Endowment

Encouraging gifts to the Western Los Angeles County Council endowment fund is one of our highest priorities. To endow means to provide or to equip. An endowment gift ensures that the Council can continue to offer the outstanding programs we now have and also grow to meet the needs of our youth and community.

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.

Ways To Establish 

An endowment may be established with gifts of cash, stock, real estate, bonds and other personal property of value. The authority to accept gifts is vested in the Board of Directors of the Western Los Angeles County Council. Endowment gifts may be established from a bequest in your Will. Further, an endowment may be established for the benefit of Scouting at your bank or trust company with the income payable to the Western Los Angeles County Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Tax Benefits

Donations for an endowment qualify for a charitable contribution deduction, and may, avoid capital gains tax. If the endowment is established through your Will, there may be a reduction of your state and inheritance taxes. The Western Los Angeles County Council, Boy Scouts of America is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) community based organization. Tax ID 95-2788856. Contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent allowable by law.

To recognize such gifts, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) offers national awards for donors and the Western Los Angeles County Council. National recognition items are presented by the Western Los Angeles County Council to those donors who qualify for these awards:

• The James E. West Fellowship Program
• Second Century Society

Second Century Society and James E. West Fellows will be recognized on the Heritage Society Wall of Legends at the Council Headquarters.

James E. West Fellowship Award

The James E. West Fellowship Award is a national recognition for individuals who contribute $1,000 or more in cash or securities to the Western Los Angeles County 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.         

• $1,000 Bronze Level
• $5,000 Silver Level
• $10,000 Gold Level
• $15,000 Diamond Level

 Second Century Society

Outright gifts of $25,000 or more payable over 5 years,  or a deferred gift of $100,000 or more, to Western Los Angeles County Council. Each donor is recognized with a personalized certificate and distinctive pin which you may wear on your uniform.

• Bequest in a will or council
• Charitable gifts, such as unitrusts, annuity trusts and lead trusts.
• BSA Gifts Annuities or BSA Pooled Income Fund gifts.
• Life insurance or retirement plan designation.
• Other deferred gifts approved by the Council.

Contact Shani Grafman (818) 785-8700 Ext.108 [email protected] for more details.