Endowment

Encouraging gifts to the endowment fund is one of Scouting’s highest priorities. It is one of the best ways to ensure that the Cradle of Liberty Council can continue to offer the outstanding programs it now has long into the future and also grow to meet the needs of the youth and communities it serves.

Most of us have heard of the term endowment, but what does it really mean? An endowment is a fund is held in perpetuity to provide interest and dividend earnings for the benefit of a charitable cause. That is the textbook definition, but in reality, an endowment is the life preserver of a charitable organization. To be healthy and stable, Cradle of Liberty Council needs to meet its current operating budget, without exerting 100% of its energy on fundraising. Approx. 5% of the operating budget is provided from investment income. After all, our mission is not to raise funds, but rather to continue our strong movement and build a foundation that provides our youth with a quality, values-based program.

Endowment gifts come in many forms beyond an outright cash or stock gift. Many donors name the Cradle of Liberty Council as a beneficiary owner in the following:

• Wills or codicils
• Charitable trusts, such as Unitrust, annuity trusts, and lead trusts
• Scouting America Gift Annuities or Scouting America Pooled Income Fund gifts
• Life Insurance/retirement plan designations
• Other deferred gifts approved by the council

For more information or to make a gift to the endowment fund, please contact Brian.Pinto@scouting.org or call him at 484-654-9209.

In its gratitude for such support, the Scouting America nationally offers two distinct endowment recognition awards which are all a part of the Heritage Society. The Cradle of Liberty Council presents these awards to donors who support Scouting’s financial future through gifts to the endowment.