Girl Scout Cookie Scandal »
Okay, it's not really a scandal (at least not yet), but I wanted something catchy.
Ever the helpful neighbors, we bought a box of Girl Scout Cookies the other day. Actually, we bought 'em a few weeks ago, but they were delivered the other day. Cost? $3.50. Pretty pricey for a box of cookies, thought I. Then I opened them.
There were 15 - fifteen! - cookies in the box. The entire box. That works out to more than $0.23 per cookie. Now it's not an issue of donating to the group. Had they simply asked for a donation, we'd probably give them one. But what a rip-off. Fifteen reasonable-quality cookies, for $0.23 each?
Comments (49)
Subway only charges $0.49 for a cookie here. But the cookies are much larger than Girl Scout Cookies. :)
Posted by Chad Everett on February 24, 2005 6:53 AM
Yeah! A rant! Go get em!
What's this world coming too?
It's an outrage - the very moral fibre of our society is breaking down!
What did the Girl Scouts ever do for us eh?
Posted by Simon Cox on February 24, 2005 11:40 AM
You should buy Boy Scout's Trails End popcorn instead. Its a better deal.
But I just bought Girl Scout cookies too. It is too expensive to be considered buying cookies. So I go into it like this: I am donating to the Girl Scouts and All I got was this yummy Thin Mint.
Hey, its better then nothing!
Posted by Ken Edwards on February 25, 2005 1:43 AM
Exactly. I mean, it's a fund-raiser. People are more likely to donate money if they feel they're getting something out of it (e.g. a box of cookies or overpriced tickets to a show or whatever). Otherwise, the Girl Scots would just walk around asking for cash.
Posted by Peter on February 25, 2005 11:24 PM
Or the Girl Scouts, even. :-) I'm sure the Girl Scots are a worthwhile organization, too, but I meant to write Girl Scouts.
Posted by Peter on February 25, 2005 11:26 PM
Yes, I understand. I'm sure as with many other things, I'm simply in the minority. I'd just rather have them come by and say "Can we have $5?". At least then I think of it in donation terms, and not consumer terms.
Nonetheless, who should show up yesterday but the Girl Scots? I don't believe that a nicer organization exists, and the price is right, at just $1 per box. Of course, I can never see their ready-made haggis being even remotely as popular as thin mints.
Posted by Chad Everett on February 26, 2005 7:32 AM
Sadly, while a fund raiser the company that makes the cookies gets more from the sales then the Girl Scouts do. On top of that, the national Girl Scouts take their chunk of the profits leaving the local troops with a small amount of the total profit. Everybody has their hand out. You'd actually do better the give the local troop a direct donation.
Posted by Reb Orrell on February 26, 2005 10:40 AM
The local troop will only make about 12 cents a box, if they can obtain enough sales to get that much.
Posted by Danny P on March 3, 2005 1:15 PM
What happened to them, it seems that every year the quantity keeps getting reduced. The thin mints this year look like the package inside is 25% less. Yes it is nice to contribute to a good cause, but maybe let us know that we are not getting as many cookies per box!!
Posted by Anonymous on March 5, 2005 3:49 PM
Girl Scout cookies are a great deal!! As a Girl Scout, I learned many valuable skills which have helped me succeed as an adult. Everything I know about sales, marketing and customer service, I learned as a Girl Scout. By the way - 100% of the proceeds stay in the local community-- none of the profit goes to the national organization.
It's not about the cookie - it's about the cause.
By the way - if you look at an order form - at least in our area- it will tell you how many cookies are in each box approximately.
Posted by Kim on March 9, 2005 2:10 PM
You know. No one has twisted anyones arm to buy girl scout cookies. You bought them at your own will and now you complain about them and about the girls selling them. Those girls work hard all year long and selling cookies gives them a little extra funds to go to camp, trips etc and meet other girls from all over the world. Why not support our girls instead of critisizing them? I'm proud to be an assistant leader of my daughters Brownie troop and you know what I say? Keep up the good work girls!!!!!
Posted by Pam Shaffer on March 9, 2005 9:22 PM
Not only do today's Girl Scouts get to learn about sales, marketing, and achievement, they get to learn about the proud American traditions of masturbation, abortion, and homosexuality via the programs that are provided by planned parenthood and "unofficially" sponsored and endorsed by the Girl Scouts.
I bet that they have wild campouts.
By the way, if you don't like the facts (and they are facts) represented here....maybe you should question your support of the Girl Scouts.
Posted by kevin kirkland on March 11, 2005 11:19 AM
The organization has shot itself in the proverbial foot. $4 [March 2005] a box = 1 box purchase. If it wasn't for the Chocolate Mint cookie, no purchase at all. Some nitwit economist has probably told headquarters to charge more move less and run to the bank: stupid advice. There are better cookies out there. For those Moms who don't have enough backbone to tell the "national governing board" to get back to reality, tough.
Here is another lesson the young ladies will learn because of some stupid adults: too expensive means no sale. Jeez Louise, they're only cookies. Being "nice" and buying the unsold boxes so that the young ladies' numbers look good in the "troop" is doing them a disservice. Remember, Mrs. Fields priced herself out of business, and she made a good cookie.
Posted by djt on March 12, 2005 6:52 PM
I remember the day when Girl Scout Cookies cost "only" two dollars a box, and the boxes contained more cookies than the boxes today. The cookies are good, but I am a little doubtful as to the real lessons learned in selling cookies. I sold cookies six years, and the value of the lessons learned.....the kids whose parents took the order forms to work and pestered colleagues sold the most.
Posted by Lelia Hendricks on March 16, 2005 7:18 AM
As somebody brand new learning the rules, I found out there's only a few ways for YOUNG girls to make money for their troop, so oftentimes the leaders spend more out of their pocket than what they even make in cookie money! (They make about 14% profit on each box .. do the math. Not much!)
I do think it would be nice for them to be able to offer, "If you would prefer, you can donate your change instead," but then again, that really sounds like begging, which the children are not taught to be.
It would be nice if they found a way to charge LESS for the cookies. I can't believe that the leaders even end up paying for those patches! They're like $1/patch/person, with no bulk discount!
Posted by J on March 23, 2005 12:09 AM
On behalf of all the Girl Scouts in the country I would like to thank you for supporting these girls and buying cookies. I was a Girl Scout as a child and I remember when they were 50 cents a box. I am still invoved in Girl Scouts with my daughter's troop. The cookie sale has allowed our troop to take a trip to the Oregon Coast, attend a national Girl Scout Camping Event and to attend an international camping event at the Great Park at Windsor Castle. Our girls had a wonderful trip to England and spent an extra week in London. Those of you who have bought Girl Scout cookies have provided similar experiences for other girls.
Here are a couple of facts about Girl Scout Cookies. All the money raised stays in your community. None of it goes to the National Organization. Each council sets the price and how much the troops and girls receive. The cost of the cookies and the sale is .99 per box. This includes program materials that go along with the sale that include goal setting activities, business skills, dealing with other people and other skills that girls need to become successful in the world as adults. In my council each girl receives a average of 35 cents per box in cookie dollars that can be spent toward council activites such as day camp and resident camp and trips such as my troop has taken. In addition the older girls can recieve 50 cents per box toward a college scholarship. Each troop receives 40 cents per box. Each service unit (a group of 10 - 40 troops) receives 5 cents per box. The service unit uses this money to provide activities for the girls and to give financial aid to girls who couldn't otherwise participate. The remainder goes to Girl Scout program in my community.
So when you are enjoying those "overpriced" cookies you need to take credit for the wonderful things that are happening through Girl Scouts. I hope that you will continue to help these girls to attain their goals and become strong productive women.
Posted by Mary Lou Hammond on March 25, 2005 11:25 PM
I'm all for the sale of cookies, as well as donating to a good cause, so long as it benefits the members and their parents. The cost doesn't phase me, so long as the product is half way decent; but that's just the thing, I find the quality of some (possibly most) of the cookies to be that of the equivalent of the cardboard boxes they come in, and I emailed the GS organization to tell them so. I remember them to be much more flavorful, and richer in the past. I suggested to the GS org to find themselves another commercial bakery to handle the task. I recently purchased a box of "Animal Treasures" (shortbread covered in chocolate on one side), they were fresh, but aside from that they were pretty flavorless and cheaply made. It's a shame, I've worked in an office environment for years, and used to look forward to the time when parents would start bringing in the order forms for the cookie sale; I pretty much don't bother any more, and as I've heard someone mention they'd just assume make a donation rather than purchase the cookies, I'd have to admit I feel the same way. It's pretty simple, if more people feel this way the sales will decline, and possibly dissolve completely, and we'd all really hate to see that happen.
Posted by Joe Marx on March 28, 2005 11:34 PM
I'm also a girl scout leader. Here, our girls get to "keep" .70 cents per box (it goes to their troop to pay for camp and other activities), They earn about .20 cents a box in credits that they can spend at the store for uniforms, books, registration, etc, about $1 goes to the baker, and the rest goes to our council to support local camps and programs.
while we know that it's a high price to pay for a box of cookies, we'd rather have our girls learning good salesmanship and customer service, than learn to beg for a handout. Believe me! When it's raining and windy, they are earning their money! :-)
Thanks for supporting girl Scouts!
Posted by karenl on April 13, 2005 3:39 PM
The selling of girl scout cookies is not to try and rip you off..yes, it is true they are trying to raise money for events that provide them with life awareness skills..but it is also for the experience. Girl scouts are instructed to be business oriented and providing this service to the community is something that they work hard at and are proud of themselves afterwards. It is an accomplishment for them. For some of the, it is a very big accomplishment that they look forward to doing every year. It teaches them life long skills, courteousy, and they love to do it.
Posted by Maria on April 13, 2005 6:04 PM
Whoa, back it up, boys.
I don't know where you get off saying we teach these girls about "proud American traditions of masturbation, abortion, and homosexuality via the programs that are provided by planned parenthood and "unofficially" sponsored and endorsed by the Girl Scouts" but as a Girl Scout leader myself I find this rude, offensive, untrue and a whole big long list of adjectives too profane to list here.
My girls have never seen a planned parenthood meeting through Girl Scouts, nor have I. I've never even seen an ad or an offhand message. Unless they're hitting us with subliminals in the Law and the Promise, you are SO barking up the wrong tree...what kind of Girl Scouts to they make in your neck of the woods?
That said...around here we get to keep .65 a box and that's the total. We don't get percentages or credits or anything, just .65.
Posted by Eve Donovan on April 14, 2005 8:29 AM
The Girl Scouts sell cookies as a way to raise funds for the community, the troop and the council. Service Unit 14 supports 5 Girl Scout Camps on cookie money alone! Also , the $.60 per box that goes to the troops is used for trips, patches and quite a few other activities. The cookies are delicious, you can only get them once a year and its for a great cause, how can you go wrong?
Posted by Tiffany W. on May 10, 2005 12:13 PM
I have to wonder how much the little first graders are actually learning with the cookie sales. My step-daughter sold a lot of cookies...or rather, she had her family sell the cookies. She can't even add the cost of two boxes, much less collect the money and give change. What we are teaching the little ones is to "manage" the parents to generate sales, so the Brownie (and her troop) gets a little money to spend on....toys and pizza. Now, a Junior may very well learn about marketing and the like. Brownies, though, no way.
Posted by E on May 17, 2005 10:25 PM
donate and write off if it's a really big issue. I personally think it's no harm no foul. It's all in the spirit of giving. Just like with anything...don't do anything or give anything if it's not out of the kindness of your heart. " God loves a cheerful giver."
Posted by diva_4_ya on January 6, 2006 5:30 PM
Actually the Girl Scouts make little to no money off those cookies. Neither do the boy scouts. The money goes to the main groups to pay salaries and the like. I never let my scouts sell those items. We only do fund raisers that give a good amount back to the troops.
Posted by Mike Brown on February 17, 2006 5:00 PM
just wanted to let you all know that each troop only gets $0.60 to $0.70 a box profit...
Posted by susan on March 1, 2006 10:00 AM
A very good point is being shouted down by rabid Girl Scout leaders. Where is the money going? According to an article I read earlier quoting last year's figures, at $3.00 per box the troop gets 50 cents, the bakery gets 81 cents, and $1.69 goes back to the Council. Yes, that's right: the troops get only about 16% of total sales and only about 26% of the pure profits. The rest goes to the Council for meetings, admin costs, etc - understandable needs BUT why do they need so much more money than, say, the Boy Scouts? I'm sure they charge membership fees just like the BSA, and charge for patches/uniforms, events, etc. just like the BSA yet the BSA doesn't do this massive fundraiser and still has enough money to do what they have to. So why is the Council taking such a big cut? And am I wrong about the BSA? Do they get extra funding the GSA doesn't? I'm genuinely curious, not trying to start a flamewar. I think people should be able to ask these questions without getting the knee-jerk "YOU HATE THE GIRL SCOUTS HOW DARE YOU CRITICIZE US" reaction. Plus I think the girls deserve to know why their troop's cut is so small.
Posted by Truth on March 2, 2006 1:08 PM
For your information 5 varieties of the Girl Scout cookies are in the top 16 selling cookies in the country and that's without selling year round. They must be doing something right. In our council we are very straight forward about where the money goes - it's printed on the back of the receipts our girls give out upon order. It's simple - if you don't feel you're getting a good deal, don't buy the cookies. By the way, all troops will gladly accept donations if you're so inclined. In fact, some troops even turn around and donate to other causes with their troop earnings. For those of you who say you would rather donate to the troop directly put your money where your mouth is. As for me, I'm going to sign off and go open up my box of thin mints!
Posted by Melinda on March 4, 2006 12:03 AM
My girlscout cookies cost $4.00 per box. They were peanut butter ones. They were burned. I threw them in the trash.
Posted by Linda on March 14, 2006 11:03 PM
GIRL SCOUT COOKIES ARE A RIPOFF.
They now charge $4.00 per box, and guess what? The actual Girl Scout troop only gets to keep 25 cents out of that $4.00.
THAT'S RIGHT - ONLY $0.25 !!!!
These little girls (mine included) are pressured to sell cookies to support the fat cats at GSA. I've been offering the girls that come to my house $5.00 cash (20 BOXES WORTH OF PROFIT), but according to the mom, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ACCEPT DONATIONS TO THE TROOP BECAUSE IT BYPASSES THE GSA.
It's a load of crap. Child labor laws or something should come into play here. It's ridiculous.
Posted by Luther Heggs on March 15, 2006 3:26 PM
Don't know about you all, but the amount of money raised when I buy cookies is far, far more than what I would have given them if they just came up and asked for a donation.
Also, having been both a Brownie and a Cadet Scout, I can tell you that participating in this program, whether it is going out and selling or working behind the scenes in collections and marketing, the girls learn valuable lessons which they can/do apply in real life. GO SCOUTS -- BRING ON THE COOKIES!!!
Posted by DGR on March 22, 2006 2:52 PM
Oh, yeah ... and another thing ... I find it interesting about the differences in profit because my friend who is involved in the cookie sales says their troop gets $1.50 profit per box.
Posted by DGR on March 22, 2006 2:58 PM
Yep, I'm a Girl Scout and have been for 11 years. We only get 50 cents a box. Sucks, right? But it is practically the only fundraiser we can do. Whenever there is a national girl scout fundraiser going on (selling cookies during the spring or selling nuts in the fall) we are not allowed to do any other fundraisers, girl scout regulation.
Posted by Tabatha on March 26, 2006 1:56 PM
You guys, the ones complaining, have too much time on your hands. If you don't like it, don't buy 'em! I know that when I buy them I am supporting Girl Scouts...not getting the deal of the century on cookies. I buy them and then open them and leave them on my desk for employees..........
I have never seen people give so much energy to arguing over a fund raiser that you don't have to contribute to!!!
Posted by TQM4FN on March 30, 2006 4:12 PM
As a Mom of three scout daughters and leader of a troop of 12 brownies.. I agree that the cookies are expensive but our girls earn between .80 and 1.00 per box sold. In the course of this they learn:to count change without a machine, multiplication, how to talk to people, manners, they earn badges, offer community service projects, are able to take trips or make decisions for what they get to spend their money on... Also we send 1000's of boxes to our soldiers overseas.. (they love them)...maybe they are worth it after all...If $4.00 a box it too much.. give the girls $1.00 they will put the money to good use
Posted by Becky on February 9, 2007 12:16 PM
Our troop only takes in .40-.60 a box depending on how many they sell. I think its alot of work. The GS council takes most of the money to upgrade camps and sponser events etc. Plus....the girls really don't sell the cookies. The cookies sell themselves or else the parents sell them by bringing the sign up folders to their places of work!
I think the girls learn about half of what we think they are supposed to be learning by selling them.
Plus it can sort of turn the moms goofy! lol But nothing a thin mint won't cure!
Posted by TJ Snoopy on February 28, 2007 11:04 PM
This message is to everyone, but an answer to Truth's post:
Yes, the BSA does get money elsewhere.
First, they get a lot more profit per sale from popcorn sales (look at the price of one item vs the price of one box of GS cookies).
Second, they send out a catalog to members every year with items being sold by them for members to purchase. These are things like tents, camp supplies, race cars, etc. They are made by national chain companies and then BS markets them and takes a profit.
Also, while a BS has to purchase his uniform and badges, a GS only has to purchase her uniform - badges come out of troop funding.
I have noticed a lot of posts asking about the difference in profit, GS of the USA is a large organization. As such, they break the country up into more manageable areas.
These are called Councils. The council covers a good area, ours covers all of western Iowa. These councils look at what opportunities the girls in their area have. They also look at the financial data on the members they have along with other issues.
From all this, they decide how much money they need to fund certain activities and set the price per box of cookies on that. They also determine how much each troop gets per box.
So while a troop in a pricey area will get 1 dollar per box, a troop in an area that has a relatively low cost of living/entertainment/travel will get less per box.
I am a leader of 23 Brownies, I can say with good faith that our troop will sell enough boxes to earn us about $2,000 profit this year.
This will allow my troop to meet three times over the summer and do activities and a picnic and get a badge for each meeting, to go to Sioux Falls, SD to see the waterfalls and visit the Kirby Discovery Center in August, to pay for all the supplies and badges they will need through the year, to pay for the two pins they will earn next year, to pay for a trip to the Omaha Zoo next April (no cost to the girls for this or for Sioux Falls, great for parents with limited income), and also to do a $400 service project and cover any leftover costs.
All this, and we are not going to have to charge dues to the parents. That is a lot for these girls!
Now, say their parents do not want to do the cookie sales- then they will have dues next year to help cover the cost of the activities. Still, dues would be about $15 for the year. What program could a girl do that costs that little and lets them experience so much?
I have many girls who want to attend camp this summer but cannot afford to. They will be going for free with a GoGrant Campership which is offered by the council, this is paid for by funding from cookie sales!
I have a few girls whose parents could not afford the $10 to register their daughters with the GS this year, they got financial aid (also from cookie sale money of the council profit) to be able to join for free and an older troop bought vests for them with their troop funds (they had been saving small amounts over the years from cookie sales and offered it to me if I had girls in need).
The council puts on great events, like overnights at Art Centers, overnights at the local college with swimming and more, horseback riding days, etc. All this costs the girls who want to go a small amount of money, but the bulk of the cost comes from the councils cookie profits. Also, if a girl gets financial aid at the start of the year for registration, they get it all year to help attend these events. In all, the troop gets to keep less directly, but they get to benefit in a huge way!
Really the way I see the cookie sales is this: The girls are getting great experiences in the troop and they get to help support that troop by selling cookies.
If a family does not want to do this, they are not kicked out of the troop or anything - they get to stay and enjoy the benefits, maybe having to pay a few dollars for a few things to help with the cost... not too bad!
I remember selling cookies as a girl and I loved setting my goals, picking what prize I wanted to work for (let me tell you, it is not junk like they get from school fundraisers - it is neat stuff!), and working for the goal. I loved it. That reminds me, part of the council cost is to cover the prizes won by girls when they reach certain selling levels.
Someone said something about the money going to pay for leaders - we are volunteers! I do not get paid to run the troop, I probably put in close to $200 a year just buying little things they need that I don't want to take out of troop funding.
I don't have to do this, but most leaders choose to buy things for the girls or the troop and don't reimburse themselves... cookie sales are not paying us! And people who work for GSUSA take in a low income compared to other corporate jobs, they do this happily because they believe in the program and what it does for girls and the country as a whole.
Anyway, I didn't start out to write a book here, sorry - I just want you all to know that the GS cookie program is a great program and I would like to thank you for your support if you bought cookies! Look at it like the public TV fundraiser- only better, with them you get a small gift if you donate $100 or more, with us you get a small gift if you donate a lot less than that!
Posted by Trishia - Girl Scout Leader on March 3, 2007 6:44 PM
Girl Scout cookies are apparently made by a company owned by Keebler. Interesting - I know.
Posted by Chris Le on March 4, 2007 4:45 PM
I bought 20 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. This will be her last year. She is quitting. I was told that a new policy of the GSA is that the Girls have to sell a minimum of 120 boxes before they start getting anything. The Girl Scout only gets 50 cents a box after 120 have been sold. So, if a girl sells 121 boxes, she gets only 50 cents. I don't blame the girl for quiting.
Posted by Todd on March 5, 2007 3:28 PM
Ukmmm....Hello! Where have some people been? It may seem like a scandal, and quite frankly, I agree. However, this has been going on for years! You just now figured this out? Besides, it is for a good cause!
Posted by SG on March 7, 2007 5:30 PM
If we want our girls to learn the value of marketing then it is time for the Girl Scouts to choose fund raisers that provide better profits than the cookie sales do. While in the PTA, we found fund raising activities that generated profits of 40% or more for the organization. Our troop kept only $0.25 per box of cookies sold, that's only 8.3% profit. A $5 donation translates into 20 boxes of cookies sold. And then that money is tied up in "cookie dough" (or whatever it is called) that can only be spent through the Girl Scout organization. This is not a good lesson to be exposing young girls to. Especially if there are such restrictive rules from the national organization. It's time for the Girl Scouts to take stock and look at what truly benefits the local groups. Work smarter, not harder.
Posted by samIam on March 19, 2007 11:20 AM
girl scout cookies rock my socks and are worth the price!!!!!
in fact you should have to contribute 20 bucks to the girls just to have the rights to eat them!!
Posted by james metcalf on March 19, 2007 7:16 PM
Our council charges 3.25 per box. my scouts make 48 cents a box. If we can't sell a box we are stuck. That means that we have to sell about six boxes to break even. The girls deserve so much better. next year we are all joing 4H.
Posted by liz on March 28, 2007 9:36 PM
This sounds like amway
Posted by Gerard on May 14, 2007 9:11 AM
It is always the people who do absolutely nothing in the way of volunteering, who complain the most...no matter which organization we're talking about!
I cannot believe all the fuss over cookies. If you do not want to pay out the money and support a group of girls in your area...then go to the grocery store and look for the best bargain.
This is a fundraiser folks, you do not have to buy anything.
Girl Scouts CAN take monetary donations! If you are upset about the price/the amount of cookies you get/ or you just don't like them...then give the scout $5.00 or $500.00 and then it goes directly to the troop! Check the rules...Girl Scouts can except cash donations at anytime and any amount!
Lets remember...it is for the children!
Posted by JACKIE on December 13, 2007 1:18 AM
Two industrial Giants, Keebler and Interbake make 250 million per year from your "fundraiser folks" .
250 million a year for two multination food companies.
That is larger than some GDPs.
Posted by ToWhackyJackie on December 14, 2007 9:50 PM
Actually, troops can't take monetary donations directly but their councils can.
And I worked for a council awhile ago, and I quit because the volunteers were largely an angry and mean group. If you hate volunteering so much, then quit. Really.
Just because the GS is a non-profit doesn't mean there aren't bills to pay. You know, for campgrounds and the like. But apparently everything should be for free and the only thing that matters to people is their particular kid and their particular troop. Who cares if other girls want to join? Who cares if the council puts on programs that your kid doesn't want to partake in? Because it's all about the individual.
Nothing is free. Mean (you have no idea how mean they can be) volunteers killed my idealism. I WAS willing to work for peanuts to do something I care about. I no longer care deeply for this organization and will do my caring unpaid and non work related. This is why I will join corporate America.
And if you hate something so much, quit already. Get a new hobby beyond complaining and creating "drama". Leave high school behind already and grow up. Sheesh.
Posted by A former scout and scout employee on December 19, 2007 9:07 PM
How dare you post a headline with the words "Girl Scout Cookie SCANDAL" then retratct it in the meat of your rant admitting there is no scandal, you just wanted to get attention. What about the readers who only scan headlines then share that info? You did a large disservice to the GSA, me, a leader and my granddaughter, a girl scout. The price of everything is going up while the quality and quantity goes down. Girl Scout cookies are delicious and a tradition. Purchasing Girl Scout cookies is a donation with a bonus. We've never not said it!
Posted by vivian baker on February 21, 2008 10:04 AM
Chad,
It is a fund raiser! Items for sale in a fund raiser are by their very nature overpriced. Think of the price per plate of a charity dinner when you criticize this time honored and much anticipated girl scout fund raiser. They are not trying to offer you a great deal on some cookies, they are trying to make money to support the organization. 3.00 goes directly to the overhead of the cookies and the larger GS org. and the troop gets .50 per box sold for their coffers.
Since GS is primarily a service organization much of this profit gets turned around and put right back into the community. It is the charity that keeps on giving. And you get some tasty cookies to eat! Also worth noting is the unique selection that many folks look forward to sampling. The sale is a very brief month or so, so nobody is trying to soak you. Enjoy your 15 cookies and feel satisfied that you supported a exceptionally worthwhile organization.
thanks, Mary
Posted by Mary former GS and present GS leader on April 9, 2008 8:21 PM
Guess how much Kathy Cloninger, CEO makes a year? $349,000. Yeah,
you can count me out on helping the girl scouts out. That is way too much for
non-profit.
Posted by vince on May 17, 2008 10:39 PM