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Why Did Trident United Way Decide Not To Fund the Boy Scouts’ ScoutReach This Year?

 

         

• TUW is an open and competitive grant maker that requires its funded programs to have the highest level of fiscal accountability and deliver measureable results. TUW’s volunteer leadership takes very seriously their responsibility to be stewards of the contributions people in our community make to TUW.

 

• From 1998 to 2006 the Boy Scouts received one of the highest percentage increases in funding from TUW.  Since that time, funding of the Scouts has been on a steep decline. The reason is simple: the Boy Scouts’ ScoutReach program failed to demonstrate strong fiscal accountability and deliver data on measureable program results.

 

• In July 2009, the TUW Board of Directors announced the 77 programs and services to receive funding for the next three years. However, 13 programs including the Boy Scouts’ ScoutReach program, received a one year TUW grant based on the ability of the organization to resolve contingencies and/or program recommendations that they received.  In Spring 2010, those volunteering to review the application had grave concerns:

 

• The Boy Scouts could not explain their actual costs to deliver services or their staff expenses, either in their budget or in meetings with committee volunteers. Boy Scouts couldn’t correctly identify the amount of funding that Trident United Way had provided to them last year.

 

• After accepting an $81,000 grant, the Boy Scouts could not produce any annual data around the outcomes that they, not TUW, set for themselves. A year into the grant, they could not demonstrate academic improvement. They could not demonstrate that their participants could recite the Boy Scout motto, learn the Scout Laws, or earn higher rank or Merit badges.

 

·         The Boy Scouts’ ScoutReach program was the only program of the 13 reviewed that did not receive continued funding.

 

·         Outstanding TUW funded youth leadership programs like Wings For Kids and Metanoia’s Young Leaders program were able to demonstrate that their participants improved on their stated outcomes.

 

·         Based on their concerns about fiscal responsibility and outcome measurement, three committees, including more than 50 volunteers representing a cross-section of our community, unanimously supported this decision.

 

·         Trident United Way has funded the Boy Scouts’ programs and services for decades.  If the Boy Scouts elect to meet the criteria of fiscal accountability and program effectiveness that every other funded partner is required to meet, they would be eligible to seek a Trident United Way investment at the start of our next funding cycle.

 

·         If you have questions and or comment please contact Chris Kerrigan, President and CEO,
740-9000 ext. 223 or email at ckerrigan@tuw.org