Boy Scout/Cub Scout Fundraising Ideas
Running a successful Boy Scout Troop or Cub Pack within Scouting of America requires more than just time and dedication—it also takes money. Whether it’s for camping trips, new gear, or special activities, every unit needs a reliable way to cover costs. In these tough economic times when families are struggling not every scout can afford to pay dues every month or even afford the high cost of scouting including recharter and uniforms.
The good news is that there are plenty of fun and effective ways to raise money while getting scouts involved in the process. Classic options like popcorn sales and car washes bring in funds and teach responsibility and teamwork. Meanwhile, programs like flag subscription services can create a steady income stream while strengthening connections with the local community. The key is to find fundraisers that work for your group and keep things engaging for both scouts and supporters.
In this post, we’ll go over some tried-and-true fundraising ideas to help your unit meet its financial goals. Whether you’re looking for a quick cash boost or a long-term strategy, these ideas will set you up for success—without making fundraising feel like a chore. Our troop has even used some of these ideas to take a camping trip to Alaska!
Adult Pinewood Derby
Pinewood Derby is one of the most fun I have ever seen scouts have. I’ve had scouts that didn’t participate in any event but would show up and have a car for Pinewood Derby.
But in most cases it was the adults who built he car and in many cases they would take it too far. But this point proves that any adult (especially dads) love building and racing cars even on a small level.
You can raise funds for your pack many ways here. But the two biggest ways to do this is to have an entry fee for the race and sell refreshments during the race to those that show up.
Bake Sale
Typically the girl scouts rule doing cookies and bake sales. But why can’t the cub scouts do it? We now have girls in our ranks and boys can most definitely do some baking and contribute.
Bird Houses
If you can get someone to donate the kits or wood to make some kits you can do a few meetings where your scouts just assemble bird houses. They can even paint them or leave them unpainted. Then go out and sell them to your community.
Bottle/Can Recycling
If you have a handy location that does recycling have your scouts collect cans and bottles that can be turned in for money. You can make it a contest and let your community know so they can help contribute. They were probably going to throw that out anyway.
Bowl-a-thon
Do you have a bowling alley near you? You can try and have a bowl-a-thon and get people to sponsor your kids to go bowling. They can either do it by the amount per pin or do flat rate donations. If you are lucky you can get the bowling alley to allow them to bowl for free.
Cake Auction/Walk
Every year we have a cake competition in our pack. We do several categories such as most scout spirit, best tasting, and best looking. The only rule is the scout has to make the cake with their dad (or male relative).
But why not make it a money-maker. Auction off the cakes or have a Cake Walk.
With a Cake Walk you put numbers on each cake and then put numbers on the floor. Have everyone buy-in for a chance to win a cake. Then everyone walks the numbers and when you stop the person standing on the cake’s matching number wins that cake. Keep going until all the cakes are won.
Camp Cards
Some councils will sponsor camp cards. Basically, the council will go out and get businesses to contribute some sort of freebie or percent off a purchase. Then your scouts just have to sell the card and collect the funds.
This one is easy to do because there is little you have to do and your council handles most of it. But we have found lately that the council will leave out troops/packs in smaller towns so proceed with caution on doing the camp cards.
Car Wash
I’m not sure why our pack doesn’t do this more. I know it is tough to find a good date but if you have a good location your pack can raise some really good money in a few hours doing a car wash.
Candy Bars
There are several companies that do candy bar fundraisers for non-profits. Candy always seems to sell well and is a great way for your scouts to earn money.
Dutch Oven Cobbler
This one works well. We just did this on a large scale for our troop. It was exhausting but we learned a lot and if you do it right it can be a great fundraiser.
You have to secure a lot of Dutch Ovens but after that, you just need the ingredients to make cobbler and some charcoal. Setup at a local fair or festival on a cool or cold day and watch as people line up to get some delicious peach, blackberry, or apple cobbler.
Chili/Spaghetti Dinner
Chili and Spaghetti are easy to make in bulk and can be inexpensive. You can even reach out to businesses to see if they will donate the supplies and let the kids help with the cooking and serving.
Hopefully wherever you have your meetings can allow you to host the dinner and then offer to go boxes for anyone that won’t have time to sit down.
Christmas Tree Service
A lot of people would love to have a real Chistmas tree in their house but don’t have a way to get it to their house. By offering a Christmas Tree pickup and take away service you can provide something that might be greatly needed in your community.
You can even add a decorating package that each scout could take on. For an extra charge they would decorate the tree and come back and take down the decorations.
First Aid Survival Kits
Most people don’t think too much about having a First Aid kit around in their car or their house. Sure they may have a few basic supplies but when they really need it they might be in a panic. You can have the kids assemble First Aid Kits then sell the premade kits to help raise money.
Garage Sales/Yard Sales
Many people have a lot of “stuff” around their house that they would love to get rid of. Well, what if those people donated that stuff to the scouts. Then the scouts sold that stuff at a yard sale? Our church does this annually and it really raises a lot of money. People willingly bring in their old stuff to get rid of, and then the church sells it very cheap in a big yard sale, which is all profit.
Whatever is left over is donated, or if someone has storage, they keep it and make it an annual fund-raiser.
Flag Subscriptions Service
This is another scout fundraiser that our troop has and does very well. We were able to find local organizations to donate the flags and we just had to buy some metal pins (cut rebar). The boys put up a flag on 7 of the major flag holidays and take them down at the home of the customer.
Each boy has a route and depending on the size of the route they may split up the work of putting up and taking down.
One lesson learned here is to find a single public location to put the flags and have people sponsor a flag. This makes for a much easier time of putting up and taking down of flags especially if you are located in more rural locations.
This fundraising idea is probably best reserved for a Scouting BSA Troop. Not that cubs couldn’t do this but usually older boys are needed because they can show the reverence needed when putting up and taking down flags.
Gift Wrapping Station
Set up a table at a local store during December and wrap presents for donations. Stores love it because shoppers stay longer, and scouts learn a skill most adults never master. Bring extra tape. Trust me.
Hot Chocolate Stand
The cold weather cousin of the lemonade stand. Set up at Christmas parades, tree lightings, or Saturday morning games and you’ll sell out fast. Cheap supplies, easy for even the youngest scouts to run. You could possibly pair this with the Dutch Oven Cobbler idea if doing a cold event.
Ice Cream Social
Charge a flat fee at the door and let families build their own sundaes. Ask a local grocery store to donate the toppings and your costs drop to almost nothing. Great one to pair with a pack meeting so the crowd is already there.
Junk Drive
Collect scrap metal, old electronics, and dead car batteries from around the neighborhood and haul them to a recycler for cash. People are basically thrilled to have someone take their junk. You’ll need a few dads with trucks, but that’s never been a problem in scouting.
Krispy Kreme Donut Sales
Most Krispy Kreme locations sell boxes to nonprofits at a discount so you can resell them at full price. Take pre-orders so nothing goes to waste. Fair warning, some inventory tends to disappear into the sales team.
Luminary Sales
Sell paper bag luminary kits in December and offer to set them up along driveways for an extra fee. One neighborhood lined with them sells the next neighborhood for you. Quiet little fundraiser that adds up fast.
Meat Sales
Meat sticks and jerky have quietly become one of the best-selling scout fundraisers out there. Everybody snacks, dads buy them by the handful, and they don’t melt in a hot car like chocolate does. Several suppliers run scout fundraising programs with solid margins, so ask your council or other local units who they use.
Mulch Sales
Honestly, this one’s the heavyweight. Take pre-orders in late winter, buy in bulk from a landscape supplier, and deliver on one big Saturday. It takes trucks, trailers, and sore backs, but packs around here clear more on mulch than everything else combined.
Nut and Trail Mix Sales
Same play as candy bars but for the folks who don’t want candy. Tins of nuts sell especially well around the holidays as gifts. Several suppliers work directly with scout units, so ask your council who they recommend.
Ornament Sales
Sell Christmas ornaments with your town name or pack number on them. Local churches and small towns eat these up, and they become a yearly tradition people collect. Order early, September at the latest.
Pancake Breakfast
A scouting classic for a reason. Charge by the plate, let the scouts serve and bus tables, and ask a church or fire hall to donate the kitchen. The scouts serving is the whole show, so keep them out front and visible.
Ideas for Cub Scout Packs
Popcorn Sales
The official one. Council popcorn sales return a healthy percentage to your unit and the online option means faraway family can buy too. The product’s pricey for what it is, so lead with the mission, folks are supporting your scouts, not shopping for popcorn.
Quarter Auction
Bidders buy numbered paddles, items go up for auction, and each bid costs a quarter tossed in the pot. It sounds odd until you watch a room full of grandmas get competitive over a gift basket. Ask local businesses to donate the prizes.
Restaurant Night
Plenty of chains will donate a percentage of one evening’s sales if your pack brings the crowd. Zero cost, zero prep, and families have to eat dinner anyway. The percentage is small, so treat it as an easy bonus, not the main event.
Silent Auction
Gather donated items and gift cards from local businesses, set out bid sheets at a pack event, and let the room do the work. Pairs perfectly with the spaghetti dinner or blue and gold banquet you’re already hosting.
Trivia Night
Charge per table, sell concessions, and let a dad with a loud voice play host. Adults genuinely look forward to these, and it’s one of the few fundraisers where people thank you for the invite. Add a dad joke round. It’s basically required.
Used Gear Sale
Collect outgrown uniforms, sleeping bags, and camp gear from scout families and resell them cheap. New families save money, old gear gets a second life, and the pack keeps the proceeds. Everybody wins on this one.
Valentine Flower Delivery
Take orders for single roses or small bouquets in early February and have scouts deliver them locally. Buy wholesale and the margins are strong. Just don’t schedule delivery day during a snowstorm. Learn from my mistakes.
Wreath Sales
The November companion to mulch season. Take pre-orders for fresh evergreen wreaths and deliver before Thanksgiving, since that’s when folks decorate. Wreath suppliers that work with scout units make this nearly turnkey.
X… I’ve Got Nothing
Twenty-plus years around scouting and I’ve never seen a fundraiser that starts with X. If your pack has pulled one off, I genuinely want to hear about it in the comments. Consider this the challenge.
Yard Cleanup Service
Rake leaves in the fall, spread the mulch you sold in the spring, shovel snow in between. Older scouts earn their way to summer camp and neighbors get help they actually need. Set a suggested donation instead of a price and people usually give more.
Zero-Prep Donation Letter
The no-bake bake sale. Send families a friendly letter that says “instead of buying anything, here’s what a straight donation covers,” like $20 sends a scout to day camp. Some folks would rather just write the check, and honestly, this respects their time and yours.
Scout fundraising is an essential part of keeping your organization active, thriving, and more importantly, funded. By choosing the right methods—whether it’s a simple car wash, a community yard sale, or a flag subscription service—you can ensure your unit has the resources it needs while also reinforcing valuable lessons in teamwork, responsibility, and service. Just remember to involve the scouts in the process
Also make sure when appropriate have the scouts wear their Class A uniforms or Class B shirts so they are easily identified as being a part of the organization.
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