For over 110 years, the BSA has grown the future leaders of our nation.  While the Scouting mission has remained the same,  innovative methods of reaching youth have evolved.  Scouting innovates by drawing from our rich history to respond to the needs of today’s youth.

Innovative programs teach powerful real-life skills. STEM education and Workforce Development programs grow future leaders for our nation.

Endowments for the Michigan Crossroads Council  are important because they blend the visions of their donors with the needs and objectives of Scouting. One of the exciting things about an endowment gift is the bond, the relationship that is created between the donor and the Michigan Crossroads Council.

For more information about Planned Giving, contact Vic Pooler or Aaron Gach, or scroll down to fill out our online information request form.

Begin your legacy with FreeWill and the MCC

To help you get started on your plans and legacy, you can use FreeWill, an online tool that guides you through the process of creating a legally valid will or trust. It’s easy to use, accessible online and can be completed in 20 minutes. You can use the Bequest Tool on its own, use it to document your wishes before finalizing your plans with an attorney.

Have you already included a gift in your will or trust?  Please fill out this form to let us know!   We would love to thank you for your generosity.

Non-Probate Assets

Do you have an IRA, 401(k), life-insurance policy, or any other assets not included in your will? If so, these are called non-probate assets and you must plan your beneficiaries for them separately. Use the Beneficiary Designations Tool to make your plans and designate us as a beneficiary of one or more of these assets.

Donor Highlight

We are pleased to feature Laurie Champion, Board Chair of Michigan Crossroads Council. Laurie has an extensive Scouting background, which includes Unit, District, Council, and National levels. She recently served on the Chief Scout Executive Selection Committee and is the first female within the MCC to hold the Chair position. Laurie actively enjoyed many years in the Scouting program with her son, Nick, as she watched first-hand how active participation in the Scouting programs from Cub Scouts through Scouts BSA positively shaped him into the man he is today. Laurie shared, “Our family has enjoyed Scouting at all ages and stages; we are grateful for the opportunities that Scouting offered Nick and even more for the leadership and character development that he experienced with his friends and fellow Scouts.”

Laurie’s servant leadership, deep sense of empathy, and strategic thinking enrich the MCC and the youth who benefit from her service. She also has an amazing background in corporate risk management, enterprise risk management, and the intersection of risk, strategy, and governance. Laurie has lived and worked outside the U.S. and has worked with multinational clients throughout her career.

Laurie is Pure Michigan, loving all its beauty, especially the outdoors. She makes time to interact with and enjoy her fellow Scouters and traveled with the Council contingent to the National Jamboree last summer. A true Wolverine, as she holds an AB in English & German and an MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Michigan.

We are blessed with Laurie’s friendship as our servant leader, as Chair of the Board for the MCC. We are blessed with general operating support and now so very grateful for her Estate Gift she has planned to leave the MCC as a part of her legacy. Laurie concluded, “I am honored to leave this gift… the timeless values that we share in Scouting mean a great deal to me, and the opportunity to help youth in the future is priceless.”

MCC President Laurie Champion

Types of Bequests

There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to the Michigan Crossroads Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Specific Bequest. A specific bequest involves making a gift of a specific asset such as real estate, a car, other property or a gift for a specific dollar amount. For example, you may wish to leave your home or $10,000 to the Michigan Crossroads Council, Boy Scouts of America

Percentage Bequest. Another kind of specific bequest involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to the Michigan Crossroads Council, Boy Scouts of America

Residual Bequest. A residual bequest is made from the balance of an estate after the will or trust has given away each of the specific bequests. A common residual bequest involves leaving a percentage of the residue of the estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 30% of the residue of your estate to the Michigan Crossroads Council, Boy Scouts of America

Contingent Bequest. A contingent bequest is made to charity only if the purpose of the primary bequest cannot be met. For example, you could leave specific property, such as a vacation home, to a relative, but the bequest language could provide that if the relative is not alive at the time of your death, the vacation home will go to the Michigan Crossroads Council, Boy Scouts of America

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Bequest Benefits

A bequest is generally a revocable gift, which means it can be changed or modified at any time. You can choose to designate that a bequest be used for a general or specific purpose so you have the peace of mind knowing that your gift will be used as intended. Bequests are exempt from federal estate taxes. If you have a taxable estate, the estate tax charitable deduction may offset or eliminate estate taxes, resulting in a larger inheritance for your heirs.

How can we help you?

When you make a gift to fund a life income arrangement, such as a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder unitrust, the benefits include lifetime payments and tax savings.

Want more information about your giving options?  Please complete the form below and we will contact you.

NOTE: This information is not intended as tax, legal, or financial advice.  Gift results may vary.  Consult your personal finance advisor for information specific to your situation.

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All inquiries are treated with complete confidentiality.
This information is not intended as tax, legal or financial advice. Gift results may vary. Consult your personal financial advisor for information specific to your situation.

The James E. West Fellowship—  Exclusively for Gifts to Endowment

James E. West was the first Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America, and he served in that position for more than three decades. The West Fellowship award is available for gifts of $1,000 and up in cash or marketable securities to a 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 anniversary—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 major contributions to Scouting in such a significant way.

If you and your family are at a place where a donation to Scouting is possible and you would like more information on the James E. West Fellowship, contact Denver Laabs or Aaron Gach.