Your Unit’s Annual Program Budget and Supporting Funding

What is the unit budget plan? What should be the goal? It’s implementing the elements of a complete annual program for youth, and committing as a unit incorporated elements, by providing adequate funding for them. Even more, it’s committing to implementing a plan for the entire scouting unit; volunteer leaders and families, by raising enough dollars to fund the programs.

Steps to Planning Your Annual Budget

Plan the pack, troop or crew’s complete annual program with unit committee members.

• Develop a budget that includes enough income to achieve the program.
• Identify all sources of income (den/troop/crew dues and any traditional scouting activities), and then determine the amount of product sale and the sales goal per youth member that will be needed to reach the income goal.
• Gain commitments from parents, leaders, and all traditional scouts.

The ideal situation is to have one fundraiser in which everyone commits, thus providing more time for youth programming and less time having to raise money from multiple fundraising projects for that programming. Here are several basic expenses units should budget for:

Basic Expenses

• Registration Fees. When a boy joins, the unit normally asks him to pay the full $24 national registration fee, regardless of the number of months remaining in the unit’s charter year. The unit sends to the council the prorated amount for those remaining months. Note that fees are figured on a monthly basis: 1 month,

$2.00; 2 month, $4.00, etc.

• Unit Liability Insurance Fee. Packs are required to pay an annual unit liability insurance fee of $40. This fee is submitted with the pack’s annual charter application and helps to defray the expenses for their general liability insurance.
• Boys’ Life. Boys’ Life magazine, the official publication of the Boy Scouts of America, is available to all members at $12, which is half the newsstand rate.

(Prorated fees are available for youth who join a unit during the year.) Every boy should subscribe to Boys’ Life because of the quality reading and the articles related to your unit’s monthly program. It is part of a boy’s growth in Scouting, and research proves he will stay in longer and advance farther if he reads Boys’ Life.

• Unit Accident Insurance. Protecting leaders and parents from financial hardship due to high medical bills from an unfortunate accident is a must for all involved

in Scouting. Specific details on insurance programs area available from the local council.

• Advancement and Recognition. Every scout should earn and advance a rank and receive the patch for that rank. Scouting unit advancement programs have many elements that include immediate recognition patches, outdoor awards, etc.
• A Well-conceived and well-planned activities are critical to a successful annual program plan. Traditionally, such activities as Cub Scout Pinewood

Derbies®, field trips, Boy Scout district camporees and district or council activities are financed by the scout and his family over and above the dues programs. It is suggested that the complete cost of these outings be built into the unit’s budget.

• Cub Scout Day, Resident and Family Camping, Boy Scout Summer Camps. Central to scouting is a summer camping experience. Local council opportunities abound for Cub, Boy and Venturing scouts and their families to have exciting, program-rich summer experiences.
• Program Materials. Each pack/troop/crew needs to provide certain program materials. Depending on the type of unit program, these could include den meeting supplies, troop meeting supplies, craft tools and supplies, U.S. flag, pack/troop flags, camping equipment, videos and books, or ceremonial props. (Note: Packs or Troops may not hold title to property. Only chartered organizations or the local council legally can own property.)
• Training Expenses. Trained leaders are key to delivering a quality and safe program. Adult and youth leader training should be considered an integral

Part of a scouting unit’s expense.

• Unit Dues.  Most units charge some form of scout dues to off-set the cost of recognition items.

Provided are the links to the Cub, Boy Scout and Venturing Crew program budgets unit committees should use in planning a successful year in scouting.

Cub Scouts: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/510-278_WB.pdf

Boy Scouts: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/boyscouts/pdf/510-277_WB.pdf

Venturing Crews: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/venturing/pdf/510-279_WB.pdf

Now that you have determined the basic expenses necessary for each youth and adult in the scouting program, where does a unit find the funding to accomplish their goals?

A Few Funding Ideas

• Sale of Tidewater Council popcorn and peanuts. The TWC popcorn and peanut sale programs are the two authorized council fundraising activities. Units receive 38% of popcorn revenue. Commission begins on the first dollar of direct sales and is available in the unit budget immediately. The process has been streamlined to make popcorn sales even more user-friendly. Internet sale at 30% commission with direct shipment to purchaser. All donations made at show and sell locations are considered to be Military Popcorn Donations with the unit retains a 38% commission. And the individual prize program is designed to supplement a unit incentive plan.
• Nuts for Scouting: Nuts for Scouting is a take order sale for Virginia Diner peanuts during the fall. This year orders must be received by the council no later than November 2, 2015. Nuts will arrive prior to Thanksgiving and units receive a 40% commission.  Order forms are available in the Scout Shop – there is still time to be successful!
• Unit Money Earning Projects: Many units have additional fundraising activities. Whenever a unit is planning a money-earning project other than popcorn or peanuts, a Unit Money Earning Application is necessary. The form can be downloaded from the council website under FORMS. The Unit Money Earning Application’s purpose is to help insure the unit is adhering to charter and bylaws and rules and regulations of the BSA.

A Unit Money Earning Application is required to be filed 14 days in advance of the event and routed to the Tidewater Council service center, Attn: Linda Boyce.

• The link for the Unit Money Earning Application is: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34427.pdf

Please note: it’s important to have a signed unit money earning by the chartered organization representative (COR) and the committee chair (CC). The first and foremost reason for the signed forms is that scouting insurance can be applied to the unit during the activity. No form…no insurance coverage!

Have a very successful year in Scouting!