Family Guide 2021 Girl Scout Cookie Program - Troop # Troop Cookie Manager Phone Email - Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois
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2021 Girl Scout Cookie Program Family Guide Troop # Troop Cookie Manager Phone Email Order Card Due Date Cookie Pick-Up Date Money Due Date Customer care: 800.345.6858 or customercare@gsofsi.org
Encouragement From Our CEO Hello Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois! It’s Girl Scout Cookie Time and I am so excited for you! Here are some words to help you kick off this cookie season. Eraser - this will remind you that it’s okay to make mistakes. We will work and learn together, no matter what it takes. Stickers - this means you should stick together and work hard as a team. Puzzles - shows how your team fits together, working toward a common goal. Bookmark - shows you always have a place and if you feel lost, we will help you find your space. Smarties - are to remind you how smart I think you are. So work hard and do your best! Remember to Aim High! Loretta Graham, CEO Welcome Families! Why should my Girl Scout participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program? The cookie program gives your Girl Scout the ability to power unique opportunities and adventures for herself and her troop while learning to think like an entrepreneur. And you’re the key to her success. With the support, assistance and encouragement of her family, there’s no stopping a Girl Scout! 1
Participating in the cookie program gives girls an entrepreneurial edge! Encouraging an interest in
entrepreneurship builds curiosity, confidence and problem-solving skills - qualities that prepare girls
for academic and career success. As your Girl Scout runs her own cookie business, she’ll gain five skills
along the way that she’ll use the rest of her life. The Cookie Entrepreneur Family pin activity sheet is
designed to help you support her, giving you tips for your cookie entrepreneur. Here’s what girls learn
and why it matters:
Help councils provide Girl Scouts
programs in STEM, the outdoors,
life skills and entrepreneurship,
as well as camps, leadership
training and more!
2
Important Dates
December 19 Digital Cookie sales open for direct-shipped and donation orders ONLY.
January 8 Attend your Service Unit Cookie Rally and get excited about the upcoming Cookie Season!
January 9 Initial order card (in-person) sales begin and girl-delivery option becomes available through Digital Cookie.
January 30 Initial order card (in-person) sales end and girl-delivery option is no longer offered through Digital Cookie.
February 11-16 Pick up your initial order (in-person sales) and girl-delivered cookies from your troop cookie manager.
Be sure to deliver your cookie orders right away! You will be asked to sign a receipt every time you pick up cookies
and/or turn in money. Be sure to keep these receipts for your records.
February 12 - March 14 Cookie Booth sales! Girls can also participate in troop walk-a-bouts to sell.
directly to customers and continue to take orders.
February 19-21 Take advantage of the excitement of National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend with your troop
at a cookie booth sale or troop walk-a-bout.
March 14 Official end date of the 2021 Cookie Program. All money must be submitted to your troop cookie manager
by this date. He/she may ask you to turn in your money prior to this date. Abide by the deadline that he/she gives you.
Late April/Early May Girls receive their cookie program rewards from their troop leader.
Troop Proceeds
How much will your troop earn?
Troop proceeds are based on the troop’s per girl average (PGA). The troop’s PGA is calculated by taking the total
number of boxes sold by the troop, divided by the number of girls selling. All troops earn a base rate of 86 cents
per box! In addition, troops will have the opportunity to earn additional proceeds based off of their troop’s PGA.
Reward Opt Out
PGA Rate Per Package
Girl Scout Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador troops can make a
majority decision to opt out of rewards and earn an additional
220+ 98 Cents 10 cents per package sold.
160-219 92 Cents
Reward levels 1,000 packages and above are non-accumulative. Girls
who sell 2,500 packages will only get to select ONE reward from the
Getting Started
The Cookie Program is so easy! Follow these steps for success:
1. Get ready to kickoff the Cookie Program.
2. Set goals, take orders and track progress.
3. Deliver product.
4. Turn in money on time.
5. Celebrate your success!
1
Get ready to kickoff the Cookie Program.
Your troop or service unit will help your Girl Scout get ready by kicking the Cookie Program off with a
parent meeting or cookie rally. At this meeting, you will receive all of your materials and learn who
your cookie manager is! Make sure you complete an electronic girl/caregiver permission form at
bit.ly/Girl_Caregiver. If a girl’s parents do not reside together, both parents must complete an
electronic permission form to reduce the risk of liability in the event that one parent does not pay.
2
Set goals, take orders and track progress.
When you help girls set high goals for the cookie season, they learn important life skills. Encourage girls
to set two types of goals: something they’d like to try and something they can do to help others. Visit
the activities section of LittleBrownie.com for goal-setting games and crafts. Take orders on the order
card or in Digital Cookie.
3
Deliver Product.
Make sure to fulfill those customer orders as soon as you can - especially Digital Cookie Girl-Delivery.
Customers who have to wait may forget or cancel their order. Check back with your customers as you
get product in hand. They may need a restock!
4
Turn in money on time.
Make sure you turn money in to your troop leader often and get a receipt. Don’t hold on to checks
or cash. Make sure to take customer’s driver’s license information down for all checks. Don’t accept
checks or bills over $20. Consider getting a counterfeit pen to check bills. Remember: you are
responsible for any counterfeit funds or bad checks you receive.
5
Celebrate and share your success!
When girls reach their goals, celebrate! Thank customers, share your stories
or throw a party with her troop.
How the
Cookie
Crumbles
4
Ways to sell
There are many ways to sell Girl Scout Cookies, and each one helps girls gain different skills along the way. Let girls take the
lead in picking how they want to run their businesses.
In person:
• Order cards (1/9-1/30) Paper order cards are used during the initial order phase of the cookie program. With adult
supervision and approval, girls can use their order cards to visit friends, family, and local neighborhoods to take preorders
for their cookies. Girls will then give their order cards to their troop cookie manager by their designated deadline.
• Telephone and text sales Review order cards from previous years and use them to contact customers again. Once cookies
have been delivered, girls may want to call customers to thank them for their orders and ask if they need additional cookies.
• Try a text-a-thon! Older girls may want to text their friends and family to let them know “it’s cookie time!” and to collect
their orders.
• Cookie booths (2/12-3/14) Cookie pop-up sales in areas with lots of foot traffic are a fun way for girls to connect with their
community and practice their sales pitch with new customers. Troop booth locations must be approved by councils and
facilitated within your council jurisdiction. Participants must follow all council guidelines about setting up, running, and taking
down a booth. Girls can also host virtual cookie booths to promote their sites where they make their pitches via video and
direct customers to their Digital Cookie site.
• Direct sales Some troop cookie managers may allow girls to check cookies out to have in hand; no need to keep
customers waiting! Girls can go door-to-door, pull a wagon through their neighborhood, and more (all with help from a parent
or guardian).
• Lemonade Stand Booths are a great way for girls to build teamwork and have fun together, but some girls may opt to host
individual stands, based on their location, schedule, or goals! Follow the booth sales guidelines for setting up a Lemonade
Stand—parents/guardians must get permission from the business in advance.
• Digital sales (12/19-3/14) Use your council-approved online digital platform (Digital Cookie) to reach customers near and
far. Girls can promote their site by emailing friends and family, creating videos to share on social media, and hosting a virtual
cookie booth where they make their pitch online. There are endless ways for girls to get creative in spreading the word about
their Digital Cookie site.
• Gift of Caring Donation program (12/19-3/14) Customers who don’t want to purchase cookies for themselves or want
other ways to support girls, can donate cookies to a local hero. Customers can support the donation program through any of
the above selling methods. Read more about our Gift of Caring program on page 7.
site.
5
Digital Cookie is a GSUSA approved web platform that girls use to expand their cookie business! Every registered girl sets up her Digital Cookie
account and participates online! Customers purchase cookies through Digital Cookie to be shipped to their homes or to be delivered by the girl.
All Digital Cookie orders are paid for with credit card by the customer, so there are no funds to collect!
Digital Order Card Login: digitalcookie.girlscouts.org
DOC Username: Password:
Tips for Digital Cookie:
You will receive these cookies with your initial order and should deliver to customers right away. There is no money to collect,
since orders are paid for online with a credit card! Girls can only have one Digital Cookie account. Separated caregivers are
encouraged to work together to manage one Digital Cookie account for their Girl Scout. Work with your troop cookie manager
to get the cookies to fulfill any girl delivered orders through Digital Cookie. Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois cannot delete or change
an order once it’s approved. Therefore - you must be willing to deliver to the customer before you approve their order. Girls must
approve their customers’ orders within five days of the order being placed or the order will default to the customers’ second
choice - either cancellation or donation. Check your email and digital orders regularly to approve those sales!
Online Marketing Guidelines:
Girls should never share their last names, addresses, or any contact information when marketing their products. Online
marketing should always be done with accounts set to private. Girls can only market their online storefront to friends and family:
people that the girl or family personally know. Girl Scouts forbids selling on storefronts or websites like Craigslist, eBay, Facebook,
Amazon or sale groups where the Girl Scout does not know all the members. Digital Cookie storefronts may be deactivated if we
find girls selling cookies in ways that are unsafe. Adding a $ (dollar sign) to a post on your personal page will automatically move it
to FB marketplace, which is not allowed. Girl safety is our number one priority.
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Gift of Caring
December 19 - March 14
The Gift of Caring program offers customers who do not wish to purchase
cookies due to restricted diets or New Year’s resolutions the chance to
donate cookies! The Gift of Caring program provides current and veteran
U.S. military members delicious Girl Scout treats as a gesture of
appreciation for their service. Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is once again
sponsoring H.E.R.O.E.S. Care. Cookies purchased through the Gift of Caring
program will be sent to U.S. military service members serving overseas as
well as military organizations in our area. Last year Girl Scouts of Southern
Illinois donated almost 18,000 cookie packages!
Simply collect orders and payments for the
donated packages and mark the donation column
on the order card. Girls can collect donations
throughout the entire Cookie Program. Any donated
cookies purchased through Digital Cookie will
automatically go toward the Gift of Caring program.
H.E.R.O.E.S. Care
is an area non-profit agency designed to provide
complete and proactive support for members of all
branches of the military and their families through
pre-deployment, deployment, family reintegration,
and post-deployment.
Business Gift of Caring
February 1 - March 14
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois’ Gift of Caring program is a great way for area businesses to send a taste of home
and a message of encouragement to current and veteran U.S. military.
Girls may approach businesses to ask them if they would like to be a corporate sponsor for Girl Scouts of Southern
Illinois’ Business Gift of Caring Program. Businesses will choose which level of sponsorship they prefer. The businesses
or girl will then turn in the appropriate paperwork to council. The Product Program Team will enter the cookies into
eBudde for girls to receive reward credit. Ask your troop cookie manager for a Business Gift of Caring form or print
one off of our website gsofsi.org under forms.
7
Cookie Booth Sales
February 12 - March 14
Request a list of booth sale dates and guidelines from your
troop cookie manager to be sure you are informed.
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois highly encourages girls to proudly wear their Girl Scout vests when out
at cookie booths. We want to represent our council in the best way possible and we want to have
fun while we do it. Make sure to check out the awesome 2021 cookie season merchandise in the Girl
Scouts of Southern Illinois shop! If you can’t make it into the shop to get your gear - you can use our
council’s online shop 24/7! Visit gsofsi.org and click “Shop” for more information!
Remember, you represent all Girl Scouts to customers and the public. It’s vital that all girls and adults
act appropriately.
Check with your troop cookie manager about upcoming troop cookie booth promotions and incentives
for participating girls.
Money & Receipting
Caregivers are financially responsible for all cookies received and all money received from customers.
Checks- verify with your troop leader regarding accepting checks from customers.
Handling money is a serious matter and any misuse of girl funds collected is a criminal offense.
Parents with outstanding funds owed to the troop will be reported to council for collections.
Check with your troop leader to see if your service unit requires cookie payments up front or at the
time of delivery. All Digital Cookie orders are paid for by credit card at the time of the order.
Do not keep large amounts of cash laying around. Make frequent visits to your troop cookie manager
to give him/her money to take to the bank.
Stay organized! Every time that you pick up cookies from your troop cookie manager and/or give him/her money, be sure to get a receipt. Keep
all of your receipts for your records. Do not take cookies from your troop cookie manager or give him/her money without also receiving a receipt in
return.
Remember: Cookies cannot be returned or exchanged. Caregivers are financially responsible for all cookies ordered.
You are responsible for lost or stolen funds.
Any in-person cookie donations made should be accounted for and the funds turned in with your other payments.
Ask your troop leader or troop cookie manager about getting the CloverGo app set up on their phones to accept
credit card payments in person.
Differences between a Lemonade Stand and a Booth Sale:
Lemonade Stands are set up on the property where the girl or a close family member resides, as their city, homeowner’s association and/or
property management permits.
At a Lemonade Stand, if a girl is accompanied by her own parent/guardian, that adult is not required to be a registered Girl Scout volunteer.
Remember to never leave cookies or money unattended.
When a troop hosts a booth sale, the cookies come from the troop’s inventory. Any cookies not sold still belong to the troop. When a girl hosts a
Lemonade Stand, she must use cookies that have been transferred from the troop to the girl. Any leftover cookies belong to the girl and cannot
be returned to the troop.
Lemonade Stands cannot be held in the same location as a council- or troop-secured booth.
The purpose of Lemonade Stands is to give girls more opportunities to achieve their goals, not to replace the team effort of Booth Sales!
8
Girl Scout Juliettes
Independent girls, known as Juliettes, may participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, learn business skills, and earn
rewards! Juliettes cannot have a troop account; therefore, proceeds will be calculated on a per box range and will be
distributed in the form of a council reward card (Cookie Dough).
Daisy - Ambassador Cadette - Ambassador
Total Packages Sold
(w/ Rewards) (NO Rewards)
12-24 $10 $15
25-49 $20 $25
50-74 $35 $40
75-99 $55 $60
100-124 $75 $80
125-149 $95 $100
150-174 $115 $120
175-199 $135 $140
200-224 $155 $160
225-249 $175 $180
250-274 $195 $200
275-299 $215 $220
300-324 $235 $240
325-349 $255 $260
Starting at 350 packages, every 25 package increment, the cookie dough card amount will increase by $20 for both
the reward and no reward option.
Ways to sell as a Juliette: *See page 5 for more details about the different ways to sell.
In person:
• Order cards (1/9-1/30): Juliette Girl Scouts will give their order cards and money to their service unit cookie manager by their designated
deadline. *Juliette Girl Scouts may also turn their money into the council office; arrangements should be made with the product program
department prior to January 30th.
• Juliette initial order and Digital girl-delivered orders will be delivered with the service unit’s initial order cookies. Please contact your service
unit cookie manager for cookie delivery dates and pick up times.
• Cookie booths (2/12-3/14): Juliette Girl Scouts can continue to sell after initial order (order card sales) ends by participating in a booth
sale, lemonade stand or in a walk-about sale.
• Juliette Cookie Booth Requirements:
• Participate with another Juliette in your service unit.
• Participate with a troop booth sale, sales will then be divided evenly.
• Lemonade Stands: A Juliette Girl Scout may host a “Lemonade Stand”-style booth, provided she is supervised by her own parent/guardian,
OR another registered adult female volunteer.
• Digital sales (12/19-3/14)
• Gift of Caring Donation program (12/19-3/14)
How do Juliette Girl Scouts get more cookies?
• Juliette Girl Scouts may place a cookie cupboard pick up order with their service unit cookie manager.
• Any additional cookie orders must be paid for before more cookies can be picked up.
910
Girl Scout Cookie
Food Allergen Guide (2020-2021)
2021 Cookie
Crossover Patch
It Starts With Goals To Earn:
• Create your avatar in the Fall
• Send 15+ emails in the Fall
What are you hoping to Things I Want to Accomplish: • Sell 250+ packages of cookies
accomplish in your during the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie Program
Girl Scout journey?
Do you want to camp, Helpful Resources
travel, earn a specific
badge, attend a Girl Scouts Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois
- Diamonds event? gsofsi.org
These are all great things you Everything council-related: dates, tips,
can do through the Cookie information, help and more!
Program!
Little Brownie Bakers
littlebrowniebakers.com
The official baker of Girl Scout Cookies! You’ll
Take this space to list What EXCITES Me About Girl Scouts: find information, fun and games for girls.
some things that EXCITE you
about Girl Scouts! Make sure Girl Scout Cookie Finder
to share with your troop. https://bit.ly/gsofsifindcookies
Find the nearest Girl Scout Cookie booth
by zip code.
Digital Cookie
digitalcookie.girlscouts.org
Cookie portal for girls to create their online store
front, set goals, track sales, and email customers.You can also read
