The World Scout Foundation helps the growth and development of Scouting worldwide by providing financial support for the World Organization of the Scout Movement. It does this by permanently investing capital donations from individuals, foundations, corporations, governments, and from members of the Scout Movement who want to help young people learn positive values and become tomorrow's leaders. The Foundation also seeks non-capital donations to support specific World Scouting projects. The need has never been more urgent, and the potential rewards have never been greater, if Scouting is able to help instill the values that are so essential to the future of our global community.
- Nearly all of the Foundation's investment income is donated each year for the work of the World Organization of the Scout Movement at global and regional level.
- Foundation assets have been growing since 1978 and now total 50 million Swiss Francs.
- The Honorary President of the World Scout Foundation is His Majesty the King of Sweden.
- The Foundation is governed by a Board composed of qualified volunteers from around the world, and it is managed by a small staff in Geneva, Switzerland.
THE WORLD SCOUT FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THE WORLD ORGANIZATION OF THE SCOUT MOVEMENT
Today there are more than 28 million Scouts, young people and adults, male and female, in 216 countries and territories, and the Movement continues to grow. In the last 10 years, 30 countries have joined the World Scout Organization.
- The World Organization of the Scout Movement is an international, non-governmental organization composed of its recognized national Scout organizations in 155 countries.
- More than half of the world's Scouts are in developing countries.
- Scouting is open to all, regardless of race or creed, in accordance with the purpose, principles and methods conceived by its founder Robert Baden-Powell.
- More than 300 million people have been Scouts since it was founded in 1907; a large percentage of today's leaders of governent, business and in most every other field were Scouts.
- Approximately 25 percent of the budget is provided by the investment revenue of the World Scout Foundation; the rest is covered largely by fees from national Scout organizations, based on membership and adjusted to their country's per capita income.
- The World Scout Bureau is the secretariat of the Movement. It assists national Scout organizations from its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and its regional field offices.
SOME PRIORITIES FOR WORLD SCOUTING
To help more young people develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will enable them to be responsible, self-reliant citizens, and tomorrow's leaders. Key areas are:
- Improving child health.
- Helping marginalized youth: illiteracy, urban areas, unemployment; job skills training, etc.
- Actively protecting nature and the environment.
- Assisting in the development of Scouting in newly emerging countries.
- Helping Scouts address community needs in developing and industrialized countries.