Why should girls participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program?
When girls sell cookies, they learn goal setting, decision making,
money management, people skills, and business ethics—skills essential
to leadership, success, and life. Plus, it’s a dynamic leadership
experience that provides girls and troops the ability to raise their
own funds for the exciting programs, projects, and trips they dream up.
Does GSUSA receive profits from Girl Scout Cookies?
No, GSUSA does not benefit from the sale of cookies. One hundred
percent of cookie proceeds earned in our Council stay in our Council
to support local girls.
Where does the cookie money go?
All proceeds generated from the Girl Scout Cookie Program stay
within our Council to support Girl Scouting in Arizona. Each package
of cookies costs $5, except Toffee-tastics and Girl Scout S'mores,
which cost $6 per box. Cookie proceeds stay local to:
- Fund Take Action projects benefiting the community, as well as
amazing girl-led adventures for troops.
- Help our Council
provide Girl Scout programs in STEM, the outdoors, life skills, and
entrepreneurship, as well as camps, leadership training, and
more!
- Cover the costs of running the Girl Scout Cookie
Program, including the costs of cookies, materials, and
logistics.
The $5 a Box Breakdown:
Cookie Program Costs – $1.10
- Cost of cookies and program operations
Troop Proceeds & Rewards – $1.11
- Girl and Service unit rewards
- Troop proceeds – used
for field trips, travel, camp, events, community service projects,
program supplies, books, membership
High-Quality Programs & Properties – $1.28
- Maintain our four Girl Scout camps and program sites
- Council-sponsored girl and volunteer events/programs in areas of
Outdoors, STEM, Entrepreneurship and Life Skills
Girl & Volunteer Services – $1.51
- Financial Assistance for dues, programs and camperships
- Girl recruitment, recognition and retention
- Volunteer
recruitment, training, recognitions and resources
Why are the cookies sold by
Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council’s cookies different from
other councils OR why don’t we have a certain cookie in our line-up?
The cookie lineup varies from Girl Scout Council to Council because
there are two licensed bakers for Girl Scout Cookies. Our Council uses
Little Brownie Bakers that provides this
awesome lineup. ABC Bakers is the second bakery used by other
councils around the country. That’s also why similar cookie flavors
have different names depending on where (or, which bakery source) you
buy them!
What happens to unsold cookies?
All decisions about cookie inventory are made at the local level.
Our Council has a well-developed strategy for managing our inventory
and leftover products. We order cookies as precisely as possible. All
undamaged cookies that remain unsold are used at council program
events or donated to food banks and soldiers overseas via our Cookies
for the Community donation program.
Does Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council allow Girl Scouts to
conduct booth sales in front of adult-oriented businesses?
Girl Scouts cannot booth at any location that may negatively impact
the cookie program experience for girls and volunteers, and/or
negatively impact our brand. Therefore, girls cannot sell in or in
front of establishments that they themselves cannot legally patronize,
including marijuana dispensaries. This policy has not changed even
with the passing of AZ Prop 207. Please email pprogram@girlscoutsaz.org
if you are unsure whether a location is girl-appropriate. Remember,
all self-scheduled booths must be entered into eBudde for Council approval.
Can girls use electronic bulletin boards like Craigslist to sell cookies?
No. The safety of girls is very important, especially online. Girl
Scouts and their families should never post identifying information
(full names, phone numbers, etc.) on public-facing online sites.
Girls may only use the internet to market the Girl Scout Cookie
Program to family and friends – people the girl or her family know
personally. When using social media platforms, the account should be
set to private.
Public online forums are not approved locations for individuals to
post Girl Scout Cookie Program promotions. These include, but are not
limited to: Nextdoor, Offer Up, Let Go, Market Place, eBay and
Craigslist. Public Facebook pages or personal pages set for public
view are the same as public online forums. Personal Facebook accounts
with appropriate privacy settings may be used to share information
with Facebook ‘friends’, but not to sell cookies or take orders.
All online cookie sales should be sold through Digital Cookie.
Digital Cookie allows girls to design personalized online storefronts
to share their cookie program goals and invite customers to support
them. Customers must receive an email from a Girl Scout; they are
unable to go directly to a girl’s storefront. These online storefronts
will share cookie and service project goals and customers can see a
picture or video of their favorite Girl Scout.
Are there GMOs in Girl Scout Cookies?
Yes, currently there are genetically modified agricultural crops
(GMOs) in Girl Scout Cookies. Our bakers determine whether to use GMOs
in Girl Scout Cookies based on a range of market-related factors and
depending on the specific cookie recipe.
Girl Scouts listens to its customers and work with our trusted
bakers, who are industry leaders, to develop recipes for these sweet
treats using ingredients that will produce the best-tasting and
highest-quality cookies, while simultaneously addressing industry
trends, scientific trends, and of course, consumer preference. As an
organization, we continue to defer to required federal guidelines as
they relate to our products.
Why is palm oil used in Girl Scout Cookies?
Palm oil is an ingredient found in the majority of baked snacks sold
in the United States. GSUSA's licensed bakers tell us it continues to
be necessary to use palm oil in our cookies to ensure their shelf
life, to bring you the highest quality products, and to serve as an
alternative to trans fats. While we continue to explore other
alternatives, at this time, there are no viable or readily available
alternatives on the market.
A December 2020 Associated Press article about the palm oil industry
that included specific references to Girl Scouts bakers using palm oil
to make Girl Scout Cookies has renewed concerns around the use of this
ingredient. The article focused on the poor working conditions,
including child labor, in the palm oil industry around the world and
raised new information about mixed sources in products.
Girl Scouts of the USA, our Council, and our baker believe child
labor has no place in the production of Girl Scout Cookies. We have
worked with, and continue to work with, our bakers to increase the
transparency and sustainability of our production lines and ingredient
sourcing. If certain suppliers are not following safety and ethical
standards, we rely on our baker and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm
Oil (RSPO), of which our baker and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) are
affiliate members, to take action quickly.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is an organization of
growers, buyers, manufacturers, conservationists, and interested
parties who are striving to develop and follow best practices to
produce and source environmentally responsible, socially beneficial,
and economically viable palm oil.
Furthermore, our Council’s baker, Little Brownie Bakers (LBB) is
managed by Ferrara, a related company of the global manufacturer
Ferrero Group, that received the highest certification level afforded
by the World Wildlife Fund for sustainable practices. LBB’s goal is to
achieve 100% RSPO-segregated certified palm oil for all Girl Scout
Cookies it produces.
Why can't you use something different?
The world’s food supply is intricately tied to the use of palm oil,
so we believe promoting proper manufacturing principles is the most
responsible approach to how Girl Scouts and Girl Scout Cookie
development is advanced. While we continue to explore other
alternatives, at this time, there are no viable or readily available
alternatives on the market.
What corrective actions is GSUSA taking to prevent child labor?
To be very clear, child labor has no place in the production of Girl
Scout Cookies. If certain suppliers are not following best practices,
we expect our bakers and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
(RSPO), of which GSUSA is an affiliate member, to take action quickly
to rectify those exceptions.
Our baker, LBB, provided the following statement in our ongoing
recent conversations around the emerging information and the progress
we need to see: “We condemn child labor and any exploitation of
workers and take all allegations of abuse seriously. We work closely
with our suppliers and partners to ensure that our Global Supplier
Code of Business Conduct and human rights policies are followed, and
correct or terminate suppliers not in compliance. As a socially
responsible company, our goal is to secure a 100% deforestation-free
and exploitation-free palm oil supply chain, and we are working hard
to make the complex shifts necessary to achieve this goal.”
LBB’s goal is to achieve 100% RSPO-segregated certified palm oil for
all Girl Scout Cookies it produces. LBB is managed by Ferrara, a
related company of the global manufacturer Ferrero Group, that
received the highest certification level afforded by the World
Wildlife Fund for sustainable practices and received the best
ranking of all global manufacturers related to progress made towards
this issue.
Does GSUSA belong to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)?
Yes, GSUSA is an affiliate member of RSPO, an organization of
growers, buyers, manufacturers, conservationists, and interested
parties who are striving to develop and follow best practices to
produce and source environmentally responsible, socially beneficial,
and economically viable palm oil.
Does Girl Scouts–Arizona
Cactus-Pine Council have a policy to address the potential issue of
counterfeit money being used at cookie booth sales?
We are appalled that anyone would use counterfeit money to steal
from a Girl Scout. This crime takes away proceeds from Girl Scout
Cookie sales that fund girl programs and projects in our community.
These types of incidents underscore the relevancy of Girl Scouts, and
programs like it, that teach values, principles, and ethics.
The Girl Scout Cookie Program is a Council-run business. All
decisions on how the business is run are made with girl safety a top
priority. Both GSACPC and Girl Scouts of the USA provide booth safety
guidelines, and we rely on Troop Leaders and parents to uphold them.
Our guidelines include a strict adult-girl ratio at booths as well as
the recommendation not accept bills larger than $20 or large checks.
The Council cookie program guide also suggests troops bring a
counterfeit detector pen to booth sales, although it is not mandatory.
What is the cookie boycott, AKA the “cookiecott”? What is Girl
Scouts’ response to cookie boycotts, and Girl Scouts’ position on
social issues, such as Planned Parenthood?
With the increased media focus on Girl Scouts during the cookie
season, a number of groups with hidden agendas see this as a chance to
draw attention to their causes—at the expense of girls.
Although rare, we sometimes encounter people approaching
girls/troops during the cookie program purporting false claims about
Girl Scouts. We respect the customer’s right to their own opinion and
make every effort to ensure the facts are communicated at the same
time. These false claims take away from the girls and the important
program pieces promoting positive learning. However, we think it is
important to provide our supporters and the community-at-large with
correct information.
In particular, false claims of a partnership with Planned Parenthood
and accusations regarding controversial topics related to Planned
Parenthood are two of the issues often raised. It's been nearly two
decades since these rumors first surfaced. There was no partnership
then and there is none now. Here are the facts:
- Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) and GSACPC do not have a
relationship with Planned Parenthood.
- Girl Scouts does not
provide financial support of any kind to Planned Parenthood.
- Girl Scouts does not advocate on behalf of any cause or mission
outside of the Girl Scout mission, which is to build girls of
courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better
place. Girl Scouts does not take a position on abortion or birth
control, nor do we endorse or provide funding to organizations that
advocate on behalf of any political issues. We believe these are
matters that are best discussed/handled within the family.
- 100% of our Council’s cookie proceeds stay with our Council to
support our local Girl Scouting efforts.
Why do some people voice concern about Girl Scout Cookies? Why are
there anti-Girl Scout social media posts and websites?
In short, it’s because they’ve been fed false information about Girl
Scouts and the cookie program. As a large and visible organization,
Girl Scouts is occasionally a target for outside groups with agendas.
There is much false information available through the internet these
days. It requires taking a pause and thinking for ourselves. We
encourage everyone to be diligent about fact-checking and avoid
blindly following unknown sources.
How do Girl Scouts combat false information online?
It’s always hard to prove a negative, and it continues to be an
ongoing battle that GSUSA is leading for the Movement. Snopes.com and
Factcheck.org are considered reputable, credible fact-checking
sites. They have both debunked negative claims about Girl Scouts.
Those who won’t believe these third-party fact-checkers or our
official statements may not be convinced by a simple message or
explanation. But we continue to share the correct information, our
positions, and urge our volunteers and parents to prepare by reviewing
facts and credible information for themselves.
On social media, Councils and GSUSA frequently report false content
as misinformation to Facebook, Twitter and other sites, to have it
pulled down. However, due to platforms’ sensitivity to censorship,
it’s not as simple as it may seem. For example, Facebook now has a
misinformation rule, but they are still wary of censoring any media
posted and have prioritized political material. It would be helpful
for members and supporters to report false information as they come
across it as well – the higher the volume of complaints, the higher
the reported content is positioned in the review queue.
Is Girl Scouts political?
No. Girl Scouts is non-partisan and non-political. In recent years
it’s become increasingly difficult to appear so in our divided
political environment. As GSUSA and Councils become more sensitive to
the changing environment, the goal is to keep focused on our mission.
Our organization aims to serve all girls and support the issues and
causes important to them.
Did GSUSA post or remove
posts from social media in 2020?
In October 2020, GSUSA acknowledged the selection of Senator Kamala
Harris as VP Candidate and appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the
U.S. Supreme Court on social media, as this is consistent with a
tradition of recognizing women who have risen to the top of their
field and broken barriers. Both posts were taken down because our
national colleagues felt the conversation turned severely negative,
unproductive, and ultimately violated their social media community guidelines.
In hindsight, GSUSA acknowledged that there was a misjudgment of the
divided social atmosphere at the time, and removing the posts added to
the destructive spiral and took away from the conversation we want to
be having about supporting girls. They are developing a renewed and
refocused social media strategy and content review process to ensure
our nonpartisan mission is at the forefront.
What if customers say they won’t support cookies because of the
social media posts about Kamala Harris and Amy Coney Barrett?
We believe the divisive situation that arose from the
aforementioned social media posts demonstrates that Girl Scouts is
needed more than ever. Our hope is that a majority of cookie
customers understand how the program and proceeds benefit not only
girls in Arizona but the whole community and will continue
supporting this important learning opportunity. We suggest
respectfully reminding those who express concern of why the program
is beneficial and encourage them to check out girlscoutsaz.org/support-cookies.
What’s the difference between Girls Scouts and Boy Scouts?
Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are two completely different
organizations. Only registered Girl Scouts sell Girl Scout Cookies.
Girl Scouts serves girls in an all-girl, girl-led and supportive
environment. And research shows Girl Scouts offer the best place for
her to discover her full potential.
Why should I buy Girl Scout Cookies?
When you buy Girl Scout Cookies, you support Girl Scouts and
you power amazing experiences and life-changing opportunities for
girls year-round—from awesome trips to community projects to outdoor
adventures. Through your support, you help Girl Scouts build essential
skills as they begin to think like entrepreneurs and learn to take the
lead, both now and in the future. Girls gain these skills from working
with others, setting goals, and connecting with customers. It's about
the experience a girl has running her very own cookie business,
gaining five essential skills (goal setting, decision making, money
management, people skills, and business ethics) as she learns to think
like an entrepreneur. Because proceeds from your purchase stay local,
you also help create positive change in your community.
