Irish Girl Guides

What Irish Girl Guides does

Irish Girl Guides (IGG) is a not-for-profit youth development organisation founded in 1911, structured as a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) and registered charity in Ireland. It serves approximately 10,000 youth and adult members across more than 400 local Units spanning all 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland. The organisation delivers a non-formal education programme structured into five progressive age-graded branches: Ladybirds (ages 5-7), Brownies (7-10), Guides (10-14), Senior Branch (14-30), and the Trefoil Guild for adult members. Core programming uses a Journey Programme framework — Discover/Grow/Fly (Ladybirds), Detect/Investigate/Explore (Brownies), and Pathfinder/Voyager/Innovator/Trail Blazer (Guides) — augmented by Interest Badges, the Gaisce President's Award partnership, and specialised curricula in STEM, robotics, cyber security, climate action, and global citizenship.

IGG is part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) movement, which spans 150+ countries and 10 million members globally, and has been an Ireland member since 1932. The organisation is volunteer-led at the Unit level with a small professional staff of approximately 20 employees, including eight Regional Development Officers supporting seven regions, plus a National Training Centre in Tallaght, Dublin. Governance sits with a Board of Directors chaired by the Chief Commissioner, with a separate IGG Trust Corporation CLG holding property assets. The current CEO is Lorraine Mackey McHugh.

The revenue model combines multiple streams: annual membership fees, merchandise sales (uniforms, badges, books) through an online shop and two physical distribution centres in Dublin and Limerick, venue hire from nine cottages and campsites across Ireland, donations and individual fundraising, and grant income from government departments (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Irish Aid; Pobal; South Dublin County Council) and corporate partners (Vodafone Foundation, Bank of America, ESB, Janssen, Science Foundation Ireland, Engineers Ireland, Trocaire, Aer Lingus, Dove/Unilever). Customer acquisition is community-led, driven by the Unit Locator, Parent Enquiry Forms, word-of-mouth referrals, and Regional Development Officer outreach. More than 1,500 girls are on waiting lists, indicating demand substantially exceeds current volunteer capacity.

Name

Irish Girl Guides

Legal name

Irish Girl Guides CLG

Website

https://irishgirlguides.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Irish Girl Guides is a not-for-profit youth development charity serving approximately 10,000 youth and adult members across 400+ volunteer-led Units in all 26 counties of Ireland. It delivers age-graded non-formal education programmes (ages 5-30) through a Journey Programme with badges, international travel, and partnerships in STEM, climate, and digital literacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Kids & Family Learning Workshops (Family Crafts, Junior Maker Classes) (THAJAKAO)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Non-formal education
• Girl guiding movement
• Youth leadership training
• Community volunteering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallaght

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Merchandise Sales: Sale of uniforms, badges, books, and accessories through online shop and two distribution centres (Dublin and Limerick). Products include age-specific uniforms for Ladybirds, Brownies, Guides, Senior Branch, and Leaders.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from youth and adult members. Referenced in parent communications about membership fee structure.
3. Fundraising: National and local fundraising campaigns, grant applications, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations. Long history of charitable fundraising for operations and capital projects.
4. Donations and Grants: Donations from individuals, corporate partners, government departments (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media), and grant programmes (Irish Aid, Pobal, South Dublin County Council).
5. Cottage and Venue Hire: Holiday cottages and campsites available for Irish and international Guide/Scout groups. Nine properties across Ireland generating venue hire revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Irish Girl Guides delivers non-formal educational programmes through a progressive Journey Programme structured across five age-appropriate branches: Ladybirds (5-7), Brownies (7-10), Guides (10-14), Senior Branch (14-30), and Trefoil Guild for adult members. The programmes are complemented by an e-commerce shop selling uniforms, badges and books, nine cottages and campsites providing accommodation across Ireland, and a National Training Centre in Dublin serving as operational headquarters.

Product overview

Irish Girl Guides operates a portfolio of interlocking programmes and services centred on its non-formal educational Journey Programme, structured across five age-appropriate branches: Ladybirds (5-7), Brownies (7-10), Guides (10-14), Senior Branch (14-30), and Trefoil Guild for adult members. These programmes are complemented by an e-commerce shop selling uniforms, badges, books and merchandise; nine cottages and campsites providing accommodation across Ireland; and a National Training Centre in Dublin serving as the operational headquarters with a distribution centre.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ladybirds Programme A three-year non-formal education programme for girls aged 5-7, featuring a progressive journey through Discover, Grow, and Fly badges designed to develop positive self-image and guiding values.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 youth and adult members served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gaisce – The President's AwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual Award Programme partnership allowing Senior Branch members to earn both IGG awards and Gaisce Award simultaneously. Bronze/Silver/Gold levels align with Star/Moon/Sun awards.
• FIRST LEGO LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEAM programme partnership engaging thousands of girls in coding, robotics. conNÉCKt team from Lucan won Best Team Placard at National Final 2026.
• Dublin City UniversitycoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner in FIRST LEGO League robotics and STEAM education initiatives
• Science Foundation IrelandcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner in Space Badges, Robotics Badges, LEGO camps and FIRST LEGO League
• Engineers IrelandcoreTechnology or IntegrationEngineering badges partnership providing STEM-focused badge programme for members
• TrocairecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDG 12 Responsible Consumerism badge in partnership with funding from Irish Aid. Game Changers 2026 climate action programme.
• Aer LingusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAviation badges partnership
• Vodafone FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHi Digital programme partnership teaching digital literacy skills to older people
• Dove (Unilever)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree Being Me body confidence and self-esteem badge programme
• European Movement IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurope badges partnership promoting EU awareness
• EirgridminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobotics Camp sponsorship
• NYCI (National Youth Council of Ireland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for National Youth Consultations on Human Rights and youth advocacy
• International Scout and Guide Fellowship (ISGF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrefoil Guild membership enabling international conferences, workshops and gatherings

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Scouting Ireland: Scouting Ireland is the national scouting organisation covering all of Ireland, with similar age-tiered sections, volunteer-led Units, badge-based progression, and outdoor activity programming. Direct competitor for parental volunteer time and youth participation in Ireland.
• Girlguiding UK: Girlguiding UK is the UK national member organisation of WAGGGS, offering the same age-tiered programme structure (Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers) to girls aged 5-18. It is the most direct functional peer to Irish Girl Guides given shared methodology, badge system, and WAGGGS affiliation.
• Girl Scouts of the USA: Girl Scouts of the USA is the largest WAGGGS member organisation, serving ~2 million youth across the US with badge-based progression, troop structure, and cookie/merchandise fundraising. Highly comparable business model (membership + product sales + donations) and member journey.
• Catholic Guides of Ireland (CIGA affiliate): Catholic Guides of Ireland is a parallel WAGGGS-affiliated guiding association operating in Ireland under the Council of Irish Guiding Associations (CIGA). It runs a similar girl-only, badge-based programme and competes with IGG for members and volunteers across the island.

Regional players

• Crosscare: Crosscare is a Dublin-based social care agency providing youth services, community programmes, and family support. Comparable in depending on government grants and donations to deliver youth-facing services within Ireland.
• YMCA Ireland: YMCA Ireland operates youth and family programmes across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with similar volunteer engagement and government grant funding. Comparable in scale and mission scope, serving overlapping youth demographics.
• Foróige: Foróige is Ireland's leading youth organisation, operating clubs and projects for young people aged 10-18. While co-ed rather than girl-only, it competes for the same volunteer base, government funding pools, and parental mindshare within the Irish youth development sector.

Others

• National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI): NYCI is the umbrella representative body for youth organisations in Ireland, of which IGG is a member. While not a direct peer, NYCI shapes funding flows and policy advocacy that materially affect IGG's operating environment.

Emerging players

• Plan International Ireland: Plan International Ireland focuses on girls' rights and gender equality globally, with an Irish fundraising and advocacy presence. Comparable in girls-empowerment mission and government/Irish Aid funding alignment, though operating model differs as an INGO rather than membership organisation.

Broad incumbents

• The Scout Association (UK): The Scout Association is the UK national scouting body, the largest youth organisation in the UK with ~500,000 members. Operates a co-ed model across Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Explorers with similar badge progression and volunteer-led structure. Relevant as a benchmark for operational scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IrishGirlGuides
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/IrishGirlGuides
• Facebookfacebook.com/irishgirlguides
• Instagraminstagram.com/irishgirlguides
• Pinterestbr.pinterest.com/irishgirlguides
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irish-girl-guides

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Irish Girl Guides