Who Pays for Scouting?

Youth Members

Assisted by their parents or guardians, boys in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Varsity Scouting, and young men and women in Venturing pay their share from personal savings and participation in money-earning projects.

Members buy their own uniforms, handbooks, and personal equipment and pay their own camp fees.

Units

Weekly or monthly dues and funds from approved money-earning projects meet expenses for supplies and activities in the Cub Scout pack, Boy Scout troop, Varsity Scout team, and Venturing crew. These monies help pay for camping equipment, registration fees, Boys' Life magazine, uniform insignia, special activities, and program materials.

Chartered Organizations

Each chartered organization using the Scouting program provides a meeting place and adult volunteer leadership for its BSA unit(s). The chartered organization and local council must approve unit money-earning projects before the launch of the project.

The Council

Financial resources for the local council (the local nonprofit corporation chartered by the National Council) come from an annual Friends of Scouting campaign, local United Ways, foundation grants, special events, project sales, investment income, trust funds, bequests, and gifts of real and personal property.

These funds provide for professional staff supervision, organization of new Scouting units, service for existing units, training of volunteer leaders, and maintenance of council camps. They also finance the operation of the local council service center, where volunteer leaders can obtain literature, insignia, advancement badges, and other items vital to the program. In addition, the service center maintains advancement and membership records.

Product sales

Most councils conduct an annual sale of a product by youth members. Although this sale is typically popcorn or popcorn related products, councils are free to choose other product lines. The council shares the proceeds from this sale (in nearly equal shares) with the units (Cub packs and Scout troops) that participate in the sale. Units’ proceeds are used as described above to fund unit programs and individual youth member activities. The council's proceeds contribute to the council's operating funds as described above.

The national organization oversees the product sale and assures that vendors are qualified; however, the national organization does not receive any portion of the proceeds of the sale, nor does it receive any remuneration from the product vendors.

National Organization

Funds to support the national organization of the Boy Scouts of America come from registration fees, local council service fees, investment income, Scouting and Boys' Life magazines, sale of uniforms and equipment, and contributions from individuals. These monies help to deliver the program of the BSA (through four regional service centers and more than 300 local councils) to chartered organizations that use the Scouting program to meet the needs of their youth.

The National Boy Scouts of America Foundation also provides funding for both local council needs and national organization initiatives. Most of this funding comes from specifically designated gifts made to the foundation by individuals, corporations, and other foundations.

The national office

Provides local councils with program development and evaluation as well as camp and office planning, extensive financial counseling, planned giving and fund-raising information, and professional personnel support
Coordinates a communications network through magazines and literature (handbooks, merit badge pamphlets, brochures, training materials, and professional development training)
Creates a climate of positive understanding and support
Makes available uniforms, equipment, and program supplies
Administers national high-adventure bases and national events (jamborees, National Eagle Scout Association and Order of the Arrow conferences, and National Council meetings)
Maintains communication with chartered organizations that use the Scouting program (religious institutions, civic organizations, labor unions, professional organizations, business, and industry)
Maintains liaison with Scouting associations in other countries as a member of the World Scout Conference