Girl Scouts Nation's Capital

What Girl Scouts Nation's Capital does

Girl Scouts Nation's Capital (GSCNC) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit and one of more than 100 local councils affiliated with Girl Scouts of the USA, founded in 1912. The council serves the Greater Washington Region, encompassing the District of Columbia and 25 counties across Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, and is described as the largest Girl Scout council in the nation. Its mission is delivered through a volunteer-led, troop-based model in which girls in kindergarten through 12th grade (organized into Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador levels) earn badges, pursue the Bronze/Silver/Gold Awards, participate in outdoor and STEM programming, and run the signature Girl Scout Cookie entrepreneurship program.

The council's core product portfolio is centered on the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, supported by eight camp properties across Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia (e.g., Camp Aquasco, Camp Coles Trip, Camp White Rock), four retail shops (Washington DC, Martinsburg WV, Centreville VA, Germantown MD) with online ordering, badge and journeys curriculum, the Cookie Program and Fall Product Program, and the multi-year Highest Awards pathway. Supporting offerings include the "Always a Girl Scout" alumni podcast, Experience Box supply kits for new troops, Get Ready with Girl Scouts early-engagement materials, financial assistance, and a portfolio of program-partner workshops with venues such as Hillwood Estate, the International Spy Museum, and Cupcakes and Lace.

Revenue is generated across five streams: membership dues ($65/yr youth, $30/yr adult, with prorated and extended-year variants), cookie sales and fall product sales run through the troop network, donations (SHARE, monthly giving, planned giving, birthday fundraisers), and retail merchandise. The technology stack is intentionally lean and composed of best-of-breed SaaS tools — Rallyhood for community engagement, Doubleknot for camp/event registration, girlscoutshop.com for retail, Zoom for virtual programming, and SurveyMonkey for partner surveys — rather than proprietary platforms. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: recruitment of girls and volunteers flows through the website, word-of-mouth, and community outreach via mygs.girlscouts.org, while large events (most prominently the 2026 National Girl Scout Convention in Washington, D.C., the first in 51 years) drive visibility and engagement. Governance is exercised by a volunteer board, with Kim R. Ford serving as CEO following the 2023 departure of long-tenured CEO Colleen Cibula.

Name

Girl Scouts Nation's Capital

Legal name

Girl Scouts Nation's Capital

Website

https://gscnc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Girl Scouts Nation's Capital is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the largest U.S. Girl Scout council, serving girls K-12 across Washington, D.C. and 25 counties in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia through volunteer-led troops, badge and camp programming, and the signature cookie entrepreneurship program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Leadership Programs

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Organizations & Club Administration (EDALAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK), Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI), Student Government & Leadership Programs (EDALAHAA)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Leadership development programs
• Camp and outdoor programs
• Cookie fundraising program
• Membership organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues collected from girl members ($65 per year for youth, $30 for adults). New member proration pricing available at $45 for girls and $30 for adults for current year membership through September 30, 2026, or extended year membership at $91 for girls and $42 for adults through September 30, 2027.
2. Cookie Sales Program: Girl Scout cookie sales are a major entrepreneurship program where troops sell cookies. Proceeds support troop activities and council operations. The council manages the Fall Product Program and Girl Scout Cookie Program with various cookie flavors and resources.
3. Fall Product Sales: The Fall Product Program provides another entrepreneurial opportunity for troops, in addition to cookie sales.
4. Donations and Contributions: The council accepts donations through various channels including the SHARE program, monthly giving, planned giving, birthday fundraisers, and general donations to support financial assistance and council programs.
5. Retail Shop Sales: The council operates retail shops selling badges, gear, uniforms, and Girl Scout essentials. Four shop locations across the region plus online ordering through girlscoutshop.com. Free shipping on orders over $99.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Girl Scouts Nation's Capital delivers the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to girls in kindergarten through 12th grade across the Greater Washington Region (DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia). Its core offerings include troop-based leadership programming, badge and journey curriculum, outdoor camp programs across eight properties, the annual Girl Scout Cookie entrepreneurship program, and the highest awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold). The council also operates retail shops selling uniforms, badges, and gear.

Product overview

Girl Scouts Nation's Capital operates as a youth development organization offering a comprehensive leadership development program through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. The core portfolio includes the Girl Scout Cookie Program (entrepreneurial skill-building), Camp Programs (outdoor adventures across eight properties), Badge and Journeys Program (leadership badges in STEM, outdoors, and life skills), and Highest Awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold). Supporting offerings include the Council Shop (retail badges and gear), Experience Box (troop supplies for new troops), Always a Girl Scout Podcast (alumni storytelling), and Get Ready with Girl Scouts (early engagement for K-1). The council serves the Greater Washington Region covering DC, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia through troop-based programming, council-run camps, special events, and volunteer resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Always a Girl Scout Podcast: A podcast from Girl Scouts Nation's Capital spotlighting the lifelong identity, skills, and community that begin in Girl Scouts.
• Outdoor Legacy Fund

Products and services

• Girl Scout Membership
• Girl Scout Cookie Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of Gold Award Girl Scouts say earning their Gold Award gave them skills to help succeed professionally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Soldiers' AngelsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2024Troops2Troops program partner receiving Girl Scout cookie donations to benefit veterans' hospitals through Soldiers' Angels organization.
• USO Metro WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2024Troops2Troops program partner receiving Girl Scout cookie donations to benefit military lounges in the Washington metro area.
• Build-A-Bear WorkshopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe council offers a Build-A-Bear partnership where Girl Scouts can create custom Build-A-Bear plush characters at council shops, allowing girls to personalize their Girl Scout experience with unique teddy bears.
• Hillwood Estate, Museum & GardensminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProgram partner offering badge workshops for Girl Scouts including Garden Journeys (Junior Gardener Badge), Flower Power (Junior Flowers Badge), In Faberge's Workshop (Craft and Tinker Badge), and Bridging Ceremonies. Fees: $10 per Girl Scout for badge workshops, $50 for troop bridging ceremonies.
• International Spy MuseumminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProgram partner offering badge workshops including Forensics in Espionage (Special Agent Badge for Cadettes), Sisterhood of Spies (Agent of Change Journey for Juniors), and Operation Code Cracker (Detective Badge for Juniors). Fee: $200/workshop for up to 10 Girl Scouts.
• Cupcakes and LaceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSewing studio and craft workshop offering year-round private troop badge sewing and crafting classes for all Girl Scout levels. Classes held Monday-Saturday with badges and fun patches offered for many Girl Scout activities.
• Rising TroublemakersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProgram partner offering the Rising Troublemakers reading guide based on Luvvie Ajayi Jones' Professional Troublemaker for tweens and teens. Includes reader's guide and reflection activities for Girl Scouts.
• Brandywine Assisted Living FacilityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrownie Troop 60033 has entered into a partnership with Brandywine Assisted Living for monthly visits, Bingo activities, and community service projects connecting generations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 4-H (National 4-H Council): USDA-affiliated youth development organization delivering STEM, outdoor, civic, and agricultural programming through local clubs; directly comparable on programmatic categories (STEM, outdoors, leadership) and club-based delivery model.
• Boy Scouts of America (Scouts BSA): Co-ed youth development organization using a similar troop-based, badge-and-advancement model with outdoor programming. Most direct functional peer despite different demographic focus (boys/co-ed vs. girls).
• Camp Fire: National youth development organization delivering after-school, camp, and teen leadership programs through local councils; structurally identical model (membership org, local councils, outdoor programming, badges/achievements).
• Girl Scouts of Greater New York: Another large urban/suburban Girl Scout council; comparable in scale and revenue model, and a relevant operational benchmark for membership, volunteer pipeline, and camp utilization metrics.
• Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania: Sister Girl Scout council serving western PA with comparable program portfolio (camps, retail, cookies, badges); useful benchmark for operational scale and revenue model among large regional councils.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth-serving nonprofit operating local club facilities with after-school programming, leadership development, and youth memberships; competes for the same parent/guardian discretionary spending and volunteer base.

Emerging players

• National Audubon Society: National conservation nonprofit with youth education programming (Audubon Adventure, school partnerships); competes for outdoor-education mindshare and family engagement dollars within the same regional demographic.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA: Large established youth and family services organization operating camps, after-school care, swim, and youth sports programs; overlaps with GSNC on summer camp and youth programming offerings in the same regional markets.
• Girl Scouts of the USA: National umbrella organization that GSNC operates under; sets the badge curriculum, brand standards, and national programming (Gold Award, cookie program) that the council executes locally. Directly comparable as the parent of the same youth development model.

Others

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit focused on one-to-one mentorship rather than troop-based programming; competes for the same donor and volunteer pools targeting youth development outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/GSCNC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GSCNC/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/gscnc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gscnc
• Instagraminstagram.com/gscnc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Nation's Capital