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How can United Ways Contribute to the BSA?

Date: 2 Aug 2000

Q. I understand United Way campaigns cannot distribute funds to organizations that discriminate based on sexual orientation. How can they give money to the BSA?

A. Each United Way is an autonomous organization. They each have their own rules and policies on donating funds. The BSA itself gets little from the United Way, the local United Ways donate some funds to individual Scout councils. Where there is a local United Way policy that bars distribution of funds to organizations based upon sexual orientation, often, the funding is now directed towards Learning for Life, a separate, non-profit organization being incorporated by the local Boy Scout councils. The new organization, called Learning For Life, has its own board of directors, budget and staff and its charter specifically states a non-discrimination policy that includes sexual orientation.