1. Have your unit committee and chartered organization approved your project, including the dates, location and timing of the sale?
____ YES ____ NO
There should be a real need for earning money based on your unit’s program. We should not engage in special money-earning projects merely because someone has offered us an attractive plan. Individual youth members are expected to earn their own way. Unnecessary fundraising does not reflect well on Scouting.
2. Do your plans and corresponding dates avoid competition with money-raising efforts and policies of other units, your chartered organization, your unit’s Family Friends of Scouting event and the United Way?
____ YES ____ NO
Check with your chartered organization representative to be sure that your chartered organization agrees on the dates. United Way does not allow fund raising during the month of September and October without prior approval. The chartered organization representative also can clear the other dates by contacting the District Executive at Three Harbors Council.
3. Does your plan comply with local ordinances and avoid any association with gambling, and is it consistent with the ideals and purposes of the Boy Scouts of America?
____ YES ____ NO
Money-raising projects that include the sale of raffle tickets or other “games of chance” violate this policy. This includes any activity where value is not guaranteed by purchasing a ticket. For example, cake raffles are not allowed but cake auctions are okay.
4. If a commercial product is to be sold, will it be sold on its own merits and without reference to the needs of Scouting, either directly (during a sales presentation) or indirectly?
____ YES ____ NO
Teaching youth members to become self-reliant and earn their own way is an important part of training our youth members. The official uniform is intended to be worn primarily for use in connection with Scouting activities. However, the executive board of the local council may authorize wearing the uniform in connection with council-sponsored product sales programs. Currently, the Executive Board of Three Harbors Council only authorizes the wearing of the uniform for popcorn sales and wreath sales.
5. If tickets are sold for a function other than a Scouting event, will they be sold by youth members as individuals without depending on the name or goodwill of Scouting to make this sale possible?
____ YES ____ NO
Youth members in uniform, in the name of Scouting, may sell tickets only for activities such as pack shows, troop suppers, and similar Scouting events for their local unit but not for fundraising events.
6. Even if sales are limited to parents and friends, will buyers get their money’s worth from any function they attend or goods and services they receive from your unit?
____ YES ____ NO
Again, this is the principle of value received—a sale standing on its own merit. Selling a substandard product in name of Scouting just to raise money is not an appropriate practice that Scouting stands for. Youth members must learn to pay their own way and honestly earn the money to do it. You cannot permit anyone to use the good name of Scouting just to sell a product.
7. If a project is planned for a particular area, do you respect the right of other Scouting units in the same neighborhood?
____ YES ____ NO
It is a courtesy to check with neighboring units and Three Harbors Council to coordinate the time of your project and to see that you aren’t covering their territory. Your unit commissioner or service team member can help you.
8. Is it reasonably certain that people who offer similar goods or services will not be unduly affected as a result of your unit’s plan?
____ YES ____ NO
Your unit should neither sell nor offer services that may significantly damage someone’s livelihood. If possible, check with the people who could be affected.
9. Will your plan protect the name and good will of the Boy Scouts of America and prevent it from being capitalized on by promoters of shows, benefits, or sales campaigns?
____ YES ____ NO
Because of Scouting’s good reputation, customers rarely question the quality or price of a product. Unchecked, a Scouting unit could become much more interested in commercial interests than its true purpose of character building and citizenship training.
10. If any contracts are to be signed by your unit, will they be signed by an individual without reference to the Boy Scouts of America, and in no way appear to bind Three Harbors Council, the BSA or the chartered organization to any agreement of financial responsibility?
____ YES ____ NO
Before any person in your unit signs a contract, he or she must make sure the venture is legitimate and worthy. If a contract is signed, he or she is personally responsible. A contract cannot be signed on behalf of the local council or the Boy Scouts of America, nor may an individual bind the chartered organization without its written authorization. If you are not sure, check with Three Harbors Council for help.
The local council is responsible for upholding the Charter and By-laws and the Rules and Regulations of the BSA. To ensure compliance, all unit fundraisers MUST OBTAIN WRITTEN APPROVAL from Three Harbors Council NO LESS THAN 14 DAYS before the fundraising activity.
Finally, fundraising is an important part of the Scouting year and helps to ensure each young man and young girl has the best opportunity for a quality program. Fundraising ensures we can help keep this promise. If you have questions about fundraising in your unit, please contact your unit commissioner or District Executive.
