Friends Of Scouting
The San Diego-Imperial Council of the Boy Scouts of America relies on friends like you for financial support. Every contribution you make to our council goes directly to the funding of Boy Scout programs in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Your gifts are used to provide a top quality program to our 23,000 youth members and 8,000 volunteer adult leaders. You make a difference in the lives of today’s youth, helping to shape tomorrow’s leaders.
Take time to review the benefits and needs described in this letter. Then, please, take action to meet those needs.
First, let’s review the benefits of Scouting to our boys. We know that Scouting provides values that enable our sons to become mature, responsible and ethical members of society by their learning and living the Scout Oath and Law. In addition to teaching positive values, Scouting builds a young man’s confidence, pride and physical stamina. No other program is more successful than the Boy Scouts of America in helping our sons grow and mature into our country’s future leaders.
The individual Scout’s participation in Scouting also is recognized in many positive ways. The military will grant an advanced pay grade to those who have earned their Eagle Rank. Colleges and Military Academies give substantial entrance priorities to Eagle Scouts. And finally, many managers in government, business, and industry will give job preference to those with Scouting experience.
There are several ways to support your son’s Scouting experience and maintain the quality of such a worthy program. The first way is to support the annual Friends of Scouting fund raiser. The Council’s annual budget to provide the resources and quality programs to Scout and Scout Leaders is over 3.5 million dollars a year. This comes to a little over $150.00 a year for each registered Scout. About 45% of the income comes from private donations from those individuals and companies that feel that supporting Scouting Values is good for the community and worthy of support. All monies collected stay locally and directly support Desert Pacific Council camps and programs. In addition to established Scouting Units, support goes to over 1500 high school students in the Council’s Learning for Life/Career program, and also for "Camperships" to over 200 Scouts who can’t afford to go to summer camp.
Scouting is an extremely valuable program for its cost. In times of high unemployment, giving to the Friends of Scouting Program provides a way to help Scouts who are less fortunate.
Now for the challenge!
Please give as much as you can toward maintaining the Boy Scouts of America programs. One way is to contribute an extra $150 toward the support of an additional Scout in your unit as a way of meeting your Unit’s participation goal. If you are able to give even more, give me a call for information on the Gift in Kind program and endowment programs such as the James E. West Fellowship.
With YOUR help the Scouting programs in our area will achieve the quality we all want.
Thanks for doing your share and more!
John E. Leipper
W (760) 731-3472
H (760) 436-7605
john.leipper@navy.mil
Gifts of Cash / Friends of Scouting
Gifts of cash have always been the most basic and important source of support for Scouting. They are easy and popular, and offer a tax deduction equal to the full value of the gift. You can make a gift of cash to the Desert Pacific Council either over the phone or through the mail:
1. By Phone: Make a gift of cash using your Visa or Mastercard by calling (619) 298-6121.
2. By Mail: Make a gift by check, cash, or money order using our Donor Form. Checks should be made to the “San Diego-Imperial Council”. Mail the completed form and your donation to:
San Diego-Imperial Council
Boy Scouts of America
1207 Upas Street
San Diego, California 92103
Should you have any questions about cash donations, please call (619) 298-6121 and ask for Russ Strenk (extension 240), or email rstrenk@bsamail.org.
Memorial Contributions
Memorial contributions provide a truly meaningful way to remember or honor your friends or loved ones. You may make a memorial gift in the same way you make a cash gift (above). We can accept memorial donations either over the phone or mail. If you are using the mail-in Donor Form, please make sure you fill in the appropriate sections, including the name and address of the person to be notified of your gift.
An acknowledgement of your generosity will be sent to the designated person, and the name of the person being remembered will be printed in the letter. The amount of your gift will only be revealed if you so choose. A receipt of your gift will be sent to you.
Gifts of Vehicles
The Desert Pacific Council accepts gifts of both boats and cars. Some boats will be used at our Youth Aquatic Center on Fiesta Island in Mission Bay. Others will be sold, with proceeds going to support our Scouting programs.
If you have a boat or vehicle you wish to donate, contact Sean Roy at (619) 298-6121 x249.
