What can a cookie buy? The experience of a lifetime.

Girl Scouts of the USA is the premier leadership organization for girls, and the $700 million Girl Scout Cookie Program -- the largest girl-led business in the country -- generates immeasurable benefits for girls, their councils and communities across the nation.

The activity of selling cookies is directly related to our purpose of helping all girls realize their full potential and become strong, confident, and resourceful citizens. Girl Scouts learn life skills and realize their goals, and also have fun!

Furthermore, customers get a great product and get to support girls in their own communities. All of the proceeds of cookie sales support Girl Scouting. 

Through the Girl Scout Cookie Program girls develop five essential skills: 

1. Goal setting
2. Decision making
3. Money management
4. People skills
5. Business ethics

Why do these skills matter? Because when your Girl Scout has learned these, she’ll be poised for success in her career or whatever path she chooses to follow in life.

Think about it...When employers interview job candidates, they all look for the same things. This is true whether the employer is a bank, high-tech company, university, hospital, publishing house, car dealership, accounting firm - or even the local pet store! They want:

·  Someone who can set goals and meet deadlines. Blowing a deadline can mean blowing a deal!

·  Someone who works well with others. Who wants to deal with strife and complaining in the workplace?

·  Someone who understands customers. It doesn’t matter whether the “customers” are hospital patients, TV viewers, or other companies—every business has to know its customers and what they want.

·  Someone who can influence others. This doesn’t just mean selling a product. Employers want people who can sell ideas, pitch projects and convince other employees to help out.

·  Someone who is honest, trustworthy and reliable. This kind of goes without saying—or it should!

Sound like anyone you know? That’s your Girl Scout, using the 5 Skills she learned in the Girl Scout Cookie Program.

  

All of the proceeds—every penny—from the Girl Scouts of Alaska cookie program stays in Alaska to benefit girls. Some of the revenue is used directly by remaining in the Girl Scout troop treasury, and some of it indirectly by subsidizing the cost of providing Girl Scout programs in our communities.

Money from Girl Scout Cookies helps Girl Scouts of Alaska:

• Recruit and train volunteer adults to work with girls.
• Provide financial assistance needed to make Girl Scouting available for all girls.
•  Improve and maintain camp and other activity sites.
•  Keep event/camp fees for all members to a minimum.
•  Sponsor special events and projects.

For every $4 box of cookies the money is distributed as follows:

• $1.01 goes directly to Little Brownie Bakers for the cookies themselves.
• $0.45 to $0.50 goes to troops directly, depending on the per girl average (Troops receive the $.05 increase when the troop girl average is 212 boxes or more).
• $0.04 goes to individual Service Units/Communities.
• $2.50 to $2.55 is Council revenue. Girls Scouts of Alaska uses these proceeds to pay for cookie incentives, day and resident camps, girl assistance, volunteer training and support.

$2.99 or 75% of each dollar received stays in the Girl Scouts of Alaska community to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.

This year, for the first time, Girl Scouts involved in ways other than troops can participate in the Girl Scouts of Alaska Cookie Program and earn program credits, in addition to camp or travel credits, individually. Contact our Product Sales Manager, Tricia Matyas, to find out how: tmatyas@girlscoutsalaska.org

Happy cookie time, Girl Scouts! Thank you for giving girls the experience of a lifetime through the Girl Scout Cookie Program.