Most of us have heard the term endowment, but what does it really mean? An endowment is a fund which 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, Gateway Area Council needs to meet its current operating budget without exerting 100% of its energy on fundraising. After all, our mission is not to raise funds, but rather to build strong leaders and teach children to make positive decisions.

The greater the amount of endowment funds, the greater the return on interest from investment and the less pressure there is to meet our operating budget goals through annual fundraising campaigns. Following is a list of the endowment recognition levels of the Gateway Area Council and the National Council, BSA.

One Voice,  One Heart, One Mission

For more details about this new fundraising program. please read the brochure. The submission form by itself.

Gateway Area Council Heritage Society

The Gateway Area Council created the Heritage Society to recognize those individuals, clubs, companies, foundations, and other Friends of Scouting who contribute to the council’s permanent Endowment Fund.

How to Join
The Heritage Society is open for membership to all who agree to participate in one or more of the following ways:

An individual, family or entity may be a member of both the Heritage Society and 1910 Society or the Founder’s Circle simultaneously. If you have any questions or wish to make a gift to the Council’s permanent endowment fund, please contact Sean Henneman, Scout Executive at (608) 784-4040 x. 22 or gacse@gatewayareacouncil.org.

National Endowment Recognition Awards

The James E. West Fellowship Program
James E. West was the first Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America, and he served in that position for three decades. The West Fellowship award is available for gifts of $1,000 and up in cash and marketable securities to the Gateway Area Council endowment fund.

The gift must be in addition to – and not replace or diminish – the donor’s annual Friends of Scouting support. Many individuals and corporations make these gifts either on behalf of someone else – such as in honor of an Eagle Scout, Silver Beaver recipient, a retirement, a special accomplishment or in memory of a special individual. If an institution is truly "the lengthened shadow of one man," it is more than fitting that the BSA honor James E. West’s significant contribution to Scouting in such a significant way.

The 1910 Society
Founded in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America has grown into something larger and more significant than anyone anticipated. We honor that special date by presenting the 1910 Society award to donors who make gifts of $25,000 or more to the Gateway Area Council’s endowment fund. These gifts can be in the form on cash, securities, land, five-year pledges, or other property suitable for a council endowment fund or easily converted to cash

The Founder's Circle
The newest level of endowment recognition, the Founder’s Circle, is intended to recognized deferred gifts designated for council endowment funds. With deferred giving (also called planned giving) so widely and effectively used by so many donors, the BSA wants to recognize the importance of such major gifts. Donors are recognized for gift commitments with a minimum value of $100,000. Unlike other endowment recognition awards, a donor may qualify for membership with gifts made through:

As with the 1910 Society, there are four levels of membership within the Founder’s Circle. They are: