Encouraging gifts to the Winnebago Council endowment fund is one of
our highest priorities. It is one of the best ways to ensure that
the council can continue to offer the outstanding programs we now
have and also grow to meet the needs of our youth and communities.
To endow means to provide or to equip. 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.
For the donor, an endowment gift says, "Scouting is important to me
and my family." It says that Scouting truly is a movement with a
mission for me. It’s more than an organization; it’s a way of life.
It’s what we say and do in the spirit of the Scout Oath and Law.
To recognize such gifts, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) offers
three national awards for donors. National recognition items are presented
by the Winnebago Council to those donors who qualify for these
awards:
For more information on planned giving visit the Boy Scouts of America National Foundation Planned Giving web site at http://bsagiftplan.org. Remember to designate the Winnebago Council BSA as the recipient of your gift.
The James E. West Fellowship Award is a national recognition for individuals who contribute $1,000 or more in cash or securities to the Winnebago Council endowment trust fund. This contribution is in addition to, and does not diminish or replace, the donor's annual gift to the Council's Friends of Scouting Campaign.
Organizations or individuals may contribute an award in honor of someone - an Eagle Scout, a Silver Beaver recipient, Council President, or District Chairman, or in memory of a departed loved one, business associate or special Scouter.
Each donor is recognized with a personalized certificate, distinctive pin and an embroidered square knot which you may wear on your uniform.
There are several levels which are achieved with an accumulated level of giving to the James E. West Fellowship.
James E. West Fellowship Member:
Please call Todd Wordel, Winnebago Council Scout Executive, 319-234-2867 or e-mail Todd Wordel.
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History of the 1910 Heritage Society
The 1910 Heritage Society was named in recognition of the year in which the visionary early leaders founded the Boy Scouts of America, which was patterned after the fledgling-but popular-Scouting program developed in England by Sir Baden-Powell.
Those who make a gift now of $25,000 or more, to further endow Scouting are themselves modern-day visionaries. It is appropriate, therefore, that these visionaries be recognized as they help ensure the Scouting legacy for future generations of young Americans by undergirding the financial stability of the BSA programs in the Winnebago Council into the future.
1910 Heritage Society Recognition
There are four levels of recognition in the 1910 Society:
Seton level membership: $25,000 minimum gift.
Ernest Thompson
Seton was a nationally known artist and naturalist, author of the
first official American Scout handbook and many other books
important to Scouting.
Beard level membership: $100,000 minimum gift.
Daniel Carter
Beard was the first chairman of the National Court of Honor,
National Scout Commissioner, and author of many well- known books
and stories for youth.
Roosevelt level membership: $500,000 minimum gift.
Theodore
Roosevelt was the first Chief Scout Citizen, first vice president of
the BSA, and President of the United States of America.
Phillips level membership: $1,000,000 and up.
Waite Phillips was one
of the BSA's first benefactors, and donor to the BSA of almost
130,000 acres of land in New Mexico and what is now Philmont Scout
Ranch.
Members receive a leather-bound edition of the Boy Scout Handbook
with their name embossed in gold on the cover, an attractive
personalized parchment certificate and a distinctive lapel pin or
charm. They also receive invitations to special members-only events
and receptions at National Meetings, Jamborees, and other major
Scouting events.
Please call Todd Wordel, Winnebago Council Scout Executive, 319-234-2867 or e-mail Todd Wordel.
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What is the Founder's Circle?
The Founders Circle recognizes deferred gifts designated for Winnebago Council's Endowment Fund. Donors are recognized for gift commitments with a minimum value of $100,000 made through:
Levels of Membership
There are four levels of membership in the Founders Circle.
The early founders of the BSA had the vision and commitment to make Scouting the premier youth organization in the world. In that spirit, we honor the modern-day visionaries who qualify for the Founders Circle in their commitment to perpetuate the visions and beliefs of those founders.
Please call Todd Wordel, Winnebago Council Scout Executive, 319-234-2867 or e-mail Todd Wordel.
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See also - Friends of Scouting | Planned Giving | Donate online | About the Winnebago Council | Council Contacts