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.