• The learning activities of the Boy Scouts aren't without cost.Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
  
  In order for a Boy Scout troop to pay for its activities, it is sometimes necessary to have fundraisers. This ensures that the cost of activities are not entirely shouldered by the parents, making more expensive activities available that would not otherwise be possible. Holding a fundraiser also can be a teaching opportunity and an overall enriching experience for the Scouts. Fundraising ideas run the gamut -- from a simple bottle drive to an elaborate athletic-based event with corporate sponsorship.
  
  

Bottle Drive

• Bottle drives are among the most simple to organize fund-raising events. Scouts just need to be split into groups, each with a parent for supervision, and make rounds of local neighborhoods knocking on doors to request spare bottles and cans. Adding something in exchange for donations also helps to keep donations coming in. Consider giving novelty items such as pins or pens with slogans such as "I support Scout Troop 12 in Austin, Texas." Donors like to have a little something to show for their contribution, even if it is just a knickknack.
  
  

Barbecue Cookout

• A barbecue fundraiser can be a little bit tricky to set up and requires the use of a suitable public venue (community centers work well, particularly in case of bad weather). Make sure enough grills are available for the cookout and that their propane tanks are full. Take the time to determine the goals of your event, such as the amount of money to be raised. Ensure that your event is properly advertised via neighborhood signage, as well as on locally focused Internet forums; also utilize the local newspaper to draw guests. Selling tickets in advance can be helpful since it will take some of the pressure off of people selling tickets at the door and help prevent overselling the venue. Take the comfort of the guests into consideration and ensure that there is a functioning restroom as well as provision for beverages and perhaps some sort of entertainment.
  
  

Athletic Event

• Athletic competitions are a fantastic way to draw a community interested in sponsorship as well as that of the corporate community, who are often quite happy to develop their community-minded public image. For some events, a venue with ticketed seating arrangement works well, such as those used by indoor basketball, wrestling and martial arts competitions. Events such as hikes and walks do not require sponsors to actually attend the event, making them a better source for a broader base of donors. As with the bottle drive fundraiser, offering contributors some sort of memorabilia to commemorate their aid to the cause will help incentivize additional donations that would not otherwise be made.