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Frequently
Asked Questions
About Girl Scout Cookies
Q:
How can I purchase Girl Scout cookies®?
A: The best way to purchase
Girl Scout cookies® is from local Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts
in Southern Arizona will be
taking orders beginning January 12, 2008. February 13 through March 17 Girl
Scouts will be delivering cookies to customers and
collecting money. Beginning February 21 you can find Girl Scouts selling
cookies at booths in front of local stores. Beginning in January
if a girl hasn't contacted you, please call the
Cookie Hotline at 520-319-3163 or 1-800-331-6782, ext. 3163
during those dates.
If you don't live in Southern
Arizona, check
http://www.girlscouts.org/councilfinder/ to find out how to
contact your local council.
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Cookie Revenue
Q:
When I buy Girl Scout cookies, where does the money go?
A: With every purchase all of the proceeds stay in the local Girl Scout council to provide a portion of the resources needed to support Girl Scouting in that area, including a portion that goes directly to the troop/group selling the cookies.
Only the cost of the cookies goes directly to the baker to pay for the cookies.
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Q:
How does the cookie revenue benefit girls?
A: All of the revenue — every penny after paying the baker — earned from cookie activities stays with the local Girl Scout council that sponsors the sale, including a portion that goes directly to the troop selling cookies. Councils use their cookie revenue to supply essential services to troops, groups, and individual girls, such as providing program resources and communication support, training adult volunteers, and conducting special events. The Girl Scout council's volunteer board of directors:
- Chooses the baker.
- Determines the price per box.
- Decides how this revenue will be used to provide vital services — such as leader recruitment and training and operation of camps and service centers — and other indirect expenses.
- Decides how much money will be returned to troops selling cookies for their projects and activities.
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Q:
Is the purchase of Girl Scout cookies® tax-deductible?
A: No and Yes.
* No, if the customer keeps the cookies. Individuals who buy Girl Scout cookies® and take the cookies home, or consume them, have purchased a product at a fair market value. For this reason, no part of the price of a box of Girl Scout cookies used in this way is tax-deductible.
* Yes, if the customer leaves the cookies with Girl Scouts. Many Girl Scouts ask customers to pay for one or more boxes of cookies for use in their community service project, for example, collecting for a food pantry. The customers not receiving any Girl Scout cookies® do not benefit directly from paying for them. Those individuals may treat the purchase price of the donated cookies as a charitable contribution.
Individuals with specific questions should seek advice from a tax accountant.
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Q: Does any part of the cookie revenue go to support organizations other than Girl Scouts?
A: No. Absolutely none of the money from any Girl Scout council-sponsored cookie sale is given to any other group.
All of the revenue — every penny after paying for the cookies — from all cookie sale activities supports the local Girl Scout council where the cookies are sold, including a portion that goes directly to the troop/group selling cookies. The purpose of selling cookies is to help girls develop a wide range of skills and to generate revenue to support Girl Scouting locally.
All of the proceeds from the sale of Girl Scout cookies® goes to support girls in Girl Scouting. No money is given to any organization other than Girl Scouts.
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Selling Girl Scout Cookies®
Q: Who can sell Girl Scout cookies®?
A: Only Brownie, Junior, Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts may sell Girl Scout cookies®. Participation in this Girl Scout program activity is voluntary.
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Q: Can girls earn any awards from participating in cookie activities?
A: As part of their experience, Girl Scouts can earn these age-appropriate awards:
- Cookies Count (a Brownie Girl Scout Try-It)
- The Cookie Connection (a Junior Girl Scout badge)
- Cookies and Dough (a Cadette and Senior Girl Scout Interest Project award)
- Girl Scout Cookie Activity pin
- Cookie
Biz, Junior Girl Scout Badge
-
Smart
Cookie, Brownie Girl Scout Try-It
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Q: Can I purchase Girl Scout cookies® online?
A: For safety and security reasons, Girl Scouts of the USA's National Board of Directors adopted an online sales policy that reads in part:
"Sales on a Web site on the Internet* of any products sold in 'council-sponsored product
programs,' such as Girl Scout cookies®, candy, nuts, calendars or magazine subscriptions, may not be conducted by anyone at anytime."
* "Sales on the Internet include online auctions, broadcast e-mail messages, and/or posting on individual Girl Scout, troop/group or Girl Scout council Web sites."
Girl Scouts can use e-mail to let family and friends know they are selling cookies.
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Product Information
Q: Who bakes Girl Scout cookies®?
A: Two commercial bakers are licensed by the national Girl Scout organization, Girl Scouts of the USA, to produce Girl Scout cookies®: ABC/Interbake Foods* and Little Brownie Bakers*.
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Q: Who selects the cookie varieties?
A: Licensed bakers can offer up to eight varieties of Girl Scout cookies®; only three types are mandatory: Thin Mints, Peanut Butter
Sandwich/Do-si-dos™ and Shortbread/Trefoils. The national Girl Scout organization reviews and approves all varieties proposed by the bakers. Any of the five optional cookies can be changed every year. Each bakery names its own cookies, so Girl Scout cookies that are quite similar may have different names.
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Q: What are the
sizes and quantities of Girl Scout cookies®?
A: Girl Scout cookies® are sold by weight, not by size or number. The number and size of cookies may vary by variety. The national Girl Scout organization, Girl Scouts of the USA, monitors the weights of the cookies, which are set by contract.
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Q: Are all Girl Scout cookies® kosher?
A: Yes. All Girl Scout cookies® are kosher.
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Q: What are the best-selling Girl Scout cookies®?
A: Our biggest sellers are:
Thin Mints 25%
Samoas® 19%
Tagalongs® 13%
Do-si-dos™ 11%
Trefoils 9%
The other varieties combined account for the remaining 23%.
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Q: Where can I find recipes using Girl Scout cookies®?
A: Check out the Web sites of these two licensed bakers:
ABC/Interbake
Foods
Little Brownie
Bakers
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Q: What if I'm not satisfied with my cookies?
A: Contact the Cookie
Hotline at 520-319-3163 or 1-800-331-6782, ext. 3163. Volunteers or staff at the council will be glad to help you.
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Q: Who are the girls on the Girl Scout cookie® boxes?
A: All of the girls pictured on the boxes are registered Girl Scouts. Every box shows Girl Scouts — in action — having fun and growing strong.
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