Your investment in Scouting helps shape tomorrow’s leaders and responsible citizens, right here in our communities. Every gift strengthens our mission to prepare young people for life through character development, leadership training, and outdoor adventure. Together, we’re building a brighter future, one Scout at a time.
Endowment Gifts
Encouraging gifts to the endowment fund is one of Scouting’s highest priorities. It is one of the most impactful ways to ensure that the Gulf Stream Council can continue to offer the exceptional programs it does today, long into the future, and grow to meet the needs of the youth and communities we serve.
Most of us have heard the term endowment, but what does it really mean? Simply put, an endowment is a fund held in perpetuity, designed to generate interest and dividends that support a charitable cause. But beyond the textbook definition, an endowment serves as a financial life preserver for nonprofit organizations.
To remain healthy and stable, the Gulf Stream Council must meet its current operating budget without dedicating all its energy to annual fundraising. Investment income from the endowment currently provides approximately 5% of our operating budget. This enables us to focus on our true mission: delivering a robust Scouting movement and establishing a foundation that provides youth with a high-quality, values-based program.
Endowment gifts can take many forms beyond direct contributions of cash or stock. Many donors choose to name Gulf Stream Council as a beneficiary through:
Wills or codicils
Charitable trusts (e.g., Unitrusts, annuity trusts, lead trusts)
BSA Gift Annuities or BSA Pooled Income Fund gifts
Life insurance or retirement plan designations
Other deferred gifts approved by the council
To learn more or to make a gift to the endowment fund, please contact Bianka Cullen at bianka.cullen@scouting.org.
In appreciation of your commitment to the financial future of Scouting, Scouting America offers two national recognition awards for endowment donors: the James E. West Fellowship Award and the Good Turn Society. These honors recognize individuals who help sustain Scouting for generations to come.
James E. West Fellowship Award
Named in honor of James E. West, the first Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America, this award recognizes those who make a lasting impact on the future of Scouting. Dr. West embodied Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words that “an institution is the lengthened shadow of one man.” His visionary leadership helped shape Scouting into what it is today.
Those recognized with the James E. West Fellowship Award extend their own “lengthened shadow” by ensuring the financial strength and legacy of Scouting within the Gulf Stream Council, supporting programs that prepare youth for a lifetime of leadership and service.
The James E. West Fellowship Award is a national recognition presented to individuals who contribute $1,000 or more in cash or marketable securities to the Gulf Stream Council Endowment Fund. This gift must be in addition to—and not a replacement for—the donor’s annual Friends of Scouting contribution.
Individuals or organizations may also make a James E. West gift in honor or memory of someone meaningful, such as an Eagle Scout, Scouting volunteer, mentor, or loved one.
Recipients are honored with:
- A personalized certificate
- A distinctive lapel pin corresponding to the gift level
- A square knot for uniform wear
In addition, James E. West Fellows are permanently recognized on the donor memorial wall at the Gulf Stream Council’s Rinker Education Center, creating a lasting tribute to their investment in Scouting’s future.
Who Is James E. West?
Orphaned at age six and afflicted with tuberculosis, James E. West never had much of a childhood. West had to fight for permission to attend school outside of his orphanage and only if he did his extensive orphanage chores before and after school. Nonetheless, he finished high school in two years, graduating with honors in 1895. By 1901, he’d worked his way through law school and was practicing law in Washington, D.C.
Given those circumstances, it was not surprising West gravitated toward children’s issues. When a young boy stole his car, he declined to press charges, offering instead to represent the boy in court (he got him off on a technicality). This incident led West to lobby successfully for the creation of a juvenile court. He also worked for the Washington Playground Association and the YMCA and prompted President Theodore Roosevelt to convene a White House Conference on Dependent Children in 1909. Given his background, West became a natural choice to serve as the first Chief Scout Executive. He agreed to take the job for up to six months and stayed on for 32 years.
How To Become a James E. West Fellow
A gift to a local council, designated by the donor to the council endowment fund, qualifies for membership as a James E. West fellow. The gift must be in addition to and not replace or diminish the donor’s annual Friends of Scouting support. A minimum gift of $1000 in cash or marketable securities qualifies for the Bronze level membership. Donors may make cumulative gifts to reach Silver, Gold, and Diamond member levels. For example, 5 years of giving at the Bronze level would qualify for Silver level membership. Many individuals and corporations make these gifts either on behalf of someone else such as in honor of an Eagle Scout, Silver Beaver recipient, a retirement, a special accomplishment, or anniversary or in memory of a special individual.
BRONZE
$1,000
SILVER
$5,000
GOLD
$10,000
DIAMOND
$15,000+
Application Process
The donor fills out the James E. West Fellowship Application and returns it to the local council. The local council will then request the appropriate James E. West recognition items from BSA Supply by calling 1-800-323-0732 and request item #648420 to order the certificate.
Tax-deductible:
Gifts are designated to your council’s endowment.
Cumulative:
Ongoing gifts can elevate recognition level over time.
Honor/Memorial:
Many gifts are made in tribute to special individuals.
Need help? Contact your local council. For recognition items, call BSA Supply at 1-800-323-0732
and request item #648420 for the certificate.
Good Turn Society
The Good Turn Society recognizes donors who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to Scouting through outright or deferred gifts of $25,000 or more, either as a one-time gift or pledged over five years. Gifts may be designated to any of the Gulf Stream Council’s three major funds:
- Operating
- Capital
- Endowment
These gifts can be made by individuals, families, groups, or organizations. Good Turn Society members exemplify Scouting’s highest values: service above self, leadership, and a dedication to shaping future generations. Donors are honored at their lifetime cumulative giving level and formally inducted into the Society. Recognition may include a personalized proclamation, lapel pin, challenge coin, medallion, and exclusive access to council donor events. These generous contributions help build the long-term financial strength of Scouting in our community and ensure that future Scouts benefit from the same life-changing experiences.
