In the world of fundraising, scouting groups have an advantage: People love scouts!
It’s true, and that love of your organization will go a long way in helping to make your boy scout fundraising ideas successful.
Being in the army is like being in the Boy Scouts, except that the Boy Scouts have adult supervision (Blake Clark).
Here are a few tips to help your scout group raise the money needed to continue to help young men and women grow into successful, productive adults.
Use Your Manpower
One thing that scouting groups have plenty of is manpower (or boy/girl power). Because of this, you can pull off fundraisers with which other groups may struggle. Find fundraisers that require an investment of labor, such as car washes, rather than money.
Band Together
Join with other local scouting groups. Pool your resources, and you’ll be able to pull off large fundraising events that would be impossible for one group alone. Some ideas include a carnival or the raffling off of a big ticket item. At the end of the day, split the profits.
Provide Services
Offer lawn care, babysitting and/or housecleaning services for a small fee. As a gesture of charity, you could offer to do the same service for a few disadvantaged people at no charge.
The young people will learn the importance of giving and caring for those in need while you earn money for your group.
Partner with Businesses and Other Non-Profit Groups
Some businesses will partner with scout groups before they partner with church youth groups. Ask if they will sponsor your troop, or if they want to help by providing goods for particular scouting events such as camping trips.
You may also consider partnering with other non-profits such as a local food bank or animal care center. This will draw in a whole different group of participants, such as animal lovers, that otherwise may not donate to scouts.
The same is true for the other group. In the above example, the animal group would be supported by those who support scouting.
One idea: Your scout troop could hold a 10 mile “Biking for Animals” ride. You could get business sponsors, charge an entry fee for each rider and sell food and drinks at the event.
Because events like that require a large crowd to be successful, the pairing of two different organizations – and their supporters – will make these events a bigger hit than if you’d gone it alone.
Put into action some of the above tips, and your troop will be on its way to earning a merit badge in fundraising!