Girl Scouts of Northern California

What Girl Scouts of Northern California does

Girl Scouts of Northern California (GSNorCal) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional council of Girl Scouts of the USA, formed in 2016 and headquartered in Alameda, California. The council serves youth members (girls and gender-expansive youth in kindergarten through 12th grade), adult volunteers, and their families across 19 counties in Northern California — from Gilroy to the Oregon border — operating a portfolio that includes core Girl Scouting programming (badges, journeys, and Bronze/Silver/Gold highest awards), the Girl Scout Cookie Program (the world's largest girl-run business), council-owned camp properties, travel programs, and a network of approved program partners. Alternative participation pathways include Juliettes (individually registered members) and a new Staff-Led Troops model launching in Fremont in September 2026 for families without access to volunteer-led troops.

The council generates revenue from five streams: annual membership dues ($90 youth, $30 adult), Cookie Program proceeds, retail shop sales across four physical locations (Alameda, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Redding), individual and corporate donations (including a $400 Lifetime Membership tier), and paid Staff-Led Troop programming ($90 membership plus $120/month for eight months). Distribution combines direct troop enrollment through the myGS national platform, four physical retail shops, regional community events, and partnerships with institutions such as the Smithsonian National Zoo. The council maintains American Camp Association accreditation for all council-run camps and a Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency on GuideStar.

GSNorCal is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Ginger Bryant, with executive leadership under CEO Mary-Jane Strom (named one of the Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business by the SF Business Times in 2026). The full C-suite includes a CFO, Chief Membership Officer, Chief Program and Development Officer, and COO, supported by a VP of Marketing & Communications. Since 2016 the organization has pursued a documented DEIB journey, including mandatory staff and board training with Hella Social Impact and Board adoption of a Culture Code for Equity & Belonging. The council serves as the regional implementation layer of the national Girl Scout movement while operating with substantial local autonomy over programming, retail, and donor development.

Name

Girl Scouts of Northern California

Legal name

Girl Scouts of Northern California

Website

https://gsnorcal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Girl Scouts of Northern California is a 501(c)(3) regional council serving youth members, volunteers, and families across 19 Northern California counties with badges, highest awards, the Cookie Program, camps, retail shops, and the new Staff-Led Troops model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO), Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Girl leadership programs
• Girl scout memberships
• Youth summer camps
• Girl scout cookie sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Alameda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees fund the Girl Scout program and provide basic accident insurance coverage. Youth membership is $90 annually ($65 national + $25 council fee) and adult membership is $30 annually. Extended Year Membership available at $116 for youth and $42 for adults.
2. Cookie Program: The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-run business in the world. Proceeds from cookie sales support troop activities and events, with funds staying within local troops to enable camping trips, service projects, and other programming.
3. Retail Shop Sales: Four retail shops throughout Northern California sell uniforms, pins, badges, books, apparel, gifts, jewelry, and accessories. Orders also ship from local shops and online through girlscoutshop.com.
4. Donations: Individual donations support Girl Scout programming, financial aid, camp properties, and opportunities for girls in underserved communities. Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
5. Staff-Led Troop Programming: Staff-Led Troops charge $90 annual membership plus $120 per month for eight months of programming, providing professionally facilitated troop meetings for families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Girl Scouts of Northern California delivers a research-proven youth development program for girls and gender-expansive youth from kindergarten through 12th grade, organized around four pillars (Life Skills, Outdoors, STEM, Entrepreneurship). Core offerings include badge and award progression including the highest Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards, the Girl Scout Cookie Program (the world's largest girl-run business), council-owned resident and day camps, troop-based and independent participation pathways, staff-facilitated troops, travel programs, and supporting retail, financial aid, and volunteer training services across 19 Northern California counties.

Product overview

Girl Scouts of Northern California operates as a youth development organization offering a multi-level program portfolio. The core offering is the Girl Scouting program encompassing badges, journeys, leadership awards, and highest awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold) across six grade levels (Daisies K-1 through Ambassadors 11-12). Supporting programs include the Cookie Program (entrepreneurship), Camp & Outdoors (council properties and summer camps), and Travel Programs. Alternative participation pathways include Staff-Led Troops (professionally facilitated) and Individually Registered Members/Juliettes (independent). Resource offerings include the Girl Scout Experience Box for new troops, Financial Aid for need-based support, and Lifetime Membership. The organization also operates four retail shops and coordinates a Program Partners network. All programs are girl-focused and girl-led, designed to build courage, confidence, and character.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Girl Scouting Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Financial aid available to cover membership, uniforms, events, and camp without income verification
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and flagship.

• PolicyLinksupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGSNorCal participated in the 'Equity Action Network', an 18-month learning cohort of 10 nonprofit organizations facilitated by PolicyLink, seeking to advance racial equity through organizational work.
• Hella Social ImpactsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDEIB consultants who led mandatory staff and board member training starting in 2019 to support Girl Scouts of Northern California's equity and inclusion journey.
• American Camp Association (ACA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSNorCal's council-run camps are accredited by ACA, meeting industry and government standards for safe, high-quality programs.
• Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLet's Go Outside! interactive online experience hosted for new K-1 Girl Scouts who join between April 1 and June 15, featuring animals and zoo experts.
• InnovateHERflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Gold Award recipient Avani T.'s project 'Building a Bigger Table' featured on alltogether.swe.org.
• GSNorCal Program PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial program partners offering unique Girl Scout experiences including badge programs, overnights, Girl Scout Days, and member perks and discounts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Girl Scouts of the USA: The national umbrella organization of which GSNorCal is a regional council. Directly comparable mission, programming, and brand, but operates at national scale with different scope and financial structure.
• YMCA of the USA: Nationwide community-based youth programming including summer camps, swim, sports leagues, and leadership development. Strong Northern California presence and overlapping membership demographic.

Direct peers

• Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America): Largest direct comparable — co-ed scouting youth development organization with troops, badges, camps, and national council structure. Directly competes for the same families and volunteers across Northern California.
• Camp Fire: National youth development organization with similar mission around leadership, outdoors, and community service. Operates regional councils and is a direct substitute for Girl Scouts programming.
• 4-H (National 4-H Council): USDA-affiliated youth development organization offering STEM, agriculture, leadership, and civic engagement programming through clubs and camps. Comparable target audience and structured activity model.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development network offering afterschool programs, leadership curricula, and outdoor programming. Operates multiple Northern California clubs that compete directly for youth time and family engagement.

Emerging players

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Youth mentoring nonprofit operating in Northern California with a similar volunteer-led model. Less product overlap but competes for the same philanthropic and volunteer pool.
• Police Athletic League: Youth development nonprofit offering sports, education, and leadership programming in underserved communities. Partial overlap with GSNorCal's equity-focused outreach mission.

Regional players

• Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles: Another regional Girl Scout council in California. Same programming, revenue model, and brand, but operates in Southern California and serves as the closest structural comparable for benchmarking.
• Girl Guides of Canada: International counterpart in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts movement. Highly comparable programming and badge framework, though serving a different national geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@girlscoutsnorcal
• Facebookfacebook.com/gsnorcal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/girl-scouts-of-northern-california
• Instagraminstagram.com/gsnorcal
• TikToktiktok.com/@gsnorcal
• Xx.com/gsnorcal

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Girl Scouts of Northern California