boy scouts crossroads of america council
DESCRIPTION
2008 Capital Campaign BrochureTRANSCRIPT
A capaci ty-bui lding campaign to
expand the programs and ser vices
of Crossroads of America Counci l
Boy Scouts of America
Once upon a time, Scouting was a one-size-fits-all proposition. Many moms stayed home. Many dads worked 8-to-5. And many sons of the city, country and suburbs joined look-alike Scout troops to build character and experience the great outdoors.
It doesn’t work that way anymore.
It’s not just your father’s Scouting (nor should it be)
Whe
n Sh
elbyv
ille B
oy S
cout L
evi W
eakl
ey m
et U
.S. A
rmy v
etera
n Sh
erm
an W
illia
ms,
the t
wo q
uick
ly hi
t it o
ff. Th
e tee
nage
mili
tary
-hi
story
buff
was
full
of qu
estion
s, an
d th
e Wor
ld W
ar II
com
bat m
edic,
who
serv
ed u
narm
ed in
maj
or ba
ttles
thro
ugho
ut E
urop
e, ha
d pl
enty
of st
ories
to te
ll. W
hat t
he v
etera
n di
dn’t
have
, Wea
kley
disc
over
ed, w
as al
l of t
he m
edal
s he d
eserv
ed. S
o the
She
lbyv
ille t
een
mad
e an
appe
al on
Will
iam
s’ beh
alf t
o U.S
. Sen
. Rich
ard
Luga
r. A
few m
onth
s lat
er, W
eakl
ey fo
und
him
self p
inni
ng on
Will
iam
s’ che
st a B
ronz
e Sta
r, th
e fou
rth-h
ighest
awar
d for
val
or in
mili
tary
serv
ice. S
ubseq
uent
ly, W
eakl
ey h
elped
the 8
4-ye
ar-o
ld v
etera
n ge
t tw
o oth
er m
edal
s he s
houl
d ha
ve be
en aw
arde
d de
cade
s ago
. The t
imin
g was
good
: In
April
200
7, W
illia
ms p
assed
away
. “H
e wen
t to b
at
for m
e and
got m
e the
med
als,”
Will
iam
s told
the S
helb
yvill
e New
s in
2006
. “I’m
pro
ud of
the y
oung
man
to d
o tha
t for
me.”
Today, kids grow up in different kinds of worlds. Many
grow up in families where both parents work. Others
grow up with only one parent. Some with none at all.
Kids also grow up in wealth and in poverty.
With a dizzying array of choices (not all of them
positive). With technology that shows them the world,
but doesn’t connect them to meaningful relationships.
Some kids grow up without speaking English.
Some without role models. Some with few chances to
visit the neighborhood down the street, let alone the
great outdoors.
In such a society, we clamor for programs that
can do more than fill kids’ time — programs that also
can shape leaders, character and minds. But even among
one of the most proven such programs in the world
— Scouting — one-size-fits-all no longer cuts it.
Fortunately, Scouting in central Indiana today
is creative, customized and cutting-edge. Among tens
of thousands of nonprofits designed to solve problems,
Scouting actually prevents them. Seeing the impact,
kids and families are signing up, sticking with it and
celebrating the short- and long-term results.
Problem is, there’s not enough capacity, nor the
right kind of capacity, to meet all the need.
When Scouting entered its fifteenth year in 1925, the young men in its ranks earned increasing respect for service to others by helping to aid victims of natural disasters such as a tornado in Illinois, an earthquake in California and flooding in Arkansas.
Bottom line: With your help, we can implement a smart, well-conceived plan to
expand and tailor this proven “New Scouting” to serve even more central Indiana
young people and their families.
As the organization reached its second decade, it grew increasingly international through World Jamborees, relationships with Scouts in Europe, Scouts participating in expeditions to Africa and other global connections.
Alth
ough
Mich
ael J
r., K
elly a
nd Jo
shua
Rich
ards
on al
l ear
ned
the r
ank o
f Eag
le Sc
out,
their
dad
, Mich
ael S
r., is
quick
to ad
mit
that
there
w
ere ti
mes
whe
n th
e boy
s alm
ost d
ropp
ed ou
t of B
oy S
couts.
It w
asn’t
seen
as co
ol by
som
e of t
heir
frien
ds, h
e say
s, w
ho w
ere m
ore i
ntere
sted
in sp
orts
or ju
st ha
ngin
g out
. But
even
after
he an
d th
e boy
s’ moth
er, C
alle R
ichar
dson
, div
orced
, the
paren
ts w
orke
d tog
ether
to m
ake s
ure
all th
ree bo
ys con
tinue
d to
parti
cipat
e in
Scou
ting.
Why
? Beca
use t
hey k
now
Boy
Scou
ts is
a posi
tive f
orce
in a
wor
ld fi
lled
with
neg
ativ
e pe
er pr
essur
e. “S
coutin
g gav
e the
m an
optio
n to
do w
hat’s
righ
t,” M
ichae
l Rich
ards
on sa
ys. “
There
’s so m
uch s
tuff
out t
here
to do
wro
ng.”
Th
is po
sitiv
e par
enta
l pres
sure
seem
s to h
ave p
aid
off: T
oday
, 18-
year
-old
Josh
ua an
d 20
-yea
r-old
Kell
y are
both
in co
llege
, and
, afte
r a
succe
ssful
footb
all ca
reer a
t Eas
tern
Mich
igan
Uni
versi
ty, 2
2-ye
ar-o
ld M
ichae
l Jr.
spen
t par
t of h
is su
mm
er pa
rticip
atin
g in
NFL
tryo
uts.
Disciplined, “be-prepared” capacity building — not pie in the sky
When top business leaders from throughout central
Indiana volunteer to plot a future for Scouting, we ask
them to not only contribute their expertise, but also
to practice what we preach. That means, for example,
that our planning process must toe the line of the Scout
laws: Trustworthiness, helpfulness and thriftiness play
starring roles. Most of all, it means “be prepared” — for
different kinds of kids from many different parts of a
fast-changing world.
So the plans you see here have been vetted
by thoughtful people. Many alternatives have been
carefully considered.
What’s more, all of the planning and
forecasting has been donated by the best in the business.
Those who implement this plan will be asked (or will
volunteer without being asked) to do the same.
Consequently, this $16 million campaign
is based on what’s essential now, rather than simply
seeking more than the $22 million raised last time. It’s
a campaign designed not to sustain what exists, but
to expand the capacity of proven programs faced with
growing demand. As a result, it offers contributors a
refreshing departure in a philanthropic age of ever-
escalating, near-continuous funding appeals: a goal
that’s less than our last capital campaign — a campaign
that was launched 10 years ago.
Bottom line: If you choose to help our community through this disciplined
initiative, your dollars will go where they should go — to benefit young people
and their families in proven-effective ways.
In the 1930s, membership grew to more than 1 million. When the U.S. entered World War II, Scouts took an active role in the stateside war effort, distributing bonds and collecting aluminum and other resources. Scouting’s ranks quickly grew to include nearly 2 million young men.
The 1950s saw Scouts become more engaged nationally, with activities such as a get-out-the-vote initiative, blood-donor campaigns and clothing collections for poor and disaster-affected families.
Paul
Pag
e isn
’t pr
ogres
sing t
hrou
gh ba
dges
and
rank
s as q
uick
ly as
som
e of h
is bu
ddies
, and
he’s n
ot ab
le to
keep
up w
ith th
em in
ever
y ac
tivity
. But
, his
mom
is ha
ppy t
o rep
ort,
nobo
dy ge
ts m
ore o
ut of
Scou
ting t
han
this
13-y
ear-
old bo
y with
autis
m. Th
at’s w
hy D
onna
Pa
ge ha
s jum
ped
into
Scou
ting h
ersel
f, ta
king
Scou
tmas
ter tr
aini
ng an
d joi
ning
her s
on on
cam
pout
s and
at v
irtua
lly ev
ery m
eetin
g. In
vited
into
Scou
ting l
ast y
ear b
y Jam
es Ag
resta
, a fr
iend
from
chur
ch, P
aul q
uick
ly fou
nd hi
msel
f am
ong k
ind
and
unde
rstan
ding
fri
ends
who
encou
rage
him
but a
lso ex
pect
him
to w
ork h
ard
and
do hi
s par
t. “It
’s suc
h a gr
eat o
ppor
tuni
ty fo
r Pau
l to b
e with
othe
r kid
s an
d to
learn
to w
ork w
ith ot
her b
oys,”
Don
na sa
ys. S
he ad
ds th
at he
’s alre
ady s
how
n sig
ns of
grow
ing t
hrou
gh th
e less
ons h
e’s le
arne
d fro
m S
coutin
g. “I
just
can’t
say e
noug
h abo
ut th
e exp
erien
ce.”
Help bring innovative, customized Scouting programs to urban, rural and other settings where young people have tremendous needs
For many people, the stereotypical
Scout troop meets at a church or school,
has committed adult volunteers with
seemingly endless time, and includes a
homogenous-looking group of boys in
identical uniforms.
Some troops still look like that.
But if Scouting is to make the additional
difference that’s so desperately needed, it
needs to be as varied as the young people,
families and communities that could
benefit from Scouting.
Today, central Indiana’s
ScoutReach program is bringing a new
brand of highly customized Scouting
to economically strapped urban and
rural areas. It’s serving families from
many kinds of backgrounds, and whose
cultural and language differences must
be addressed if Scouting is to make a
meaningful difference. It’s helping kids
and families with special needs. It’s even
helping the juvenile justice system cut
down on repeat offenses.
But customization takes time,
effort and creativity. In economically
disadvantaged areas, for example, adult
volunteers aren’t always available. Many
are working multiple jobs. Single parents
of multiple children aren’t always able
to leave one child to serve the Scouting
interests of another. So we must pay part-
time Scout leaders and involve parents in
ways that require less of their time.
Another example: Hispanic
Scouts often have their entire family
in tow — from grandparents to aunts,
cousins to siblings, parents and more. So
we shape family-focused programming.
“Our challenge,” said U.S.
Appellate Judge Carl Stewart, “is to
deliver a traditional Scouting program in
non-traditional circumstances.”
STRATEGY
Bottom line: By funding the three strategies outlined in this document, we can
leverage a direct ScoutReach investment of $3,798,000 into $7,865,333 of total
benefit to disadvantaged youth and their families.
Aman
da A
lbee h
as h
ad pl
enty
of op
portu
nitie
s to h
elp ot
hers.
The d
augh
ter an
d sis
ter of
Eag
le Sc
outs,
she s
pent
her
youn
ger y
ears
tagg
ing a
long o
n Sc
outin
g ser
vice
proje
cts. A
s she
has
grow
n old
er, sh
e’s v
olunt
eered
at h
ospita
ls an
d pa
rticip
ated
in ch
urch
miss
ion
trip
s. Bu
t it w
as in
the s
umm
er of
200
7, w
hen
she a
nd ei
ght o
ther
youn
g men
and
wom
en fr
om h
er V
entu
ring c
rew re
paire
d an
d rep
aint
ed K
atrin
a-da
mag
ed h
omes
in N
ew O
rlean
s, th
at sh
e felt
she t
ruly
help
ed so
meo
ne. O
n he
r las
t day
in N
ew O
rlean
s, Am
anda
fou
nd h
ersel
f ove
rwhe
lmed
by th
e hor
rific h
urric
ane e
xper
iences
desc
ribed
by th
e peo
ple w
ho li
ve in
a ho
use s
he w
as pa
intin
g. It
help
ed
her u
nder
stand
wha
t the
y had
been
thro
ugh,
and
wha
t her
crew
’s effo
rts m
eant
to th
em. “
I lov
e to h
elp ot
her p
eopl
e,” sa
ys A
man
da,
now
a pr
e-m
ed st
uden
t at W
itten
berg
Uni
versi
ty. “
Ever
y cha
nce t
hat I
get,
that
’s wha
t I w
ant t
o do.”
Help adapt and maintain a strategically tiered network of central Indiana camps that meet the varied needs of central Indiana Scouts
There’s nothing like time at camp to
build character, self-confidence and
camaraderie. For young people from
families with the time and money to
travel and share adventures — or kids
who grow up with adults who love the
outdoors — camp can be a comfortable,
welcome experience.
But not all kids grow up that
way. For those raised in poverty, travel
rarely happens. For kids who grow up
in cities with lots of lights and noise, a
dark, quiet forest and a massive lake can
be frightening.
So for central Indiana to serve
many kinds of Scouts from many kinds
of backgrounds, it needs a well-designed,
well-maintained network of camps
— challenging places for experienced
Scouts; smaller, less-threatening places
for f irst-time campers; and a rookie-
level camp for younger Scouts. It also
needs a co-ed camp for high-school-age
Venturers.
Bottom line: Our $6 million Strategy 2 goal would allow us to provide the
appropriate camp experience to Scouts from all walks of life, all Scouting levels
and all expectations.
STRATEGY
Fortunately, the Crossroads of
America Council owns the land it needs.
But not all the camps are outfitted in
ways that would provide the needed
level of customization. With your help,
however, we can implement a well-
planned series of improvements that will
enable more Scouts from more diverse
backgrounds and levels of experience to
reap the proven benefits of camp.
The most significant of these
improvements is to update and upgrade
Camp Krietenstein (near Terre Haute).
This smaller, more close-knit camp is
the right venue for f irst-time campers,
especially those from urban areas. Its
retrofit will simultaneously address the
need for a Venturing co-ed camp for high
school youth.
Ed F
inch
know
s tha
t his
Scou
ts ar
en’t t
ypica
l Boy
Scou
ts. L
ocked
insid
e the
Pen
dleto
n Ju
veni
le Co
rrect
ional
Fac
ility
, the
y can
’t cam
p, w
ork
in th
e com
mun
ity or
enjoy
othe
r typ
ical S
coutin
g acti
vitie
s. So
Fin
ch, a
Pen
dleto
n R
ecrea
tion
Lead
er, br
ings
Scou
ting t
o the
m. Th
roug
h pub
lic
spea
king
and c
ultu
ral a
war
eness
trai
ning
, Fin
ch ho
pes t
o help
the b
oys a
dvoca
te for
them
selve
s and
appr
eciat
e the
diffe
rences
amon
g the
m.
He p
uts t
hem
to w
ork w
ith se
rvice
proje
cts su
ch as
pulli
ng w
eeds a
nd co
llecti
ng po
p-ca
n ta
bs fo
r Rile
y Hosp
ital f
or C
hild
ren, w
hich
helps
th
em th
ink l
ess se
lfish
ly. A
nd th
roug
h it a
ll, he
hope
s to h
elp th
em gr
ow. D
oes i
t wor
k? F
inch
note
s pro
udly
that
last
year
, whe
n th
e fac
ility
ex
perie
nced
a rio
t, no
ne of
the b
oys i
nvolv
ed in
Scou
ting p
artic
ipat
ed. “
I thi
nk th
e Scou
ting p
rogr
am he
lps th
em w
ith th
e cho
ices t
hey m
ake,”
he
says
. And
wha
t do t
he bo
ys th
ink?
Well
, with
only
14 sp
ots av
aila
ble in
the p
rogr
am, F
inch
alw
ays h
as a
list o
f boy
s wai
ting t
o par
ticip
ate.
Improve access so it’s easier for central Indiana Scouts, families and volunteers to sign up, get trained and participate in Scouting
Even the best, most customized program
won’t succeed if it’s not easily accessible
and convenient. And right now, with
antiquated technology and a landlocked
downtown training center, central
Indiana Scouting is not very accessible.
That’s costing us volunteers, parental
involvement and regional participation
that are crucial to community impact.
Right now, Scouting operates
from an overcrowded, out-grown facility
on one of Indianapolis’ busiest downtown
streets. There’s not enough parking for
volunteers and parents who need training.
Not enough space for the supplies they
need. And if you want to show someone
how to pitch a tent, the only space is the
alley beside the building.
If we’re to “be prepared” to
extend proven programs to more Scouts
in more ways with more impact, the
best, most cost-effective solution is to
build a new kind of Scout Education and
Program Center in a more convenient
location already owned by the Crossroads
of America Council. That’s the
conclusion of a 21-member business-
Bottom line: With $6 million for improved physical and cyber spaces, we can
reach and serve more Scouts, potential Scouts and volunteers with welcoming,
accessible and exciting opportunities.
STRATEGY
leader task force that considered a host
of alternatives — from remodeling or
expanding the current facility, to adding
facilities, to acquiring or building new.
And while physical access is
vital, electronic access is outmoded, too.
Scouts, potential Scouts, parents and
volunteers have, of course, become much
savvier in their use of technology. If
we’re to make the most effective use of
limited volunteer time, engage parents
with hectic schedules, and make the
most effective connection with young
people on their preferred cyber turf, then
significant enhancements are essential.
Again, a team of volunteer business
leaders worked with tech-industry
experts to hone the most cost-effective
mix of improvements needed to enhance
electronic access and training.
Seve
ntee
n-ye
ar-o
ld K
evin
Bur
saw
often
saw
the l
ong l
ines
outsi
de th
e Trin
ity F
ree C
linic
on S
atur
day m
orni
ngs.
He k
new
that
the
peop
le in
those
line
s, m
ost of
them
Hisp
anic
and
all o
f the
m u
nable
to a
fford
hea
lth ca
re, o
ften
show
ed u
p tw
o or e
ven
three
hou
rs be
fore
the c
linic
open
ed fo
r its
wee
kly fr
ee m
edica
l ser
vices
. And
he i
mag
ined
how
tirin
g it m
ust b
e to s
tand
and
wai
t all
that
tim
e. So
one d
ay
he ga
ther
ed to
ols an
d m
ater
ials
and
head
ed to
the c
linic
to in
stall
some b
ench
es. B
efore
his E
agle
Proje
ct w
as co
mpl
ete, K
evin
had
not
on
ly in
stalle
d th
ree be
nche
s, bu
t also
enlis
ted 1
5 vo
lunt
eers,
truc
ked
in 2
,800
pou
nds o
f cem
ent,
knoc
ked
out a
fenc
e, ba
ttled
swar
ms
of be
es an
d pl
anted
coun
tless
flow
ers,
all t
o crea
te a w
elcom
ing a
nd co
mfor
table
plac
e for
clin
ic vi
sitor
s to w
ait.
“This
was
all p
ossib
le be
caus
e of S
coutin
g,” K
evin
says
. “W
hat S
coutin
g mea
ns m
ost to
me i
s help
ing o
ther
s.”
Since the Boy Scouts of America was founded in 1910, more than 110 million young men and women have found the organization to be an exciting and relevant way to serve, grow and enjoy their youth.
Bottom line: More Scouts. More ways. More impact.
At the Crossroads of America Council, we don’t ask
for major gift dollars often. In fact, we don’t ask unless
these funds can truly make a difference. And we don’t
ask unless there’s a genuine need.
But right now, every day, we see young people
— right here in central Indiana — who need our
help and yours. We see problems that affect all of us.
Problems that could have been prevented if we had just
reached the right kids with the right programs at the
right time.
Please, consider a gift to benefit one or more
of the three strategies outlined here — an expansion of
customized Scouting programs, a strategic network of
camps, or increased accessibility. Our campaign staff
and volunteers would love to tell you more, and to help
shape a gift or grant that’s meaningful to you, to young
people in need, and to the community we all share.
As the nation turned its attention to the environment during the 1960s and ’70s, Scouting took a leading role with efforts such as cleaning thousands of miles of highways and gathering millions of tons of litter.
How much will our community benefit? It’s up to you.
Customized Scouting Expansion $3,798,000 Your gift to expand customized Scouting will help serve more Scouts in more ways and make more impact via:
• After-school Scouting expansion
• Special-needs Scouting expansion
• Public housing/community center Scouting expansion
• Hispanic Scouting expansion
• Juvenile-diversion and juvenile-corrections Scouting expansion
• Explorer/Venturer Scouting expansion
• Scouting subsidies to help more low-income families
• Scout Education and Program Center curriculum for ScoutReach families
• Camp improvements for special-needs ScoutReach participants
Measurable expansion impact (by 2012)
• Expand ScoutReach 27 percent (from 11,047 to 14,060 youth)
• Expand classic Scouting 6 percent (from 19,271 to 20,400 youth)
• Expand Venturing/Exploring 52 percent (from 2,689 to 4,100 youth)
• Overall expansion 17 percent (from 33,007 to 38,560 youth)
Giving opportunitiesMeasurable differences you can make
STRATEGY
Strategic Camp Network $6,016,000Your gift to Scout camps will help serve more Scouts in more ways and make more impact via: • Renovation of Camp Krietenstein to serve first-time Scouts, ScoutReach and Venturer campers• Targeted renovations to camps serving Scouts throughout the Crossroads of America Council• Addition to long-term maintenance fund to care for Council facilities over time • Even safer camp facilities that enhance parents’ peace of mind
Measurable impact you can make (by 2012)
• Increase ScoutReach youth at camp by 50 percent (from 1,000 per year to 1,500 per year)• Increase total annual camper days by 20 percent (from 249,000 camper days per year to 300,000)• Provide meaningful outdoor experience for at least 400 Venturers annually
STRATEGY
Enhanced Scouting Access $6,186,000Your gift to enhance access will help serve more Scouts in more ways and make more impact via: • New Scout Education and Program Center• Enhanced technology to make Scouting more convenient for Scouts, families and volunteers throughout central Indiana
Measurable impact you can make (by 2012)
Retention impact • Among all Scouts (from 66.4 percent to 70 percent)• Among low-income Scouts (from 61 percent to 65 percent)
Volunteerism impact• Increase number of volunteers by 26 percent (from 11,139 to 14,000)• Increase mentoring time available by 26 percent (from 3 million hours annually to 3.78 million hours annually)• Create new learning opportunities at Scout Education and Program Center for 2,200 ScoutReach leaders and families annually
STRATEGY
What else you get when you help Scouting and Crossroads of America Council
Better education for our young peopleScouts have 15 percent higher high school graduation rates than non-Scouts
Strong valuesScouts are 44 percent more likely than non-Scouts to agree that “helping others should come before one’s own interests”
More commitment to serviceScouts are 33 percent more interested than non-Scouts in volunteer service
Shaping future leaders Scouts are 50 percent more likely than non-Scouts to have leadership responsibilities when they become adults
Regional reachCrossroads of America Council serves young people and their families in 25 central Indiana counties with a population of 2.3 million
Well-trained and active volunteersMore than 11,000 central Indiana adults volunteer for Scouting
Crossroads of America Counci lBoy Scouts of America1900 Nor th Mer idian St reetIndianapol is , IN 46206(317) 925-1900www.crossroadsbsa.org
Photography provided by Tom Casal iniA l l images proper t y o f Boy Scouts o f Amer ica