Resources

Social and General Media Posting Policies
Posting to any allowed social or general media may ONLY be done during GSNI Cookie Program sales dates listed below.

Posts ALLOWED
• Dates allowed:
• Information regarding in-person, online and booth sales may be posted December 14, 2022-March 19, 2023.
• Posting to LOCAL public social media sites (approved membership or public) with Girl Scout or Troop Digital Cookie link for online direct ship orders and public pick-up of girl delivery orders. We remind parents and troop volunteers to be safety conscious and cautious providing a Digital Cookie link to unknown customers. ALWAYS meet in a public location for distribution of Girl Delivery orders from unknown customers.
• Posting to LOCAL public social media sites (approved membership or public) for the promotion of cookie booths, cookie stands, or to take traditional orders. ALWAYS meet in a public location for distribution of orders from unknown customers.
• Creation of a special social media site with a Girl Scout or Troop Digital Cookie link is allowed. It should include the sales goal of the Girl Scout or troop and how the troop plans to use troop proceeds.

Posts NOT ALLOWED
• Posting to national sites such as, but not limited to, eBay, Craigslist, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, YouTube Shopify, etc. is NOT permitted.
• NO paid advertising of any kind on social media or general media is allowed.
GSNI reminds everyone that the Girl Scout Cookie Program is a girl-led program and girls should be involved as much as safely possible in social media and online sales. We also recommend parents use caution when posting to ANY social media site and taking orders from strangers. The safety of Girl Scouts and their families is first and foremost. Parents should use their best judgement when approving in-person delivery orders versus shipped-only orders, to customers they don’t know. A girl should be accompanied by an adult at all times when delivering cookies. Abuse or misuse of a girl’s Digital Cookie site may result in council inactivating the girl’s site.

Adhere to GSNI Cookie Program sale dates, pricing, council boundaries and cookies.
Sale dates and pricing are specific for each Girl Scout council. It is important that troops, Girl Scouts, and families follow the sale dates and pricing for GSNI council. Girl Scouts may sell in-person and/or online using Digital Cookie throughout the entire program, Wednesday, December 14, 2022-Sunday, March 19, 2023. Cookie Booths may only occur during the designated booth sale dates of February 24-March 19, 2023. However, troops may hold booths both on the weekends and on weekdays. Troops may face consequences if sale dates and pricing are not followed.

All GSNI troops must keep in-person sales within the boundaries of GSNI. No booth sites or door-to-door selling may occur outside of GSNI boundaries. To confirm if a retail location or city is within GSNI boundaries, please contact the Product Program Team. If you see a troop selling within GSNI boundaries which you suspect is not from our council, DO NOT confront the troop, be argumentative, or engage in a conflict. Please make specific note of the date, time, location, and troop number and report the information to your SU Cookie Coordinator or Product Program Team. GSNI will follow up with the appropriate council.

Finally, only cookies offered by GSNI’s contracted baker, Little Brownie Bakers may be sold. No other cookies are to be sold by GSNI Girl Scouts or troops and ALL packages must be sold for $5/package. This includes any cookies from the other baker with the same name (Adventurefuls, Trefoils, Thin Mints, Raspberry Rally). 

Troop Penalties
All programs have requirements, expectations, and rules for participants. The Cookie Program is no different. It is important that troops and Girl Scouts have equal opportunities to sell cookies. GSNI would hope parents, Girl Scouts, Troop Leaders, Troop Cookie Chairs, etc. would all act appropriately, but unfortunately this does not always happen. If GSNI confirms a report that a troop or a Girl Scout within a troop has broken any rules or requirements of the program, including but not limited to, early selling, selling at higher pricing, selling outside of council boundaries, posting to restricted social media sites, or selling rewards, GSNI may enforce penalties. Troops may incur penalties through a reduction in troop proceeds of up to $50. This is not something GSNI wants to do, but as a result of prior incidents, it is unfortunately something that needs to be enforced.

As a Troop Leader or Troop Cookie Chair, we expect you to explain the requirements and do’s and don’ts of the program to your Girl Scouts and their family along with the explanation that if even one member of the troop breaks the rules, the entire troop may be penalized.

Reports of inappropriate selling activities will be accepted and investigated by GSNI Product Program Team. Girl Scouts, parents, Troop Leaders, and Troop Cookie Chairs should not confront the troop, be argumentative, or engage in a conflict. Reports should include specific information such as date, time, location, troop number and/or name when possible.

Troop Size Requirement
In an effort to ensure GSNI abides by IRS guidelines revolving around product sales, troop size guidelines as they pertain to product program troop proceeds (fall product and cookies) have been created. It is important we comply with IRS guidelines so as not to endanger the not-for-profit status of GSNI, GSUSA and Girl Scout councils nationwide.

This policy has been in effect since September 2016.
• Girl Scout Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Troops: Minimum size is 5 girls (from multiple families) and 2 unrelated leaders, one of which is female.
• Girl Scouts Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Troops: Minimum size is 3 girls (from multiple families) and 2 unrelated leaders, one of which is female.
• Girls in troops that have not met these minimums will be treated as Juliettes for the purposes of troop proceeds.
• For the 2023 Cookie Program, the minimum must be met by Saturday, January 28.
What DOES this mean?
• If your troop does not meet the minimum size as outlined above, your troop will automatically be treated as a group of Juliettes and no troop proceeds will be awarded. Individual Girl Scout rewards will not be affected.
• During sweeps, the troop account will be swept for the entire cost of product sold. Proceeds are NOT kept by the troop. Girls will earn S’more Dough in place of troop proceeds.
• Notes on S’more Dough:
o S’more Dough is distributed similar to Cookie Dough.
o The amount of S’more Dough a Girl Scout earns is based on ranges of product sold.
o S’more Dough uses and restrictions are similar to Cookie Dough.
o For more information on S’more Dough ranges and Juliette participation, contact your SU Cookie Coordinator or the GSNI Product Program Team.
What DOESN’T this mean?
It does NOT mean your troop will no longer be a troop. Your troop remains intact and will be available for additional members to join.

Requirements for Additional Money Earning Activities
Troops must submit a money-earning application. In order for the application to be considered:
• Troops are encouraged to participate in GSNI product programs as their primary money-earning activities. The troop must participate at the minimum levels listed below in both the Fall Product and Cookie Programs in order to apply for any additional money-earning activities.
o Fall Product Program: Troops must have at least 25% of registered girls participate and achieve $150 troop total sales.
o Cookie Program: Troops must have at least 50% of registered girls participate and achieve at least 180 pkgs troop total sales.
• Juliettes must also submit a money-earning application, be in good financial standing with council, have permission from parent/guardian and participate in both the Fall Product and Cookie Programs at the minimum levels listed below.
o Fall Product Program: Juliettes must participate and have minimum sales of $15.
o Cookie Program: Juliettes must participate and have minimum sales of 18 packages.
• Girl Scouts in troops interested in additional money-earning activities as part of earning their Bronze or Silver Awards, must follow all the troop guidelines listed above for approval. A Girl Scout earning her Gold Award, must follow and meet the guidelines of a Juliette to receive approval for an additional money-earning activity. This difference is due to the fact that Bronze and Silver Awards are earned as a troop or small group within the troop. Gold Awards are earned as an individual.
In an effort to preserve the integrity of the Fall Product and Cookie Programs, troops must avoid holding money-earning activities targeted to the public between September 15-October 31 and December 15-March 31.