Girl Scout Cookie Economics

Recent years, especially as my co-workers and I age, has seen a decline in the amount of Girl Scout cookies that enter into our household.  This is good on several levels. First, not sure I need to many of those tasty little cookies crossing my lips. Second, dollar for dollar, I think there are better ways to support your local community.  On the flip side, a box or two to help these fledgling entrepeneurs (teach them finances, leadership, strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth), their chapters, and our community cannot be bad.  I usually pick up a box or two when these little treasures are available outside one of our local businesses. 

It appears that cookies first become available 1/16/2010, and sales will continue into March in a variety of methods and venues.  To learn more about this program, go to http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_cookies/. 


Using an average of $3.50 per box as an example, here's a breakdown of how the money is spent.

For each box sold, 85 cents per box goes to the baker to cover production, packaging, shipping of the cookies to the troop, and other incidental costs.

Out of the remaining $2.65, 50 to 57 cents goes to the selling troop (cost of prizes comes out of this portion of the proceeds), which will use the funds to cover the cost of programming, community service projects and scholarships, and to offset the cost of participating in Girl Scouts.

Of the remaining funds, about 1 penny per box goes to the neighborhood "service unit" -- another level of scouting -- and stays within the community.

The rest goes to the regional council, which is usually comprised of numerous troops that are located near each other, this remaining $2.14 to $2.07 is used to fund local programming, support summer camps, train adult volunteers, and so on.

Contrary to urban legends, the proceeds from Girl Scout cookie sales are not funneled to the national scouting organization. "Girl Scouts of the USA has a deal in place in which they receive royalties directly from the two national bakers of the cookies," Ceravolo says. "The regional councils do not send cookie money to the national organization."

 

My favorite are the Samoas, how about you?
 
 
 
 
Original post on at Walletpop