Area 7 Finance/Fundraising Break-out Session

1. Area 7 Finance/Fundraising Break-out Session October 2009

2. Finance / Fundraising Break-out Session • Welcome / Session Focus Jim Wilson • Building a Council Fundraising Plan Craig Poland • Break All • Asset/Property Task Force Jim / Craig • Questions / Discussions All

3. What We’d Like to Do This Afternoon….. ….Is Talk the Importance of Finance to a Council; ….Is Remind You of Some Key Finance Areas; ….Is Address Some Challenges and Issues; ….Is Share Some Best Practices; ….And Prepare for Solid 2010!!! While Attempting to Address Any Concerns/Questions

4. So, How Important is Finance? On How Many of My 34 Charts This Morning Did I Refer to One of the “F” Words – Finance or Fundraising?

8. NER Goals & Priorities Goals (Sort and Long Term) • More Centennial Quality Units, Districts, Councils, Areas, and Regions • Membership, membership, membership! (Youth and adults) • Retention, retention, retention! (Youth, adults, and units) • Financial stability and funding of councils and programs • Getting “Scouting is a Business” message across to leadership teams Priorities • Marketing/Communications for successful councils • Best Council practices in Membership and Finance • Adult volunteer recruitment and retention • Commissioner Service focus • 2010 Celebration plans and ideas • Council Facilities and Asset Task Force results • Tracking and trends for councils (10 year window) • Region-wide Key 3 leadership focus and concept buy-in • Charter Review process and importance

9. Highlights / Challenges • Financial Market Impacts Being Felt by Local Councils • May Not Be a Great as Initially Forecast, But Still There • Benefit/Need of Having Large Endowment with Prudent Asset Allocation Model & Reasonable Spending Policy Being Understood • Tough Business Decisions Need to Be (and Are Being) Made • Council Mergings, Where Most Appropriate • Closing of Several Historic and Aging Scout Camps • Council Property/Asset Management Issues Being Addressed • Reduced Emphasis on LFL Membership Accounting • LFL Should Not Be Considered “Discretionary”

10. Council Performance - Myths or Facts ? • Increasing the total # of youth in Scouting equals strong membership health • A balanced annual operating budget equals strong financial health • Larger Councils (Members and budget) are more likely to be successful • Better and more camping facilities leads to increased camp attendance

11. Council Performance - Myths or Facts ? • A 1:3 commissioner to unit ratio equals better unit retention • Most council camping facilities have a positive impact to the council budget • Councils with higher percentages of trained leaders have higher youth retention • Effective Boards have low turnover rates

12. What Appears to Be Working • Empowering Council Leadership Model with Full Engagement of Volunteers • Realistic and Grounded Strategic and Business Plans with Focused Discipline on Key Performance Indicators • Effective Internal and External Communication Strategies • Unit Health Focused Business Model

13. Traps to Avoid • Borrowing Before Building • Managing the Structure – Not the Results • Scout Executive Dominated Decision-Making Process • High Camping Facility Subsidies • Poor Staff to Total Available Youth Ratios • Protecting the Status Quo • Gimmick-based Fundraising

14. A Couple of Questions • How many of you plan to attend (would like an invitation) to the Gala 2010 event? • Black Tie, Feb 9, 2010, National Building Museum, Wash, DC • Does anyone still need a 2010 NSJ position? • How many know of Northern Tier High Adventure Base? • The 3rd, and lesser known, National HAB facility • Need to let Councils know of there is available space • 2nd Annual Wilderness Fishing Invitational, 6-10 Sep 2010 • What about the BSA Commingled Endowment Fund, LP? • And what other “big deals” do we need to address?

15. OK, So Let’s Talk Some Key Finance Areas, and Some Challenges and Issues!! There’s Good News and There’s Bad News!

16. The Good News!! • There are NO Councils in Area 7 That Still Need to Complete and File a 2008 Council Audit • Councils Have Held Some Great Fundraising Events Across the Region and Area • Council Leadership Teams are Getting The Message That Scouting is a Business • The National Finance Impact Team Is Putting Out Some Great Helps for Councils • Updated website – www/scouting.org/finance impact • Finance Impact e-letter • Key Indicators Report • Local Council Accounting Manual • 2010 FOC Campaign Manager’s Manual • Financially Sustainable Council Plan Training and Support • Capital Campaign Feasibility Study Capability

17. The Bad (Or Not-So-Good) News!! • The Economy and Current Financial Markets are Unstable • Of the Nine Area 7 Councils, Today’s Data Would Suggest that 7 of the 9 will Have a Year-end Deficit • A Stoplight Chart of Key Financial Indicators Projects Far Too Many Issues for Area 7 Councils • Council Leadership Teams are Not Taking Advantage of National/Regional/Area Financial Support and Assistance • OK, That’s Enough Bad News!!

18. Key Financial Indicators Summary NER Area 7

19. 2009 Year-End Operating Surplus/Deficit Report From Data as of 28 August 2009

20. OK, So What Can We Do to Ensure Our Councils Are Financially Stable AND Viable?? Any Ideas??

21. Questions?? Comments?? Discussion??