Girl Scouts of the USA is currently in the middle of the 2017 cookie season, which marks the 100th year of the first known sale of cookies by Girl Scouts. A century ago, girls started participating in what would evolve into the largest entrepreneurial training program for girls in the world: the Girl Scout Cookie Program. According to the Girl Scouts, the program helps girls learn the essential skills they need to become effective leaders, manage finances, gain self-sufficiency, and develop confidence in handling money. To commemorate the anniversary the organization has released a new cookie – S’mores.
The sale of cookies by Girl Scouts had humble beginnings, born as a way for troops to finance activities. The first known sale of cookies by Girl Scouts occurred in 1917, when the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, baked cookies and sold them in their high school cafeteria as a service project. As the Girl Scout Cookie Program developed and evolved, it not only became a vehicle for teaching five essential skills—goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics—but it also enabled collaboration and integration, as early as the 1950s, among girls and troops of diverse backgrounds as they worked together toward common goals.
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Today, nearly 1 million Girl Scouts participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, generating nearly $800 million in cookie sales during the average season. All of the net revenue raised through the Girl Scout Cookie Program—100 percent of it— stays with the local council and troops. With over 50 million households purchasing cookies every season, the irresistible treats can be found nationwide and will hold a beloved place in Americana for years to come, continuing to help girls take the lead and, ultimately, change the world.
“I am so thrilled that, as an organization, we’ve reached such an important milestone—celebrating 100 years of Girl Scouts selling cookies,” said Sylvia Acevedo, interim CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. “The Girl Scout Cookie Program has long been the engine that powers Girl Scouts on every level. Cookie earnings fund local council programming for girls and allow girls to do incredible things of their own choosing—from civic-engagement projects to educational travel opportunities, and beyond. Each box of delicious Girl Scout Cookies —and the entrepreneurial skills gained by participating in the Girl Scout Cookie program—helps girls fulfill their dreams, follow their passions, take the lead in their lives and communities, and change the world.”
Working with the Girl Scouts to save money and resources
Dozens of Girl Scouts Troops are members of 501(c) Agencies Trust. Our newest Girl Scout member is the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. 501(c) Agencies Trust is administered by 501(c) Services.
At 501(c) Agencies Trust, we help organizations manage their unemployment expenses, provide employers with a certified educational series, provide separated employees with reemployment services and offer HR Services including unlimited access to a staffed hotline.
501(c) Agencies Trust consists of both large national agencies such as Boys and Girls Clubs, Y-USA, Feeding America and United Cerebral Palsy as well as smaller stand-alone organizations.
Visit 501cTrust.org and complete a savings analysis form to see if our program is right for your organization.
