14 November 2008
Funding Falls – Will 2009 Be Bleak?
Posted by admin under: funding .
I know the council provides us with many services we don’t see, but fortunately Scouting is mainly local so that the program and leaders aren’t directly affected when the council’s fundraising falls short. However, in this article by Joseph M. Dougherty, that amount is so substantial it might be a significant indicator of a harsh 2009. While the story is about Boy Scouts, I have a feeling there isn’t a whole lot more money for the Girls Scouts out there, either.
A perhaps unprecedented decline in contributions to a Salt Lake-area Boy Scout council could result in jobs being lost next year.
The Great Salt Lake Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which covers Davis, Summit, Salt Lake and Tooele counties, may be short up to $700,000 by the end of this year due to fundraising efforts that haven’t panned out.
“I’ve never seen a situation like this in 30 years of professional Scouting,” says council spokesman Kay Godfrey.
And the local council is not alone.
All over the United States, Scout councils have taken a hit because corporate giving has declined and fundraising efforts have slowed, Godfrey recently learned.
…
“We’re looking at some very innovative approaches,” he said.
But all the innovation in the world isn’t going to change the reality of fewer donations, he said.
And in 2009 the council is taking a conservative view of things, he said.
“We’re going to have to really scale things back considerably,” Godfrey said.
The council will likely trim staff positions from next year’s budget, which is unfortunate, he said.
“The people are not only your biggest expense but also your greatest asset,” he said. “We need to be careful that we’re not going to affect the quality of program we provide the youth.”
Camps always seem to be first on the chopping block when money is tight. Keep your ears open for news about your local council. You might have to russle up a posse to go do maintenance that would ordinarily be handled by a contractor. That’s what Camp Lakota has been doing in the Los Angeles area for years. Sounds like 2009 will be a time for Scouts to prove that the brotherhood and sisterhood we’ve developed for our communities will be the thing that gets us through. And pinching pennies, too, of course.
- Online Fundraising
- Necessary Evil
- Girl Scouts Los Angeles Resident Camps Terminated
- Smoky Stokes Fiery Passion
- Scouting Fundraising
