Dear Service Unit 622,
We want to address a recent email from a dedicated lifelong Girl Scout volunteer, Holly. She raised several important points about our Cookie Sale practices, which are common concerns. In hopes of transparency, we want to share the following information about our cookie sale operations.
Our cookie sale is made possible by our volunteers. Every year, they spend countless hours making the sale possible. They do so selflessly, and we could not operate without their volunteered time. However, we know that these last few years have been utterly exhausting.
In the Girl Scout spirit, we hope you honor yourselves, and your needs the same way we encourage our youth members to take care of themselves. Take deserved breaks. We want the Girl Scout volunteer experience to be one that is fulfilling, not draining. If you cannot support us during the cookie sale, there are other ways to stay involved should you wish to give back to the organization in a different way.
The Girl Scout Cookie Sale has been and is a mammoth effort. In fact, thanks to you all, it is our largest revenue stream. In the fiscal year 2020, cookies funded 88% of our council’s expenses. As a non-profit, all the funds raised from the cookie sale and beyond go toward these three main expense categories:
Girl Scout Programming – 81%
Management & General – 13%
Fundraising – 6%
The truth is that we wouldn’t even break even without the support and donated time of our volunteers. The revenue from the Cookie Sale is shared with our Girl Scouts so they can make their own decisions on their individual and troop goals and journeys. The rest of the revenue goes right back to providing programming for our Girl Scouts. You can read more about our council finances and our other revenue streams, including philanthropy, retail, program fees, and more.
We believe in the lifelong impact of the ever-evolving Cookie Sale on our Girl Scouts. And our Girl Scout Cookie Bosses in Gig Harbor who wish to participate in the sale still need your help. If you or someone you know is ready or able to volunteer for the 2022 Cookie Sale, please let us know as soon as possible.
The conversation of balancing volunteerism, life, work, and so much more is an important one. We hope you join us at our 2022 Annual Meeting as we reflect on 2021, discuss our council’s vision forward, and rebuild our volunteer community.
Sign off,
Name