It’s more than money. It’s the lifelong skills that girls learn by doing and the confidence they build doing it. The Cookie Program helps girls develop skills in five areas: Goal Setting, Decision Making, Money Management, People Skills and Business Ethics. These are essential skills needed to successfully navigate life—whether working on a high-school science project team, running a household, being a project manager or a company CEO. Not many organizations offer these key business skills to girls. Girl Scouting does, with the largest girl-led business in the world! We’re excited to share an update on the 2014 Cookie Program with you. 

The cost is still $ 4 a package. We’ll continue to offer the six most popular cookies: Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Samoas, Do-Si-Dos, Trefoils and Savannah Smiles.

» Cookies will be available at the start of the Cookie Program. So girls can sell to neighbors, friends and families, with cookies in hand. That means just one step to sell, deliver and collect money. Saving time for busy families! 

» Instant cookie gratification! Customers won’t have to wait for cookies to be delivered. And girls can circle back to customers before the end of the sale to sell them a few more boxes.

» Shorter cookie sale. The overall sales time is consolidated into just six weeks, making it easier for girls and volunteers to participate. 

» Increased sales. Selling with cookies in hand has been successfully piloted in other Councils. They saw sales increase by at least 15% over prior year. Last year, our sales only increased by 1.3%.

» Girls can still use order forms, if they choose. But now girls can also use them as a cookie sales record that can be kept from year to year, so girls can build their customer base. 

» In 2014 and 2015, all Council proceeds from cookie sales over 3 million packages will go to fund Camp Sombrero. 

» This year’s goal for cookie sales is 3,300,000 packages. By reaching our goal, $630,000 would be used to support the transformation of Camp Sombrero into the Leadership Center for Girls and Women. 

» The idea to use a portion of cookie sales to support Camp Sombrero came out of the girl-led Annual Meeting in April and was approved by the Board of Directors in June. 

» Using the cookie sales to support our Campaign for Girls in Arizona is a great way our Girl Scouts and their families can help make this dream a reality.

» January 8 – Initial Troop orders due. To help with this, each troop will be provided with a suggested initial order based on their goals and last year’s sale.

» January 25 & 26 – Cookie delivery to Troops.

» January 27 to March 9 – Cookie sales begin in neighborhoods with cookies in hand. Boothing at local stores begins at the same time. Booth selections will begin in December.