Boy Scouts in Oregon have few benefactors more generous than Intel, which has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs over the past few years.

It's not that Intel has a particular affinity for Scouting; its employees do. By volunteering as scoutmasters and in other roles, they trigger a $10 corporate donation for each hour spent helping a troop.

And with close to 17,000 employees in the state, those hours -- and dollars -- really add up. In 2010 alone they came to $180,000, according to the Intel Foundation's most recent tax filings.

The donations, though, are now drying up.

They're a casualty of a change in Intel's requirements -- which attaches a nondiscrimination pledge to the donation -- and

.

"We don't have many gifts at that level. So that's going to hurt," said Matt Devore, head of the Scouts'

. "When any political, adult issue gets in the way, where the real pain is is when it affects children."

The Boy Scouts' policy on homosexuality has made it a lightning rod for controversy, with advocates and detractors lining up to support or denounce the organization's stance. Gay rights have also become a perilous social issue for large corporations.

Restaurant chain Chick-fil-A was famously in the spotlight last summer for its opposition to same-sex marriage. Starbucks has won acclaim and antipathy for supporting gay marriage.

Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Google have all supported legalizing gay marriage in their home states.

But Intel has generally stayed out of the culture wars.

It began linking corporate donations to employees' volunteer work four years ago. The goal, the company said, was to encourage workers to give their own time and to direct Intel's philanthropy to the causes its employees care about.

Intel says it gave $8.2 million globally through the program last year,

.

In September, activists who object to the Scouts' exclusion of gays began highlighting companies that donate to the organization.

When

, the chipmaker said it wouldn't give to any organization that violates

.

That reflects a policy change that actually occurred last spring, according to corporate spokesman Chuck Mulloy, before the petition drive. But it had gone unnoticed until the activists launched their campaign.

"At the end of the year, to get their grants, we're going to require them to send a letter that they are in compliance with our nondiscrimination policies," Mulloy said.

"We feel strongly about the underlying values that are Intel, very strongly that we have a nondiscrimination policy on a wide variety of issues," he said. "And if you aren't complying, you shouldn't be asking us for money."

Intel has remained quiet on the subject of gay marriage (one of its Washington County neighbors, Nike, endorsed the newly passed Referendum 74 legalizing gay marriage in Washington State.)

Its nondiscrimination policy, though, covers sexual orientation, among several other categories.

"We won't discriminate against same-sex couples, and we do provide benefits" to same-sex partners of Intel employees, Mulloy said.

In a statement, the national Boy Scouts said it respects Intel's decision. But the organization isn't changing its policies.

"We fully understand and appreciate that not everyone will agree with any one position or policy; however, we believe a strong partnership does not require full agreement on every societal issue," wrote Deron Smith, spokesman for Boy Scouts of America.

"Unfortunately," he continued, "this decision will have a direct impact on the youth we serve through local councils, many of whom are disadvantaged and at risk youth."

Intel donated to 40 Boy Scout troops and Cub scout packs in Oregon during 2010, according to the Intel Foundation's most recent publicly available tax records.

Several troops received $10,000 from the company, the maximum contribution through the volunteer match program (Intel has a higher ceiling, $15,000, for donations to schools.)

Recipients included Boy Scout Troop 520 in Hillsboro, which received close to $11,000 through donations to the troop and an affiliated "Team" for younger Scouts.

The money purchased trailers and other equipment for outings, according to scoutmaster Mark Pyrah, and helped cover fees for Scouts whose families couldn't afford the contribution themselves.

Troop 520 has several leaders who work at Intel, though Pyrah does not, and 42 boys. He said he doesn't know the troop's annual budget -- that's kept by a separate committee, he said -- but he characterized Intel's support as important though not essential.

"I certainly would be disappointed if it's not here anymore," Pyrah said, "but we would just make adjustments and do the best we can."

Individual Troops would apparently be eligible for Intel's funds if they signed the company's nondiscrimination pledge. At least a handful of Troops in other parts of the country have said they will not abide by the Scouts' national position on gay leadership and members.

The national organization says they must adhere to the policy. The possibility of defying the national hasn't been discussed within Troop 520, according to Pyrah.

Three-quarters of the Oregon Boy Scout groups that received Intel funding are sponsored by stakes or wards of the Mormon Church. The Mormons have a long association with scouting, and are leading supporters of the organization. The church opposes same-sex marriage.

Troop 520 is grateful for Intel's support, Pyrah said, but will respect any decision the company makes about where to contribute.

"We certainly understand their desire to be fair to all people," he said.

And he said the Troop will continue with its work regardless.

"We'll adjust," he said. "We always do."

-- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway