Section Budget

Considerations

• Do Scouters pay a fee to attend?  If so, the same fee as youth, or different?  This tends to vary by section and circumstance.

• Is there a subsidy available? Some Groups subsidize their camp fees from fundraising, or perhaps apply a surplus from a previous camp.

• Are other adults or siblings attending?  Do they pay the same fee as youth?  Fees may vary depending upon circumstance.

Steps 

Using the Section Event Budget Template found below:

1. Enter the basic info at the top of the template: event name, date, host, section, Scouter-in-Charge

2. Under Revenue, in the Per Attendee column, estimate and enter how many Youth, Scouters and Other Adults will attend.

3. Estimate and enter Per-Person Expenses.  These tend to be items like Event Registration, Food, Activity Supplies and sometimes Equipment Rental (e.g. snowshoes) or costumes.  Expenses should include all taxes. If desired, categories may be changed using the drop-down boxes.

4. Estimate and enter Fixed Expenses.  These are expenses that don't vary by the number of attendees, and can be almost anything.  Not all items in the example template below will apply to each camp. Expense items should include all taxes.  If desired, categories may be changed using the drop-down boxes.

5. Set a Contingency % for unanticipated expenses.  The minimum amount allowed is 5%, per Scouts Canada's Events Standards.

6. Fee Decision: 

   • Under the Revenue section, enter an Event Fee amount for Youth, Scouters, and other adults.  Enter ancillary revenue for goods or other categories of people, if applicable.

   • Check the Budget Result figure at the top, which tells you if your budget is in deficit, balanced, or in surplus.

   • Adjust your event fee up if in deficit, or down if in surplus.  Check the budget result figure.  Repeat this process until you find the lowest event fee that will place your budget in balance or in surplus.  You can decide to round your event fee to the nearest penny, dollar, $5, etc.

Your budget is now ready to present to your section team or Group Committee.

You may opt to use the Actual column to track your actual attendees, revenues and expenses in the template, so they can be compared to budgets.  With experience, this will increase your accuracy when budgeting in the future.

Camporee has some special budget considerations that might not apply to many section or Group camps.

1. The Camporee Registration fee includes HST, and applies to all youth, Scouters, non-member guests, and your section's representative on the Event Team.

2. Don't forget to budget for:

   • Costumes

   • Campsite Decorations

   • Materials for your section's activity station

   • Camp consumables (paper towel, mantles, hand sanitizer, stove/lantern fuel, firewood)

The Google Sheets version is recommended if multiple members of your volunteer team will enter budget estimates.  Make a copy in your own Drive folder.

The template includes a sample budget on the second tab.