If you have a moment, watch the latest Girl Scout What Can a Cookie Do? video for an inspiring look into
just how powerful those treats—and the girls who sell them—can be.
Council-sponsored product sales are really the best way for girls to earn money to pursue their goals:
the sales are beloved by the community and come with program, sales, and marketing materials and
support that help girls run a great business. And they’re an integral part of the GSLE. With every season
of cookies, another generation of girls learns five important skills:
● Goal setting
● Decision making
● Money management
● People skills
● Business ethics
And most of all, girls gain a tremendous amount of confidence. It’s not easy to ask people to buy
something—you have to speak up, look them in the eye, and believe in what you’re doing—all skills that
help a girl succeed now and throughout the rest of her life.
GSWPA At-A-Glance for Product Sales
MagNut Program
First week in October- MagNut order taking begins
First week in November- Troop places nut and candy orders
Mid-November - Nut and Candy delivered
Mid-December- ACH Payment due
Mid-December- Recognitions shipped to Service Units
Cookie Program
January 8- Cookie order taking begins
End of January- Girl orders due
Mid-February- Delivery
First day after delivery to mid-March- Booth sales
Mid-March- First ACH payment due
End of March- Second ACH payment due
By May 1- Recognitions shipped to Service Units
A Sweet Tradition
It has been more than 90 years since Girl Scouts began selling home-baked cookies to raise money. The
idea was so popular that, in 1936, Girl Scouts enlisted bakers to handle the growing demand.
Two commercial bakers are currently licensed by Girl Scouts of the USA to produce Girl Scout
Cookies—Little Brownie Bakers and ABC/Interbake Foods—and each council selects the baker of its
choice. Each baker gets to name its own cookies (which is why some cookies have two names) and
gets to decide which flavors it will offer in a given year, besides the three mandatory flavors (Thin Mints,
Do-Si-Dos®/Peanut Butter Sandwich, and Trefoils/Shortbread). For additional information on cookie
varieties, including nutritional details, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org.