattray. “If nothing else, I’ll do it the way my father did it,” he says.


Read more articles about Cub Scouting at SCOUTINGMAGAZINE.ORG/CUBSCOUTS.


11 Comments

    • I didn’t read in the link you posted that scout accounts were not allowed. did you maybe post the wrong link?

    • In many training events this topic is discussed. The commonality of scout accounts is widely practised. The rules you posted included:Can my unit credit amounts from fundraising to an individual toward their expenses?
      No. The IRS has stated that crediting fundraising amounts constitutes private benefit. However, the
      unit could use the funds (all or a percentage) raised to reduce or eliminate dues and various
      registration fees, purchase uniforms and Scouting books, and purchase camping equipment. The
      unit could also use its funds to provide assistance to individual Scouts in cases of financial
      hardship.

      The key factors are that scout accounts cannot be paid off in cash. They can be used for the items listed. Dues fees equipment, books, uniforms, etc. For a scout whose account is unspent when crossing to Boy scouts the Pack may transfer the funds to the troop. The use of the funds is still regulated to its use. A scouts account is absorbed into the troop’s account when he has aged out of scouting. With the ability to buy equipment and paying for camp and high adventure fees, a scout would be able to benefit in that way. Again if a unit practises scout accounts, by no means may cash be transfered, The tax exempt status being important.

  1. According to the Product Sales Guide ww.scouting.org/filestore/financeimpact/pdf/cfd-manuals/product_sales_guide.pdf, individual Scout Accounts are allowed. However, the ONLY funds allowed into those accounts are funds deposited directly from the family of that particular scout. (just a like a student lunch account at school). Funds raised belong to the unit never the individual. The unit decides how to spend the money to benefit the entire troop not one scout over another. The unit can set aside funds to help with expenses of families with needs but a process should be in place to distribute funds fairly.

    • Sorry Renee, but an irs finding showed that if you put money in scout accounts in a way that could be interpreted as “income” you threaten your chartering organizations tax exempt status.

      And it was last drummers product sales guide that made that point specifically.

  2. As for Individual Scout accounts, the troop treasurer can keep track of a youth’s earnings without having a specific account. The understanding being that all funds belong to the Unit, but the individual has earned/contributed “X” amount by way of service and sales.
    When fundraising for financial assistance, don’t forget to include the Unit’s ALUMNI and their parents. Many of the graduated members are very generous and feel the need to “Give Back” to the programs that enriched their own experiences. My troop has several such benefactors who ensure that every youth who wants to go, can.
    YIS
    BA Gehrling, Chief Bisquick Windflower, T433, Winslow, Maine

  3. We started a program in our pack for financial assistance and parent involvement. We approached a local candy company that gives us 50% profit on candy bars. The family sells a bar for $1.50 and they make$ 0.75. The pack purchases in bulk and gives out one bag at a time to those wanting financial help. When they turn in the bag dollars they can get another bag. The money goers into the scout account for any scout expenditures.
    Parents with on scouts in the pack sell and turn their money into the Almond fund which is controlled by the pack committee with recommendations from leaders of those in need. We have hard parents pay for their in tire summer fees with this program.

  4. we had a uniform box so when one scout outgrew his uniform he would put it in the box .If there was one in a scout’s size he could take it.

  5. Our pack simply says if you receive free or reduced student lunches, you receive free or reduced dues. Families give us a copy of the letter from the school district and that’s all.

    It removes any element of judgment on the part of the pack and only the treasurer and Cubmaster know. The den leader doesn’t necessarily receive dues, so all they know is the Scout is marked as “paid”.

  6. I would love to see more detailed information about how to provide for families in need. I am really struggling to keep scouts in the program because they can not afford it. We live in a financially strapped community and don’t have many financial resources at our disposal.

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