Joining the scouts can be one of the most efficient and fun aspects of childhood. It doesn’t matter if you join the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts or other type of troop as there are so many things a child can get out of the experience. Unfortunately, a lot of troops are very underfunded, which forces them to cut back on the things their scouts can see and do. Many of the troops come from underprivileged neighborhoods which harms their communities even more. There are many ways that you can help support the scouts in your neck of the woods, without forcing you to spend a lot of money.

1. Become a Leader
One of the best things you can do for your community is to become a troop leader. If you have children, then you might want to consider signing up to work on your child’s troop, which will make the scouts even more memorable for the two of you. If your child isn’t in a troop then you can always start your own, which will bring more convenience to anyone in your neighborhood that is thinking about joining the scouts. Of course, you can always start a troop even if you don’t have a child. It isn’t hard to sign up for the task, especially if you were a scout yourself. You will have to go through a bit of training, but before you know it you’ll get to experience a rewarding project that you might have a lot of fun with.

2. Sponsor a Child
A lot of children really want to join the scouts, but their family simply can’t afford the excess charges. This is hard for many children as there aren’t enough scholarships to go around. Usually, scholarships are divided between communities too, so if you end up in a community that needs extra help then the chances of getting one will be slim. Sponsoring a child is one the best ways to lend a helping hand. It actually doesn’t cost you a whole lot to do this. The largest charges will be the first initial charges as you will have a registration fee as well as a uniform fee. However, after that it is merely keeping up with patches, dues and upkeeping the uniform. As the months pass, you might not notice a lot of money going towards your sponsored child at all. You can talk to your local scouting unit if you’re interested in doing this and they can match you with a child. You can also sponsor a child you already know as long as their parents are fine with the arrangement.

3. Fundraise
If you want a little less responsibility, then one of the best things you can do is fundraise to help out your local scouts. You can do this in so many ways, so you can find one that suits your interests to make the whole experience even more fun. One of the more popular options is to host a bake sale. This is usually an easy way to draw in money that can be quickly donated. Car washes are another fun option that the whole community can take part in. Apart from that, you might want to consider hosting a garage sale to earn some money. Some people even set up fundraisers online to help with the local scouts. Once you earn your money, you should be able to donate to your local chapter or at least talk to them about what you should do with the donations.

4. Shopping
Believe it or not, but you can actually earn some money for your local scouts simply by shopping. Amazon is one of the providers of this amazing service. All you have do is sign up for the scouts as your donation of choice and then make sure to go through the proper site whenever you order anything. The site takes a percentage of the sale and gives it to the charity or organization of choice. Of course, there are other ways to do this. Some stores will give you a special card to slide whenever you buy gas or other items and a percentage of these sales go to the scouts. You might not think this will help much, but the sales add up quickly. With other people participating in the same programs, you will be surprised by how much money the scouts will get just by having people shop around.

5. Donate
If you want to keep things simple, then you can easily just donate directly to the program of your choice. You can do this in a multitude of ways too. For instance, you can actually go online and donate directly to the scouts of your choice. All you have to do is enter the amount you want and hit donate. Then you even get a receipt for the amount to use for your taxes later on. Of course, if you like to do things the old-fashioned way then you can simply go into your scouting headquarters and donate money that way. The headquarters might even share what you donate will be used for or how you can donate to a specific cause.

6. Spread the Word
Believe it or not, but you can really do a lot of good simply by telling others about scouting. If your child is in the scouts, then you can easily tell their friends about the program in hopes that they will join too. You might also tell other parents about the program to help spread the word and get more people to join. The more scouts you have in the program, the better the funding which can allow students to gain more valuable experiences in their meetings and outings. You can also go a step further and make ads or flyers to pass out around the community. This is especially great if your troop is low on members. You can even talk to schools about spreading the word in hopes of getting more children interested in joining.

7. Purchase Products
At some point in time, you have probably been asked to buy a product from a scouting troop. May it be cookies, popcorn or chocolate bars, purchasing these items can actually help fund your local troops. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to spend a small fortune on the items. A few can go along way. If you do want to buy a lot of these items them freezing the cookies can actually keep them from going bad. This also gives you a nice cold treat on a hot day. If you know children in squads across the country and you want to give them a little support, then you’re also in luck. These days, you can actually order from specific troops online, which will help you satisfy family and friends with ease.

8. Talk to Your Employer
A lot of companies actually have special scholarships and grants that they offer to the youth in the community. These scholarships can be used for a wide variety of things, including helping local scouts go on trips and make their tuition for camp. If your company is one of these, or you think they might be, then you might want to set up a meeting to talk to your employer. You might prepare a pitch supporting your local scouts to see if they might want to donate to their cause. Make sure you have your troop’s information close by just in case they do have the scholarships or grants to pass out. You can also pitch the idea to donate to individual scouts, especially if you have a scout that might be the only one left out during a camp trip and so on.

9. Enroll Your Child
Without a doubt, one of the best things you can do is sign your child up for the scouts. This program offers so many benefits for both children and parents that you can’t go wrong signing your children up. As long as children still have an interest in the scouts, the program will be able to maintain itself. Thus, enrollment is crucial in this process. Of course, parents can play a major role in the scouts too. Don’t worry, as you will be able to find lots of great lessons in this process too. You might notice a change in your child when you enroll them in this program as they will have an increase sense of responsibility and will even have a greater interest in practical handicrafts and hobbies that don’t involve the technology.

10. Volunteer
Finally, volunteering can make you feel like you’ve done a good deed and will help allow the scouts in your neighborhood to enjoy trips that they wouldn’t be able to without the extra supervision. If you have a special skill set, then you might want to also volunteer to teach it at one of the troop’s meetings. Another idea is to offer baked goods, so the kids can have snacks during their meetings. If you can think it up, then you’re certain to find a great way to offer your time to the troops in your community.

The scouts have been a great part of the country for many decades now, so it is important to keep them alive. These ten tips will allow you to do your part to make sure the next generation gets to enjoy the scouts too. You will certainly feel great for helping out and may even find your own interest is peaked in the organization.