Review the latest COVID-19 requirements for In-Person Girl Scout Meetings!

Volunteering

No matter how you volunteer with Girl Scouts, your investment of time and energy will pay back tenfold! With your help, girls will be able to identify issues they care about and work with one another to resolve them. Your interests and life experiences make you the perfect person to be a new kind of partner for girls, someone who creates a safe environment where they can work together and each girl feels free to work toward her highest aspirations. Have no doubt: You, and nearly one million other volunteers like you, are helping girls make a lasting impact on the world!

Volunteering with Girl Scouts

Your most important role as a Girl Scout volunteer is to be excited about everything this opportunity affords you: a chance to help girls succeed, play a critical role in their lives, and watch them blossom! In this section, you’ll learn all about your role and responsibilities as a Girl Scout volunteer.

Volunteering with Girl Scouts (pdf)

Becoming a Volunteer

Volunteering for Girl Scouts will be one of the most satisfying and gratifying things you will ever do. For information on the steps you’ll want to follow to become a volunteer and the different roles that you’ll want to consider, go to: Becoming a Volunteer (pdf)

Volunteer Policy

Girl Scouts of Northern California is governed by the policies of Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) as stated in the Blue Book of Basic Documents 2019 edition. The Volunteer Policy has been adopted by GSNorCal’s Board of Directors. The goal of the Girl Scouts of Northern California is to provide beneficial and safe program for girls.

Volunteer Policy (PDF)

Volunteer Toolkit

GSUSA and GSNorCal have launched The Girl Scout Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) which is a comprehensive digital tool accessible on your computer, smartphone and/or tablet that is the primary support resource for troop leaders. This valuable resource is designed to save you time so you can manage your troop year with the girls and have more time to do the things that you imagined when you volunteered: changing girls’ lives through amazing experiences!

Through the Volunteer Toolkit, troop leaders can: 

Plan the troop’s calendar year and meeting schedule. 
Email parents/caregivers with one click. 
View the troop roster, renew girls’ membership, and update girls' contact information. 
View meeting plans for Journeys and badges, including suggested tracks for multi-level groups (K–5 and 6–12). 
Customize meeting agendas to fit your unique troop. 
Explore individual meeting plans that show a breakdown of every step, including a list of materials needed, editable time allotments for each activity within a meeting, and printable meeting aids. 
Record girls’ attendance at meetings and their badge and Journey achievements. 
Add council or custom events to the troop’s calendar. 
Submit troop’s finance reports (depending on the council’s process). 
Easily locate both national and local council resources, such as Safety Activity Checkpoints.

Parents and caregivers can:  

View the troop’s meeting schedule and individual meeting plans to stay up to date on the badges and Journeys they are working on. 
Renew their memberships, and update their contact information. 
View their Girl Scout’s attendance and achievements. 
See upcoming events the troop is planning or attending. 
Easily locate both national and local council resources, such as the Family Hub. 
View the troop’s finance report (depending on the council’s process).

For an indepth breakdown of the Volunteer Toolkit, go to: Volunteer Toolkit (PDF)

Volunteer Learning Opportunities

Girl Scouts strives to provide you with the necessary information to successfully manage your group of girls, and to let you know how and where you can get additional information on certain topics when you want to learn more. Volunteer Learning is offered in a variety of ways, to best meet your unique learning styles: written resources, face-to-face learning, interactive online learning—and additional methods are being developed and tested all the time!

Volunteer Learning Opportunities (PDF)

Volunteer Support

GSNorCal Events
GSNorCal provides hundreds of events throughout Northern California each year, many of which contain an Adult Training Component. Take a look through GSNorCal's Activity Finder to discover endless opportunities for fun, learning, and adventure. We have something for everyone; troops, individual girls, and yes, adults too! www.gsnorcal.org/forms

Participate in a series, a one-time event, or explore our travel opportunities. For info, visit the Activity Finder on our website: www.gsnorcal.org/events

Other Support

In addition to the online and in-person courses and learning events, GSNorCal also offers the following support for volunteers:

Electronic Resources: The GSNorCal website has specific publications, tools, templates, ideas, and other resources designed specifically for each volunteer role. www.gsnorcal.org/forms
GSNorCal Staff: Member Services and Volunteer Development Managers (VDMs) are available to help you. 800-447-4475 Ext 0 info@gsnorcal.org
Local Service Unit Meetings: Taking part in ongoing training and attending service unit meetings are basic responsibilities of a Girl Scout Leader. Service unit meetings throughout the council offer ongoing mini-courses, and are considered an important part of a volunteer’s development. You’ll also have networking opportunities which will put you in touch with many experienced volunteers who are eager to share ideas, advice, help and support, and a chance to discuss timely topics that will help you become more effective in the way you work with your girls. Contact 800-447-4475 Ext. 0 info@gsnorcal.org to connect with your service unit.
Service Unit Team: Experienced volunteers in your local service unit who provide coaching, support and ideas. Your Volunteer Development Manager (VDM) can put you in touch with your local Service Unit Team.
Social Media & Volunteer View: The Volunteer View is a monthly electronic newsletter that contains many event and training reminders, along with ongoing announcements regarding new resources, procedures, and program ideas. www.gsnorcal.org/subscribe

New Troop Leader Checklist

Check out this handy 5 step table on getting your new troop started.

New Troop Leader Checklist (PDF)

Knowing How Much You're Appreciated

Whatever your volunteer position, your hard work means the world to girls, to your council staff, and to Girl Scouts of the USA. We’re calling on all members of society to help girls reach their full potential, and you’ve answered that call. So, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

Just as you’ll receive support throughout your volunteering experience, when you reach the end of the term you signed up for, you’ll talk with your support team about the positive parts of your experience, as well as the challenges you faced, and discuss whether you want to return to this position or try something new. The end of your troop year, camp season, overseas trip, or series/event session is just the beginning of your next adventure with Girl Scouting!

If you’re ready for more opportunities to work with girls, be sure to let the GSNorCal support team know how you’d like to be a part of girls’ lives in the future—whether in the same position or in other, flexible ways. Are you ready to organize a series or event? take a trip? work with girls at camp? work with a troop of girls as a year-long volunteer? share your skills at a council office, working behind the scenes? The possibilities are endless, and can be tailored to fit your skills and interests.

Adult Recognition in GSNorCal

Visit the council website at www.gsnorcal.org/en/for-volunteers/recognition-and-awards.html or visit the GSNorCal Recognition Pinterest Board for ideas on how to recognize your volunteers, find the nomination forms for national, council, or service unit awards for adults, and more info. Do you have a special volunteer who deserves recognition? Download the National and Council Adult Recognitions Packet or the Service Unit Adult Recognitions Packet from the council website: www.gsnorcal.org/forms

Volunteer Appreciation Month

Volunteer Appreciation Month - The month of April is set aside especially for you. Girl Scouts pay tribute to the volunteers who help girls make the world a better place.

The month centers on the long-standing National Girl Scout Leaders' Day (April 22). In addition, Girl Scouts also celebrates Volunteers Make a Difference Week, in conjunction with Make a Difference Day, which takes place during the weekend in autumn that we set our clocks back.

Recognizing the Volunteers Who Help You

See [GIRLS & ADULTS: Friends & Family Network (Adults): Asking for Help - Best Practices] and our website www.gsnorcal.org/en/for-volunteers/recognition-and-awards.html for some ideas to recognize the people who help you.

Whistleblower Policy & Hotline

Our roles, as stewards of the Girl Scouts mission, demand that we—all Board and Committee members, volunteers, and employees (henceforth to be called in this policy “volunteers and employees”)—uphold the public trust and act in an ethical manner. These ethical values include integrity, openness, honesty, accountability, fairness, respect, and responsibility.

Girl Scouts of Northern California (GSNorCal) has established a Code of Conduct which requires the highest business standards and personal behavior in all matters regarding the Council, including finance, governance, fundraising, mission operations, legal matters, equal opportunity and employment. We are committed to maintaining a positive, ethical environment for all members, volunteers, parents/caregivers, community partners, employees and supporters.

This Whistleblower Policy works in addition to and in support of GSNorCal’s Code of Conduct, Volunteer Policy, unlawful harassment and discrimination policies, “open door policy” and/or any other grievance procedure, risk and safety policy, anti-child abuse policy, and any applicable state and federal laws governing whistleblowing applicable to nonprofit and charitable organizations. Volunteers and employees are expected to comply with all applicable policies and the law.

Full Whistleblower Policy for Girl Scouts of Northern California (PDF)

Anonymous Whistleblower Hotline

If anyone wants to report a serious concern related to the Council and is not sure who to report to or who wants to report anonymously, that person may use a confidential third party automated telephone and email service which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

Email: TellGirlScoutsNorCal@getintouch.com
Telephone: 1-877-767-7781

Suggested information to include when reporting a concern:

What concern or wrongdoing is being reported?
When did it occur?
Specific location where it occurred?
How the individual(s) committed the alleged wrongdoing?
Why the informant believes the activity to be improper?
What documentation or evidence exists to corroborate the allegations?
Other witnesses (if any) to the alleged wrongdoing.