Family Cookie Guide

Let’s hear it from the girls... Meet a few Badgerland cookie entrepreneurs!

Dyuthi M.

I wanted to exceed my goal of 400 boxes, and that desire to sell more than I planned got me motivated. Something I got better at was my math skills because you need to be on your toes while calculating how much the customer owes and giving change.

Anne M.

One of my favorite cookie season memories is dancing with my mom while doing a cookie booth!

Addison B.

One tip to share is that you should never be scared to go for your dreams and don’t let people drag you down and get in your way of fulfilling your dreams. Another tip is don’t be afraid to be in public and sell cookies. Everybody loves a Girl Scout!

Quinn T.

I’m better at talking to people now and not as shy.

ShaKyra K.

Most of my sales come from people I’ve never met. With so much going on in the world, cookie sales made me see kindness is out there!!

Etta

K.

Someone bought 20 boxes at once from my booth! My tip? Book lots of booths.

Samantha N.

Here’s my hack to being a (long-time) top cookie seller: Just get out there and give it your all!

Saniya G.

Many people said NO, and so many people said YES. So, I learned to take the No’s better. And I learned about $2 bills; I didn’t know those existed.

Autumn S.

Selling Girl Scout cookies has helped me with feeling more comfortable talking to people. The best experience for me as a Girl Scout is trying new things and getting badges with the other girls in my troop.

Girl Scout Cookie Time March 4 - April 9

Your Family Cookie Calendar

JANUARY

Midmonth

Your troop leaders will invite you to the Troop Cookie Family Meeting. It’s important to go!

Attend the Badgerland Family Cookie Forum. It’s online and you’ll learn a lot.

Jan. 29

FEBRUARY

Feb. 11

Feb. 12

Late Month

MARCH

NEW Family cookie training is in gsLearn, too.

Attend the Fin-ancial themed programs to get your Girl Scout ready for the Cookie Program (Page 11)

You will receive cookies to sell AND an order form to take orders and deliver later if you wish to sell that way

March 1

March 4

BEFORE March 22

APRIL

Sunday, April 9

MAY

Late May

Set up her Smart Cookies digital store. You will get an email invitation the first week of March that includes a link to register her Smart Cookies account. The email will come from ‘noreply@abcsmartcookies.com’.

Cookie Program Begins! Girls may begin selling cookies.

Let your troop leader know if you need more cookies or have extras to return.

Cookie sale ends. Keep selling until your inventory is at zero.

Troop leaders distribute Girl Rewards. Badgerland will mail Adventure Point rewards and Badgerland Bucks cards to girls.

Attend (or help host) a Cookie Rally in your Service Unit community before cookie season starts. If no community cookie kickoff is scheduled in your area, we’ll help you plan one! Contact us or visit the Cookies page on the website.

Ways to Sell Cookies

Your family will decide the best way to participate in the cookie sale. Girls in the same troop do not have to sell the same way.

• DIRECT SALE

Go door-to-door in your neighborhood and sell to family and friends.

• BOOTHS

Troops sell lots of cookies setting up a card table at high-traffic businesses.

• ONLINE

Set up her Smart Cookies store and customers can order that way. Local customers can choose for her to deliver their cookies in person and far-away customers can pay to have them shipped.

• TAKE ORDERS

You’ll have a cookie order sheet and collect orders from family and friends and then deliver them to customers in April.

This year's Cookie Mascot is the Dolphin encouraging girls to Go Bright Ahead swimming toward their goals and dreams. Rewards are dolphin themed.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS YEAR

THE ACTUAL COOKIES

Raspberry Rally are brand new cookies. Only sold online with direct shipment. Girl Scouts will not have Raspberry Rally cookies available to sell in person. They are available in her online store. Did we mention they’re super fruity, crispy, and yummy!

Shortbread cookies are now Trefoils

Same recipe. Same shape. New name. It tastes the same but it’s now named Trefoils because that’s the shape!

Updated Caramel Chocolate Chip Recipe

The gluten-free cookie is now made without eggs or butter and still gluten and nut free.

THE COOKIE BIZ

Cookie Prices

Each package is sold for $5. EXCEPT gluten free which are $6 each. Not all troops stock gluten free cookies; ask your troop leader if you have them.

Troop & Service Unit Profits

Troops earn at least 74¢per box sold. The more boxes sold, the higher the troop proceeds. New this year are SU cookie profits! Page 30.

Council-Supported Shipping Subsidy

Badgerland picks up half the cost of shipping when your online customer orders between 9-12 boxes to be mailed to them. We’re holding hold the customer price to $7.49.

5 Skills Girls Gain Selling Girl Scout Cookies

The cookie sale allows troops to work toward a shared goal, build troop funds, and for girls to gain an entrepreneurial edge. Entrepreneurship builds curiosity, confidence, and problem-solving skills. They get to run their own small businesses in a safe space. Along the way, they’ll gain five core skills.

GOAL SETTING

Girls start by setting a personal cookie sales goal. Then, together, they work to set a troop goal. Next, they work with their family and troop to develop a plan to achieve those goals. This matters because girls need to know how to set and reach goals to succeed in school, jobs, and life.

MONEY MANAGEMENT

Girls take orders, count money, and make change. They reconcile inventory and deliver the correct payment to their troop leaders. Managing cookie funds helps them understand managing their personal finances and learn responsibility.

PEOPLE SKILLS

By talking to customers, girls learn to become good listeners and communicators. They build strong relationships with their sister Girl Scouts while they work as a team. While interacting with customers, girls’ self-confidence flourishes in all areas of her life.

DECISION MAKING

Girls decide how to market their cookie sale and when and where to sell. They work as a troop to decide how to spend their earnings. When girls practice and implement decision-making, they begin to see the impact of their choices and see themselves as confident leaders capable of making big and small decisions.

BUSINESS ETHICS

Girls are responsible for managing their own cookie businesses, handling money, meeting deadlines, while following through with customers. The world needs more ethical leaders and we can count on Girl Scouts to lead the way.

PHILANTHROPY

Ways girls get to experience being philanthropic through her Cookie Sale.

Troop Cookie Share Philanthropy

Customers who want to support Girl Scouts but don’t want cookies can buy them to be donated. This program is called Cookie Share. Each troop decides on a local nonprofit organization they want to give cookies to. Cookie Share cookies are included in the girl's total and will count toward her rewards.

Girl Philanthropy Donations

Girls have the choice between a rewards item or making a donation to a nonprofit. This year’s beneficiary is related to supporting dolphins. Girls will support dolphins living at Brookfield Zoo near Chicago. Girls who choose this reward earn a unique Badgerland Cookie Philanthropist patch.

Cookies on Social Media Policy

• Families (and Girl Scouts over age 13 with parent permission) can advertise their sale on their personal social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

• Girl Scout Cookies may not be advertised or sold on online auction or sales websites - including eBay, Craigslist, community buy/sell/trade sites and Facebook Marketplace.

• A good rule of thumb: only people who know the girl or her family personally should see her cookie sale information.

The Cookie Program Makes Girl Scouts Possible