Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts of the USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth organization serving girls in grades K-12 across all 50 US states via 111 local councils, delivering badges, awards, and the world's largest girl-led Cookie Program, funded by membership dues, cookie sales, grants, donations, and corporate sponsorships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1912
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Girl Scouts does
Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Georgia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth organization serving girls in grades K-12 across all 50 US states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and overseas through USA Girl Scouts Overseas (USAGSO). The organization operates through a federated model of 111 local councils, supported by more than 700,000 adult volunteers and a community of 50M+ alums. Its core programming is structured around six grade-tiered levels (Daisy through Ambassador), a curriculum of hundreds of badges across STEM, outdoors, life skills, and entrepreneurship, three Highest Awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold), and national service projects in civic engagement, hunger relief, and citizen science.
GSUSA's technology stack centers on the myGS member platform (mygs.girlscouts.org) for membership, event registration, and troop management; the Digital Cookie® online sales platform launched in 2014; and the free Girl Scout Activity Zone with step-by-step video content accessible without membership. Additional platforms include the Virtual Events Calendar, the Girl Scout Experience Box supply delivery service, and the official Girl Scout Shop e-commerce storefront (girlscoutshop.com). The organization is also notable for its proprietary research arm, the Girl Scout Research Institute, which publishes data on girls' leadership, mental health, and AI use.
The business model combines six revenue streams: annual membership dues ($45 girls, $30 adults; lifetime membership $200 for alums), the Girl Scout Cookie Program — the world's largest girl-led entrepreneurial initiative — operated via Digital Cookie and in-person boothing through corporate partners (Wendy's 3,600+ restaurants, Walmart, Sam's Club, Goodwill), individual donations and planned giving routed through the Office of Philanthropy, retail merchandise sales, major philanthropic grants (notably a $30M Lilly Endowment grant and $15M New York Life Foundation commitment in 2026), and corporate sponsorships (Adobe as 2026 national cookie program sponsor). One hundred percent of net cookie proceeds remain with local councils and troops, meaning GSUSA's national revenue mix leans more heavily on grants, donations, dues, and sponsorships than on cookie sales directly.
Girl Scouts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Girl Scouts
- Legal name
- Girl Scouts of the United States of America
- Website
- https://girlscouts.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1912
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Girl Scouts of the USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth organization serving girls in grades K-12 across all 50 US states via 111 local councils, delivering badges, awards, and the world's largest girl-led Cookie Program, funded by membership dues, cookie sales, grants, donations, and corporate sponsorships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Girl Scouts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Development Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Professional Organizations (81392), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps (EDAMALAE), Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA), Coding, Game Design & Computer Science Camps (EDAMALAD), STEM & Science Camps (Biology, Chemistry, Space, Lab Science) (EDAMALAC), Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO), Robotics & Engineering Summer Camps / Bootcamps (EDAMADAF)
Keywords
Where Girl Scouts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Girl Scouts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from girls and adult volunteers. Standard annual membership is $45 for girls and $30 for adults; Extended Year Membership option at $91 for girls and $42 for adults covers through September 30, 2027. Lifetime Membership is available for alums (e.g., $200 at a 50% discount for those under 30). Membership year runs October 1 to September 30.
- Girl Scout Cookie Program: The world's largest girl-led entrepreneurial program: annual cookie sales during local council cookie seasons (typically January–April) via Digital Cookie® online platform and in-person booths. 100% of net revenue stays with local councils and troops. Featured 2026 lineup includes Exploremores™ (a rocky road ice cream-inspired sandwich cookie) alongside Thin Mints®, Samoas®/Caramel deLites®, Tagalongs®/Peanut Butter Patties®, and Do-si-dos®/Peanut Butter Sandwich.
- Donations and Philanthropy: Charitable donations from individuals and partners routed through the Office of Philanthropy (P.O. Box 5046, New York, NY 10087-5046). Gifts are federally tax-deductible subject to IRS regulations; GSUSA Federal Tax ID is 13-1624016. Includes planned giving, individual giving, lifetime membership gifts, and designated funds.
- Retail / Merchandise Sales: Sales of Girl Scout uniforms and branded merchandise (jewelry sets, backpacks, scrunchies, totes, Daisy tunic, etc.) through the official Girl Scout Shop (girlscoutshop.com), supporting program revenue.
- Grants: Major philanthropic grants funding national initiatives, such as a $30 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. for Character Development Through Youth Programs, and a $15 million three-year initiative from the New York Life Foundation (Coaching the Future) targeting 25,000 coaches and mentors.
- Corporate Sponsorships & Boothing Partners: Sponsorship and in-kind boothing partnerships during cookie season and other programs, including Adobe as national cookie program sponsor and Walmart, Sam's Club, Wendy's, and Goodwill as boothing partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Membership – Standard Year |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Extended Year Membership (Limited-Time Offer) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Lifetime Membership (Alums) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Charitable Donations (GSUSA) |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels10 records
Girl Scouts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Girl Scouts of the USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that delivers badge-based and journey-based programs (STEM, outdoors, life skills, entrepreneurship, civic engagement) to girls in grades K-12, anchored by its iconic annual Girl Scout Cookie Program. The organization sells cookies (including via the proprietary Digital Cookie online platform launched in 2014), operates an official merchandise shop, runs camps, awards the Bronze/Silver/Gold Highest Awards, and supports a lifelong alum network of more than 50 million through 111 local councils across all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and USA Girl Scouts Overseas.
Product overview
Girl Scouts of the USA operates a unified, multi-module youth development platform anchored by the Girl Scout Cookie Program (with its Digital Cookie online sales channel and Adobe-sponsored educational content), the Badges/Journeys/Awards curriculum (including the three-tier Highest Awards: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and the newer Leadership Awards), and the free Girl Scout Activity Zone. Layered on top are National Service Projects (Promote the Vote, Honoring Changemakers, Fighting Hunger, Citizen Science, Letter Writing), the myGS member account platform, the official Girl Scout Shop, Virtual Events Calendar, Girl Scout Camps, the Lifetime Membership / National Trefoil Society donor programs, the Girl Scout Research Institute, and dedicated engagement tracks for Alums and Campus Girl Scouts. Together these form a national 501(c)(3) movement delivered through 111 local councils serving girls K–12 across the United States and overseas via USA Girl Scouts Overseas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 100,000+ boxes of cookies sold in one season by a single six-year-old seller in Pennsylvania
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Girl Scouts
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Girl Scouts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
Girl Scouts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- NASAflagshipNASA participates in the 58th Girl Scouts Unite Event scheduled for July 23–25, 2026, hosting a booth in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #206) with Hyperwall Storytelling presentations covering Mars exploration, Artemis/Moon missions, planetary defense, and NASA career opportunities; longstanding collaboration dating back to Apollo-era visits per Girl Scout history.
- Meta (Facebook/Instagram)coreMeta partnered with Girl Scouts of the USA (alongside Sesame Workshop and Highlights Magazine) on tens of millions of dollars in digital well-being initiatives, including Instagram-sponsored Girl Scout badges; partnerships have drawn public criticism amid youth mental health lawsuits.
- Alphabet (Google)coreGoogle/Alphabet partnered with Girl Scouts of the USA on digital well-being lessons (alongside Sesame Workshop and Highlights Magazine), backed by tens of millions of dollars in funding; included at least $20 million pledged by Google to promote digital well-being, reaching hundreds of thousands of families.
- Best BuddiesminorCo-recipient of New York Life Foundation 'Coaching the Future' initial strategic grant alongside GSUSA, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Positive Coaching Alliance; supports inclusive coaching for children with differing abilities within the $15 million three-year initiative.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of AmericaminorCo-recipient of New York Life Foundation 'Coaching the Future' initial strategic grant for youth coaching and mentorship programming; three-year, $15 million initiative targeting 25,000 coaches and mentors.
- Positive Coaching AllianceminorCo-recipient of New York Life Foundation 'Coaching the Future' initial strategic grant; supports off-the-field mentorship, career skills, and on-the-field coaching.
- Andrea Weiss (COO, Girl Scouts of Hawaii)minorGirl Scouts of Hawaii named Andrea Weiss as its new chief operating officer; an internal leadership appointment rather than a commercial partnership.
- WalmartcoreWalmart serves as a boothing partner for the 2026 Girl Scout Cookie season, enabling in-person cookie sales at Walmart locations alongside Sam's Club, Wendy's, and Goodwill.
- Sam's ClubcoreSam's Club serves as a boothing partner for the 2026 Girl Scout Cookie season, supporting in-person cookie sales.
- GoodwillminorGoodwill serves as a boothing partner for the 2026 Girl Scout Cookie season, supporting in-person cookie sales.
- Wendy'scoreWendy's launched a limited-time Thin Mints Frosty Fusion and revived the Thin Mints Frosty Swirl to celebrate Girl Scout Cookie season, with over 3,600 restaurants in the U.S. participating. The partnership supports Girl Scout cookie sales and community engagement, running from February 20–22 and throughout the season.
- Navajo Nation (Office of Diné Y.O.U.T.H.)coreMemorandum of Understanding signed February 11, 2026 between the Navajo Nation Office of Diné Y.O.U.T.H. and the Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council to expand leadership development programming for Diné youth through November 2027. Council provides training, resources, and annual recruitment events; ODY supports outreach, family engagement, and program activities including the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Signed by Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren.
- OOLYminorOOLY launched a limited-edition collection in partnership with Girl Scouts, featuring scented art supplies and DIY kits inspired by Girl Scout values. Products available at various retail outlets; collection emphasizes creativity, confidence, and self-expression aligned with Girl Scout themes.
- AdobeflagshipAdobe named the national sponsor of the Girl Scout Cookie Program for the 2026 cookie season, providing educational video content on the Digital Cookie® platform to help Girl Scouts develop digital communication and design skills as entrepreneurs. Multi-year relationship around cookie season.
- IEEEminorIEEE partnered with the Girl Scouts of the United States of America's Heart of New Jersey council to host a career exploration event at Stevens Institute of Technology aimed at encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers. The event included hands-on activities, exhibits, and role models. Collaboration ongoing since before 2020; aims to increase diversity in STEM.
- League of Women Voters Education FundflagshipLong-standing partnership working nationally and locally to provide Girl Scouts with civics, voting, and democracy engagement opportunities through the Promote the Vote program and VOTE411.org. 2024 Promote the Vote materials were produced with support from the League of Women Voters Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization.
- SciStarterminorGirl Scouts partnered with SciStarter, an online citizen science community, to support the Girl Scouts Give Back Citizen Science Service Project; provides dedicated dashboards for troops to participate in Great Sunflower Project and Globe at Night.
- HarperCollinsminorHarperCollins published 'Maven Takes the Lead,' the first novel in the Girl Scout book series, with a complementary Girl Scout patch activity available through the Activity Zone.
- Kappa Delta SororitycoreThe Kappa Delta Foundation has been a vital partner of Girl Scouts of the USA since 1998, supporting leadership development, personal growth, academic success, and community service for Girl Scouts.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Girl Scouts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Boy Scouts of America (Scouting America): The most direct comparable: a century-old U.S. youth development organization delivering badge-based programming, outdoor experiences, and leadership awards through a federated council structure. Operates a parallel program (now co-ed) for youth K–12 with comparable membership pricing, council model, and parent/guardian engagement dynamic.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit serving K–12 youth through a network of local clubs with paid staff and volunteers. Co-recipient with GSUSA of the New York Life 'Coaching the Future' grant, indicating direct programmatic overlap in youth mentoring and character development.
- Camp Fire (formerly Camp Fire Girls): One of the oldest U.S. youth-serving organizations, founded on a parallel model to Girl Scouts. Offers co-ed program tracks with badges, outdoor programming, and teen leadership — a near-direct historical and operational peer.
- 4-H (National 4-H Council): U.S. youth development organization operated through Cooperative Extension and land-grant universities, offering badges/clubs, STEM, citizenship, and entrepreneurship programming to millions of K–12 youth. Comparable in scale, mission, and constituency.
- Junior Achievement USA: Youth-focused nonprofit focused on financial literacy, work-readiness, and entrepreneurship education for K–12. Closely overlaps the 'girl-led entrepreneurial' pillar of Girl Scouts' Cookie Program and shares school- and after-program-based delivery.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National nonprofit operating one-to-one youth mentoring programs with a volunteer-driven, locally-affiliated model similar to Girl Scout troops. Comparable in mission, volunteer dependence, and grant-funded growth.
Broad incumbents
- YMCA of the USA: Broad national nonprofit delivering youth programming (camps, swim, child care, leadership) alongside family fitness and community services. Overlaps with Girl Scouts in youth-development and family-engagement programming but operates at much larger scope including facilities and paid staff.
Emerging players
- Girl Up (United Nations Foundation): UN Foundation initiative focused on girls' empowerment, leadership, and advocacy globally. Operates as a younger, digital-first counterpart to Girl Scouts, addressing overlapping audiences (tween and teen girls) with thematic programming rather than troop-based delivery.
Regional players
- Jack and Jill of America, Inc. African American family organization with local chapters delivering cultural, educational, and leadership programming for youth. Comparable in chapter-based structure and family-engagement model, though focused on a specific demographic and somewhat narrower geographic footprint.
Others
- Kappa Delta Sorority: Long-standing partner of GSUSA since 1998 supporting leadership development for Girl Scouts; functions as an adjacent sorority/alum network that consumes and amplifies Girl Scout programming into college-age women. Listed as a partnership rather than competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Girl Scouts social profiles
Digital presenceGirl Scouts compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Girl Scouts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Girl Scouts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Girl Scouts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Girl Scouts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Girl Scouts
What does Girl Scouts do?
Girl Scouts of the USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that delivers badge-based and journey-based programs (STEM, outdoors, life skills, entrepreneurship, civic engagement) to girls in grades K-12, anchored by its iconic annual Girl Scout Cookie Program. The organization sells cookies (including via the proprietary Digital Cookie online platform launched in 2014), operates an official merchandise shop, runs camps, awards the Bronze/Silver/Gold Highest Awards, and supports a lifelong alum network of more than 50 million through 111 local councils across all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and USA Girl Scouts Overseas.
Is Girl Scouts a public or private company?
Girl Scouts is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Girl Scouts founded?
Girl Scouts was founded in 1912. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Girl Scouts based?
Girl Scouts is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Girl Scouts make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are girl Scout Cookie Program, donations and Philanthropy, retail / Merchandise Sales, grants and corporate Sponsorships & Boothing Partners.
Who are Girl Scouts's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Boy Scouts of America (Scouting America), Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Camp Fire (formerly Camp Fire Girls), 4-H (National 4-H Council), Junior Achievement USA and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. YMCA of the USA is listed as a broad incumbent. Girl Up (United Nations Foundation) is listed as an emerging player. Jack and Jill of America, Inc. is listed as a regional player. Kappa Delta Sorority is listed as an others.
Does Girl Scouts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Girl Scouts.
What industry is Girl Scouts in?
Girl Scouts's product category is Youth Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMALAA, Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports), with a secondary code of EDAMALAE, Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 7997.