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Learning to think like an entrepreneur? Developing business smarts? Getting to know customers and building lasting relationships? There’s so much more to that package of Thin Mints®.
Whether they participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program or the Girl Scout Fall Product Program (or both!), Girl Scouts learn things that prepare them to take on the world. Plus, Girl Scout Cookie proceeds stay in your local community to power amazing year-round experiences that broaden Girl Scouts' worlds and spark their sense of wonder.
Five Essential Skills 
Girl Scouts as young as five develop five essential skills through the Girl Scout Cookie Program that will help them be successful today and throughout their lives:
- Goal Setting. Girl Scouts learn to create a plan to reach their goals.
- Decision Making. Girl Scouts learn to make decisions on their own and as a team.
- Money Management. Girl Scouts learn to create a budget and handle money.
- People Skills. Girl Scouts find their voice and up their confidence through customer interactions that build relationships.
- Business Ethics. Girl Scouts learn to act responsibly and honestly, both in business and in life.
But building their business know-how isn’t just tied to the cookies themselves! Girl Scouts at any level can continue honing their entrepreneurial skills by earning the Cookie Business badges, Cookie Entrepreneur Family Pin, and the Financial Literacy badges year over year.
Before your entrepreneurs open shop, be sure to check out the cookie section of your council’s website and our helpful troop leader resources that will empower you to:
- Manage your troop’s funds.
- Learn how Girl Scouts participate in money earning activities.
- Discover how your troop can reach its financial goals.
- Plan activities to help Girl Scouts earn cookie pins and badges.
- Understand just how much your Girl Scouts are capable of and how their entrepreneurial skills progress.
Girl Scout Cookie History
What started with Girl Scouts selling home-baked cookies to raise money grew into enlisting professional bakers in 1936 to handle the growing demand—and the rest is history. Explore Girl Scout Cookie History to find out how cookies have helped build generations of female entrepreneurs and leaders who make the world a better place.
Where Cookie Proceeds Go
After paying for the cost of cookies and materials, Girl Scout Cookie proceeds stay local and help councils provide Girl Scout programs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), the outdoors, life skills, entrepreneurship, and more—in camps, through leadership training, and multiple other ways. A portion of the proceeds is directly managed by Girl Scouts, and it’s up to them to decide how to invest their troop’s share of the earnings.
Your council will provide a breakdown of how cookie program proceeds support Girl Scout activities locally. Please share this information with Girl Scouts and their families so everyone understands that product programs support your local council.
Troop members share in the proceeds from successful product programs; proceeds are not distributed to individual members. Girl Scouts, however, may be eligible for rewards and credits that they put toward council-sponsored camps, programs, and store related credits, or travel experiences. The council plan for rewards applies equally to all participants in the product program activity. Visit the cookie section of your council’s website for more information about individual rewards and troop proceeds locally.
Girl Scouts’ Blue Book of Basic Documents (“Owners of Assets”) specifies: “All money and other assets, including property, that are raised, earned, or otherwise received in the name of and for the benefit of Girl Scouting must be held and authorized by a Girl Scout council or Girl Scouts of the USA. Such money and other assets must be used for the purposes of Girl Scouting.”
Making s’mores under the stars, creating a lasting impact in your community, or ordering supplies for an eye-opening STEM project… There are limitless ways to put troop proceeds toward dynamic Girl Scout experiences! There are a few things, however, that don’t qualify as “purposes of Girl Scouting”—for instance, using troop proceeds to purchase memberships or uniforms for another organization. We encourage all councils to remind their volunteers of this policy in order to avoid diversion of Girl Scout funds.
Your Council's Role
When you are set up for success, you are better able to set up your girls for success! That’s why every year, your council provides trainings, guidelines, and procedures for conducting the Girl Scout Cookie Program and fall product program and determines how the proceeds and product rewards system will be managed. Check the cookie section of your GSHH's website to find the answers you need as well as local trainings and resources.
Each council also selects the vendors of its choice to provide the products for their product programs. Two commercial bakers are licensed by Girl Scouts of the USA to produce Girl Scout Cookies: Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers. Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson uses Little Brownie Bakers.
You can also Meet the Cookies and find additional info on cookie varieties, including nutritional details.
Councils also work with vendors to offer magazine subscriptions, nut and candy products, and more for the fall product program. Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson works with the vendors Trophy Nut, and M2 Media Group. Each provides online tools and activities for girls to download. Magazine selection and sales may take place online—check with Product Sales Managers at Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson for more details.
Each council also selects the vendors of its choice to provide the products for their product programs. Two commercial bakers are licensed by Girl Scouts of the USA to produce Girl Scout Cookies: Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers. You can also Meet the Cookies and find additional info on cookie varieties, including nutritional details.
Councils also work with vendors to offer magazine subscriptions, nut and candy products, and more for the fall product program. These companies are Ashdon Farms, Trophy Nut, and M2 Media Group. M2 Media Group provides online tools and activities for Girl Scouts. Check with your council for more details.
Your Role
You help Girl Scouts develop the five essential skills and think like entrepreneurs. Your key actions are to:
- Motivate participation.
- Get Girl Scouts excited about supporting the troop, while keeping participation voluntary.
- Help them choose from the menu of ways to participate in the Cookie Program.
- Support goal setting.
- Encourage both confident and hesitant sellers to set meaningful personal goals.
- Foster family partnerships for success; introduce the Cookie Entrepreneur Family Pin as a resource.
- Guide sales opportunities.
- Inform Girl Scouts about options: individual sales (in-person and online) and cookie booths.
- Ensure cookie booth locations follow council safety guidelines.
- Shift your role as opportunities grow.
- Move from hands-on involvement to oversight and support.
- Remember, volunteers and caregivers don’t sell; Girl Scouts lead the effort.
- Manage finances and records.
- Establish a clear accounting system for proceeds and products.
- Keep excellent records and copies of receipts; track all inventory.
- For older Girl Scouts, supervise as they learn record-keeping skills.
- Attend product program trainings to learn systems and tools.
- Build a support network.
- Reach out to your service unit product program manager if you need help.
- Consider forming a cookie team to share responsibilities.
Product Program Safety
Safety is the top priority while selling Girl Scout Cookies and other products. Volunteers, families, and girls should be familiar with and practice the safety guidelines outlined in local program resources as well as those available in the troop leader resources section of girlscoutcookies.org and in Safety Activity Checkpoints.
If an accident or incident takes place during your Girl Scout activity, document and report the incident using the GSHH Accident/Incident Report Form and submit it Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson’s Member Care team within 3 days. You can reach Member Care at (855) 232- GSHH (4744) or membercare@girlscoutshh.org.
Selling Cookies Online
Will your troop use the Digital Cookie® platform to manage its cookie business? Check the specific guidelines provided by each cookie vendor before participating. Before girls begin selling online, they should partner with their troop leader and families to learn how to safely run their business online.
A few more online safety practices to keep in mind:
The Girl Scout Cookie Program is a girl-led program; a Girl Scout should always lead online marketing and sales efforts, with the supervision of her parent or caregiver.
Girl Scouts engaging in online sales and marketing must review and apply the Digital Marketing Tips for Cookie Entrepreneurs and Their Families.
Girls, volunteers and parents must review and adhere to the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge, the Digital Cookie Pledge, the Supplemental Safety Tips for Online Marketing, and Girl Scouts’ Safety Activity Checkpoints for Computer and Internet Use and Cookie and Product Sales (with the exception that they may share beyond friends and family).
Girl sales links should never be posted to resale sites (Craigslist, eBay, Facebook Marketplace etc.).
Girls must adhere to all terms and conditions on Digital Cookie and Smart Cookie platforms. For copies of terms and conditions, please contact GSUSA, ABC, or M2 as needed.
Girl Scouts of the USA reserves the right to remove or disable the link for any reason including violation of guidance, inventory fulfillment issues, safety issues, or if sales and marketing activity goes viral and otherwise creates unanticipated disruption.
Additionally, families, girls, and volunteers should contact and collaborate with their councils and Girl Scouts of the USA in advance on any national news media opportunities tied to girls online marketing and sales efforts.
The Buddy System
Using the buddy system, the troop is divided into teams of two. Each Girl Scout is responsible for staying with her buddy at all times, warning her buddy of danger, giving her buddy immediate assistance if safe to do so, and seeking help if needed. Girls are encouraged to stay near the group or buddy with another team of two so that in the event someone is injured, one person cares for the patient while two others seek help.
Supervising Girl Scouts While Selling
Remember to always incorporate the buddy system when Girl Scouts engage in product sales. Girl Scouts should not sell or deliver cookies alone.
Adults should provide supervision and guidance for all program levels, and must accompany Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors when they’re selling, taking orders, and delivering products. Adults oversee Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors and must be aware of how, when, and where they’re selling products. In addition, an adult must be readily available to Girl Scouts when they’re participating in product programs. This can be accomplished by having an adult present with them or by having an adult and Girl Scouts exchange telephone numbers.
Preparing for Your Girl Scout Cookie Booth
Cookie booths—that is, cookie pop-up shops in areas with lots of foot traffic—are a fun way for Girl Scouts to connect with their community and practice their sales pitch with new customers. Booth locations must be approved by councils, facilitated within council jurisdiction, and participants must follow all council guidelines regarding setting up, running, and taking down a booth.
Common types of cookie booths include:
Cookie stand
A small lemonade-stand-style booth run by a Girl Scout (or Girl Scouts from one household), supervised by their parent/caregiver(s). For safety reasons, two adults are recommended.
Drive-thru
Set up in a parking lot or open area; customers stay in their vehicles.
Troops should create a safe lane and keep Girl Scouts away from traffic.
Typically run by a larger group of Girl Scouts, with appropriate adult supervision.
Standard booth
Set up at the entrance or exit of a business or retailer.
Usually run by 2-4 girls, with the appropriate adult supervision.
You can use the below rubric to help you determine whether a given site would make for a successful cookie booth location. (These are best practices, but councils reserve the right to deny a location for any reason.) Remember to follow council guidelines for requesting and approving cookie booth sites.
Must-haves |
Nice-to-haves |
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|
Booth should have at least one of the following |
Exact booth setup location must be one of these options |
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Encourage your Girl Scouts to unleash their creativity—and work on their advertising skills—in making colorful signs and booth decorations that potential customers can’t resist! Remind them to be polite and to have their sales pitch ready for interested customers.
And keep in mind:
Booths where any Girl Scout is not accompanied by their own parent/caregiver require two registered, background-checked Girl Scout volunteers.
Cookie booths at which all members are under the direct supervision of their own parent/caregiver do not require adults to be registered, background-checked Girl Scout volunteers.
Best practice would be to have two adults present in case of accidents or necessary breaks.
Parents/caregivers are encouraged to register as volunteers to help support the full experience.
Certain locations may be inappropriate for younger Girl Scouts based on the standards of your community and could negatively impact the cookie program experience for Girl Scouts and/or negatively impact the Girl Scout brand in the community. For example, Girl Scouts should not sell cookies in or in front of establishments that they themselves cannot legally patronize.
Additionally, with respect to marijuana dispensaries, we have been steadfastly combating unauthorized uses of the Girl Scout trademark by the cannabis community, which has been marketing—without our authorization—certain cannabis products under our youth-appealing brand. We continue to aggressively fight these unauthorized uses of the Girl Scout brand and hope that our councils and volunteers will join Girl Scouts of the USA’s efforts by discouraging cookie booths at such locations.
Retail sales without Girl Scouts present are not approved by GSUSA. Councils, troops, and Girl Scouts may not sell cookies in a retail space where Girl Scouts cannot be present to market and manage inventory and collect and process payment for cookies. Store employees and/or adults cannot sell cookies on behalf of a Girl Scout or troop.
Daisies are still learning how to make correct change. Help them handle money as needed, but remember that Girl Scouts make all sales at the booth!
Keep your customers in the loop and update your baker’s software system if you need to cancel or are unable to attend a cookie booth. If not, customers could be routed to cancelled booths as all scheduled booths are available on GSUSA’s Cookie Finder!
For more tips to make your booth a success, check out our Cookie Booth Essentials (Spanish version). For additional information about setting up a booth and safety and security suggestions, consult your council’s guidelines.
Contact your council for information on reporting any cookie sale-related incidents.
Cookie Donation Programs
Cookies also help Girl Scouts make a big impact in their community! Your council may have an established cookie donation program where customers can purchase cookies that will be donated to an organization by your council. Encourage your troop members to let customers know about these programs—it’s a great way for customers to give back to their community, too!
With cookie donations, remember that:
- All cookie donation programs must be approved by your council.
- Donated cookies must stay within the council jurisdiction unless your council has the approval from other council jurisdictions.
- Donated products cannot be resold and must be used in a responsible and ethical way.
- Donated products must be used in a way that does not undermine the work of councils or jeopardize the integrity of the Girl Scout brand.
Handling Product Complaints
Girl Scout Cookies are well loved and for good reason—it has always been the practice of Girl Scout councils and the bakers to guarantee customer satisfaction with their delicious cookies. If a customer is not satisfied with the quality of their cookies for some reason, they can contact the baker via the phone number printed on the side of the cookie package.
Troops should notify their council if they are aware of any customer dissatisfaction. Call or email Member Care at 1-855-232-GSHH (4744) or membercare@girlscoutshh.org.
Recognizing Cookie Sellers in the Media
The Girl Scout Cookie Program has always emphasized entrepreneurial outcomes. It has never been about and does not focus on individual sales results. With this in mind, know that:
- There are many impressive cookie entrepreneurs throughout the U.S., and the Girl Scout Movement will continue to recognize dynamic cookie entrepreneurs for various achievements tied to the Girl Scout Cookie Program and through their participation in Girl Scouts.
- Girl Scouts of the USA does not currently track the top seller(s) of Girl Scout Cookies on a national level and does not identify a specific Girl Scout as the number one or “record-breaking” national cookie seller.
- Girl Scout councils should not reference such individuals as “top sellers” in the media. Doing so detracts from the essence of the Girl Scout Cookie Program, which is based on offering members important experiences in entrepreneurship, business, and finance from an early age as well as providing Girl Scouts and local Girl Scout councils with the funds necessary to power amazing experiences and opportunities for Girl Scouts year-round.
- A Girl Scout’s or troop’s sales link should not be highlighted when speaking to the media. All calls to action should be directed to the Girl Scout Cookie Finder or a council’s own cookie finder/map and not a specific individual or troop.
- Volunteers, parents/caregivers, and Girl Scouts may not secure paid media to enhance a troop’s or individual’s positioning in the media.
© Copyright 2009–2026 Girl Scouts of the United States of America. All rights reserved. All information and material contained in Girl Scouts’ Volunteer Essentials guide (“Material”) is provided by Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) and is intended to be educational material solely to be used by Girl Scout volunteers and council staff. Reproduction, distribution, compiling, or creating derivative works of any portion of the Material or any use other than noncommercial uses as permitted by copyright law is prohibited, unless explicit, prior authorization by GSUSA in writing was granted. GSUSA reserves its exclusive right in its sole discretion to alter, limit, or discontinue the Material at any time without notice.
