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Girl Scout FAQ

Have questions about Girl Scouts? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions below.

 

General Questions

What are your office and store hours?

Visit the Contact Us page for our complete list of office and store hours.

Please note that our store hours differ from our office hours. 

   

Membership Registration

How do we join Girl Scouts?

If you need assistance completing your membership, please contact our Customer Care team at 1(800) 541-9852 or customercare@girlscoutswworg.

You can complete registration at any point during the calendar year!

How to join Girl Scouts: 

1) Click Join Now to visit our registration site and tell us a bit about yourself. 
2) Decide how you want to participate in Girl Scouts:

  • Join a Troop: Enter your zip code to find a nearby troop and choose one that will work best for you and your family. Or, enter the number of the troop you are interested in to pick a specific troop!
  • Pursue Girl Scouts Independently: Enter your zip code and select the option to become an Individually Registered Member (IRM).
  • Undecided: Enter your zip code and select "unsure". Let us know what experience your future Girl Scout is looking for and one of our dedicated staff members will be in contact with you to discuss your options.

4) Complete the process by becoming a member of Girl Scouts. You will pay $25 in member dues and there is financial assistance available. If you require financial assistance, please apply for it here in addition to filling out the registration form. 

Ready to register your future Girl Scout? Register here.

Transferring your Girl Scout from another council? Fill out our Council to Council Transfer Request form. 

Want to become a Girl Scout volunteer? Learn more about  how volunteers make a huge impact  on the Girl Scout experience! 

How do we renew our membership?
  1. Log into your Member Profile by clicking MY GS in the main navigation of our website. If this is your first time logging in, click the “Forgot Your Password?” link to set up a new password. Your username is the e-mail address where you receive Girl Scout correspondence.
  2. At the top right of your screen, change "Current Year" to "Next Year." Please note that the drop-down list defaults to renew. If a member of your household does not want to renew or wants to renew later, update their selection. Click continue.
  3. Review and accept the Promise and Law for all renewing members.
  4. On the payment screen, indicate whether you'd like to donate, purchase a Lifetime Membership, request financial aid, and enter billing information. Click continue.
  5. A confirmation page will appear. Please review and confirm your selections. Click submit.
  6. Thank you and welcome back to a new year with the Girl Scouts! You'll have the option to share a message about Girls Scouts on Facebook and/or Twitter. You'll also have the option to print a receipt or receive the receipt via email.

If you selected financial aid as your payment type, please visit our Financial Assistance page and complete a Financial Assistance Application to establish your annual eligibility. You will be notified regarding your eligibility status and again once a Membership Dues Grant has been processed.

You're all set! Your Girl Scout will now show up on the troop leader's roster as renewed. If you need additional assistance, please contact us.

How do we apply for Financial Assistance?

For information about our Financial Assistance program, including how to apply and other frequently asked questions, please visit our Financial Assistance page.

How do I transfer my membership from another council?

To transfer from another Girl Scout council, fill out our Council to Council Transfer Request form. 

   

Volunteering

Who can become a volunteer? (Are men allowed to be volunteers?)

Men and women over the age of 18 may volunteer with Girl Scouts upon completion of a background check and registration as a member of Girl Scouts. Our safety standards require a minimum of two non-related adults, including one female, to supervise a group of Girl Scouts. Larger groups of Girl Scouts require additional volunteers as per the adult-to-girl ratio chart.

Does Girl Scouts run background checks on their volunteers?

Yes. Protecting the girls and young women in our care as well as the Girl Scout Movement is top priority, and screenings and checks are integral parts of our due diligence process and risk management policy. Background screening is the process of authenticating the information supplied by an applicant. At Girl Scouts, the screening of volunteers includes background checks, which are performed by Sterling Volunteers, an independent, third-party agency.

The following is a list of accountabilities that require a background check...

  • Volunteer has access to council leased or rented facilities
  • Volunteer has access to girl or other volunteer records
  • Volunteer has access to GSWW IT databases or systems
  • Volunteer is driving girls
  • Volunteer is working directly with girl(s)
  • Volunteer is supervising overnight experiences with girls
  • Volunteer is traveling with girls or volunteers
  • Volunteer is handling money or product
  • Volunteer is fundraising or collecting GSWW donations
  • Volunteer is responsible for community or media correspondence

When selecting a volunteer role, if a background check is required and the member does not have an active background check on file or it will soon expire, they will receive an e-mail prompting them to complete this step before they are placed into the position. 

Anyone in a volunteer role on a troop roster has completed this step.

If you have any questions about GSWW's policy and/or the background check process, please contact us.

How can I complete my background check?

To complete a volunteer background check, you will first need to register as a new volunteer.

To register as a new volunteer, please follow these steps:

  1. Go to our volunteer application form.
  2. Enter your basic information.
  3. You will now be on a search screen. If you do not find your troop or volunteer role, that is okay! Erase the troop number from the box, and search by zip code leaving the radius at zero. You will now see "Unsure" in the search results. Put a checkmark next to Unsure to bump it up to the top part of the screen. Click next, and a text box will appear where you can fill in your troop number and volunteer role. We will add you to your troop back office. 
    1. When selecting a volunteer role, if a background check is required and the member does not have an active background check on file or it will soon expire, they will receive an e-mail prompting them to complete this step before they are placed into the position. 
  4. Complete the rest of the contact information.
  5. Complete payment for the membership, or select the financial aid option.
  6. Keep an eye out in your e-mail (or spam) for your background check, it will come from TheAdvocates@SterlingVolunteers.com within 24 hours of completing your registration. Girl Scouts of Western Washington covers the cost of background checks, to ensure you are not charged for your background check, please select the "free" option.

If after 24 hours you do not see your background check email come in, please contact us so that we may retrigger the email.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or if there is anything we can help you with.

 

Questions or concerns? 

We'd love to hear from you! Call 1(800) 541-9852 or email customercare@girlscoutsww.org.

Our customer care team hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.

Keep her engaged and inspired in challenging times. Renew Now.
Keep her engaged and inspired in challenging times. Renew Now.