In many ways, Scouting is unique among the charities and other youth organizations of the world.
In at least one way, however, Scouting is no different from others – if it is to grow and serve more youth and the community each year, it must find a way to financially support its long-term mission.
Scouting’s mission in America began in 1910. In 2010, we celebrate our 100th anniversary of service to America and its youth. The Pacific Skyline Council (PacSky) is responsible for raising financial support for its programs, facilities, and community initiatives. The Boy Scouts of America Foundation (BSA Foundation) has been established to provide councils with the financial and legal support to attract additional funds for both long and short range in support of operating, capital, and endowment needs. The Pacific Skyline Endowment Fund is currently under the stewardship of BSA Foundation.
Specific Designation Opportunities
Gifts to the Foundation may be specifically designated or given for general Scouting purposes, as the donor chooses. Some donors make gifts to the Foundation in support of specific local councils.
Other donors, however, make gifts to the Foundation because it is a convenient way to make one gift to be distributed among several Scouting entities, whether in one geographic area, throughout a state, across the country, or around the world. These gifts are often made by donors who have been active in more than one council, or want to support a specific part of Scouting such as endowment, camperships, and world jamboree needs, or whatever a donor wants to support. Again, these gifts may be used to support Scouting internationally as well as locally.
It is also possible for a donor to make an undesignated gift to the Foundation and allow the Foundation to distribute it to councils and programs of its choice. Undesignated or discretionary funds within the Foundation may then be distributed directly to councils with specific needs or innovative programs for which the councils have not received adequate funding.
Trust Services for Donors
Before the Foundation was created, donors who wanted to establish a charitable trust or make a major gift involving a trustee or custodianship often had to use a bank or trust company. Sometimes, the cost of setting up and administering the gift was prohibitively expensive.
The BSA Foundation, however, can serve as trustee for a wide variety of charitable gifts benefitting Scouting at what we believe are competitive rates. All gifts given to the Foundation to fund charitable trusts are currently handled by State Street Bank in Boston
The BSA Foundation currently provides administrative services for charitable gifts benefitting Scouting such as:
- Donor Advised Funds
- Charitable Unitrusts and Annuity Trusts
- Charitable Lead Trusts
The Foundation also accommodates donors who are interested in making gifts of:
- Bargain sales/gift-sales of property
- Gifts of tangible personal property
- Life insurance/retirement fund remainders
- Life estates in homes, farms/ranches
- Gifts of undivided interests
- Testamentary gift
If appropriate for the donor’s circumstances, the Foundation will provide – free of charge and confidentially – sample documents and standard available tax benefits for certain types of gifts. It is recommended that the donor share these materials with their own tax advisor, who must review these estimated benefits in light of the donor’s particular circumstances, and the donor’s own attorney must prepare the necessary documents.
Many donors may want to make a large gift supporting worthwhile charities other than Scouting. The Foundation will permit donors to name other qualified charities in addition to the Foundation as beneficiaries of a gift or trust. This can greatly reduce the time and expense of making separate gifts to each charity.
Active Solicitation of Scouting Support
The BSA Foundation actively seeks financial support from corporations and other foundations that will not – or cannot – support Scouting at the local council level, but may give to organizations like the BSA Foundation that can receive, apply, and distribute funds across the country
The opportunity to expand our funding options to corporations and foundations that could not otherwise support Scouting is a promising and exciting part of what the Foundation can do for councils. It is also a major source of discretionary funds for the Foundation to apply to the areas of Scouting – and the needs of the youth we serve – that the Foundation Board feels would benefit the most from these funds.
Acceptable Type of Gifts to the Pacific Skyline Council Endowment Fund – (BSA Foundation)
There is, of course, no minimum gift for those who want to support the Pacific Skyline Council and Peninsula Scouting through the Council’s Endowment Fund. Gifts to the Pacific Skyline Council held at the Foundation may take many forms and are detailed in the Foundation’s Gift Acceptance and Policy Guidelines. Acceptable gifts include:
- Cash Stock/Bonds/Marketable Securities
- Mutual Fund/Retirement Plan designations
- Real Estate (without mortgages or liens)
- Tangible Personal Property
- Life Insurance
- Oil and Gas Royalties Other Assets (upon approval of Foundation Board)
A minimum gift of $100,000 is required to fund a charitable trust that is managed by the Foundation (this minimum is higher for trusts funded with real estate). Trusts may be funded with any of the above assets, depending on the circumstances.
Tax Deductibility of Gifts
The Pacific Skyline Council/BSA Foundation is tax exempt as a charitable organization described in IRC Section 501(c)(3). The BSA Foundation is classified as a public foundation (not a private foundation) under IRC Section 509(a)(3).
As such, all gifts to PacSky and the Foundation are charitable contributions and deductible from income, estate, and gift taxes (as applicable). Donors should, of course, check with their own tax advisor regarding the extent and use of any charitable tax deductions to which they may be entitled for gifts to the Foundation, as well as other charities.
Appropriate recognition unique to the Foundation will be given to those who support it. Foundation donors are also listed in the Pacific Skyline Council’s and BSA Foundation’s Annual Reports, unless otherwise requested.
For More Information
The local contact for the BSA Foundation is the Pacific Skyline Council. Donors interested in receiving information about a specific gift they are considering to the Pacific Skyline Council should call the Council Scout Executive, Brian Curtis or the Director of Development, Ron Chang at the Council’s Foster City Headquarters – (650) 341.5633.
To learn more
Download Giving Questions – Scouting Answers, the current version of one of our most popular donor-oriented publications. It covers many different types of planned gifts and giving opportunities for gifts both large and small. If you would like a hard copy of the publication, please send an email with your name, mailing address and telephone number to Jeff Duer at jeff.duer@scouting.org.