Girl Scouts of Western New York

What Girl Scouts of Western New York does

Girl Scouts of Western New York (GSWNY) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional council of Girl Scouts of the USA, headquartered in Buffalo, New York, and serving more than 10,000 youth members and 6,000 adult volunteers across nine Western New York counties. The organization delivers structured youth development programming spanning leadership, STEM, entrepreneurship, outdoor skills, and community service, with a documented progression pathway from Daisy (kindergarten–first grade) through Ambassador (grades 11–12). Core products include the Girl Scout Cookie Program, Summer Camp Programs (Day, Overnight, and Group Camp), Badge in a Box kits, Troop Badge & Journey rental kits, Council Patches, Community Program Connections, and recurring Tech Badge Days hosted with Women in Computing at Rochester Institute of Technology. Supplementary support services include Financial Assistance, Troop Finance Management, and First Aid/CPR training for volunteers.

The underlying technology stack is built on third-party platforms rather than proprietary infrastructure. GSWNY relies on the national MyGS portal for membership registration, renewal, event sign-up, and volunteer toolkit access, and on Cheddar Up as an integrated digital payment collection tool linked to troop bank accounts. The organization also accepts American Red Cross and EPIC Trainings First Aid/CPR certifications. Distribution is hybrid: digital channels (MyGS, Cheddar Up, social media, email newsletters, blog) are paired with four physical service centers in Buffalo, Rochester, Lockport, and Jamestown, plus cookie booth sales, door-to-door cookie campaigns, and residential/day camp facilities.

Revenue is generated through five principal streams: annual membership dues and lifetime memberships (subscription-like recurring), the Girl Scout Cookie Program (transaction-based), the Fall Product Program covering nuts and magazines (transaction-based), program fees and camp revenue (one-time), and donations including annual fund, campership fund, council opportunity fund, and planned giving. GTM motion is community-led, with recruitment driven through schools, local organizations, religious institutions, volunteer-formed troops, and event-based programming such as Tech Badge Days and golf clinics. The customer base consists primarily of youth members (Daisies through Ambassadors), adult volunteer troop leaders, and parents/caregivers, with regional employers serving as indirect beneficiaries of the workforce development pipeline.

Name

Girl Scouts of Western New York

Legal name

Girl Scouts of Western New York

Website

https://gswny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Girl Scouts of Western New York is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional council of Girl Scouts of the USA, serving over 10,000 youth members and 6,000 adult volunteers across nine Western New York counties with leadership, STEM, entrepreneurship, and outdoor programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

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 curriculum
• STEM badge education
• Summer camp programs
• Entrepreneurship fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Registration: Annual membership fees for youth and adult members, including lifetime memberships. Revenue supports council operations and programming.
2. Girl Scout Cookie Program: Council-sponsored product sales where girls sell cookies, learning entrepreneurship skills. Proceeds fund troop activities and council operations.
3. Fall Product Program: Council-authorized product sales (nuts, magazines, etc.) alongside cookie program, providing additional fundraising opportunities for troops.
4. Program Fees and Camp Revenue: Fees for council-sponsored programs, summer camp registrations, badge in a box kits, and troop resource rentals.
5. Donations and Planned Giving: Charitable contributions including annual fund, campership fund, council opportunity fund, and planned giving/legacy donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Girl Scouts of Western New York is a regional 501(c)(3) nonprofit council of Girl Scouts of the USA that delivers structured youth development programming to girls in grades K-12 across nine Western New York counties. Its primary offerings include troop-led leadership and badge curriculum, the annual Girl Scout Cookie and Fall Product entrepreneurship programs, summer day/overnight/group camps, STEM Tech Badge Days, and at-home Badge-in-a-Box kits. Operations are supported by four service centers (Buffalo, Rochester, Lockport, Jamestown) and the national MyGS digital platform.

Product overview

Girl Scouts of Western New York is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization serving over 10,000 youth members and 6,000 adult volunteers across nine counties. The organization operates as a platform-plus-program portfolio model combining core programming (troop meetings, cookie sales, summer camps) with supplementary modules (Badge in a Box, Troop Badge & Journey in a Box kits, council patches) and community partnerships. Programs span leadership development, STEM education, entrepreneurship (via the Cookie Program), outdoor skills, and life skills. Delivery mechanisms include in-person troop meetings, council-sponsored events, at-home kits, community partner programs, and residential/day camps.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Girl Scout Cookie Program Annual cookie sales program serving as an early-stage business incubator that teaches participants essential entrepreneurship skills including sales, marketing, budgeting, and customer engagement. Available to registered Girl Scout members in Western New York.
• Fall Product Program Annual fall product sales program (nuts, magazines, and similar items) for Girl Scout troops, providing additional fundraising opportunities alongside the cookie program. Available to registered Girl Scout troops and members in Western New York.
• Summer Camp Programs Year-round outdoor programming including Day Camp, Overnight Camp, Group Camp, and Taste of Camp experiences for girls across all Girl Scout grade levels (Daisy through Ambassador) in Western New York.
• Badge in a Box At-home badge kits that include supplies needed to complete a badge, an easy-to-follow activity guide, and the badge itself. Available for pickup at service centers or shipped for a fee. Pricing per kit, with grant funds reducing cost to $5.00 in eligible areas.
• Troop Badge and Journey in a Box Rental Kits Rental kits for troops to complete badges or journeys, including supplies and activity guides. Includes robotics, cybersecurity, outdoor art, and Think Like a Programmer Journey kits for various grade levels. $25 rental fee (Girl Scout Ways kit $10); non-consumable supplies must be returned.
• Council Patches Patch programs created for Girl Scouts covering diverse interests including STEM, DEI, local history, and community engagement. Includes specialty patches like Citizenship Counts, Four Pillars of Girl Scouts, and neurodiversity patches. Available for purchase by registered members.
• Community Program Connections Programs provided through community business and organization partnerships across the nine-county service area, featuring offerings in STEM, art, animals, and other interest areas. Collaborators design programs and work directly with troops. Available to registered Girl Scout troops.
• Financial Assistance Programs Need-based financial assistance available to registered members for uniforms, registration, council programs, adult trainings, and council-sponsored trips. Funded through the Council Opportunity Fund and other council aid programs.
• First Aid and CPR Training Training programs for volunteers delivered through partnership with EPIC Trainings, providing blended online and in-person certification courses (American Red Cross certification also accepted). $50 per person blended learning course (50% GSWNY perk rate), valid for 2 years. Required for troop activities.
• Troop Finance Management Resources Resources and training for troop leaders to teach girls financial management skills, including budget worksheets, bank account setup guidance, and annual finance reporting. Provided to troop leaders as part of council volunteer support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 52% of female business leaders were Girl Scouts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Women in Computing at Rochester Institute of Technology (WiC at RIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Women in Computing at RIT to host Tech Badge Days for Girl Scouts. Women mentors from the computing program guide Girl Scouts through STEM activities on the RIT campus, earning badges while exploring technology careers. Multiple events hosted annually for Daisies through Cadettes, fostering early interest in tech fields and connecting girls with women role models in computing.
• The First Tee Western New YorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to host golf clinics for Girl Scouts in the Buffalo area. The First Tee coaches provide hands-on golf instruction through interactive skill stations designed for beginners. Event held at South Park Golf Course, introducing Girl Scouts to the sport in a supportive environment.
• EPIC TrainingscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with EPIC Trainings to provide First Aid and CPR certification courses for volunteers at discounted rates (50% off). EPIC offers blended learning with online coursework plus in-person skills sessions. Weekly sessions in Rochester and bi-weekly in Buffalo provide convenient access for volunteers across the region.
• Cheddar UpcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital payment platform partnership enabling troops and service units to collect online payments for activities, events, supplies, and camp registration. The integration links Cheddar Up accounts to troop bank accounts for seamless fund management.
• Community Program Connections PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of local businesses and organizations providing Girl Scout programming opportunities across the nine-county region. Programs span STEM, art, animals, and other interest areas, with partners collaborating directly with troops to schedule activities.
• American Red CrossminorStrategic or Co-development Partner认可机构 for First Aid and CPR training that meets GSWNY requirements. GSWNY accepts American Red Cross certification as an approved training provider alongside EPIC Trainings.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo: Direct local peer serving youth in the Buffalo market with after-school programs, sports leagues, and youth development services. Operates in the same geographic footprint as GSWNY headquarters, creating direct competition for youth members, parent volunteers, and donor support.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth-serving organization with broader scope including after-school programs, sports leagues, and academic enrichment. Operates local affiliate clubs (including in Buffalo) that compete with GSWNY for youth programming time, parent volunteerism, and donor funding, though not specifically girl-focused.
• YMCA of the USA: National youth-serving organization with comparable summer camp, sports, and youth development programming. The YMCA of Greater Buffalo operates in the same Western New York geography as GSWNY, directly competing for youth memberships, volunteer hours, and family discretionary spend.
• Girl Scouts of the USA: National parent organization of GSWNY; serves as both an operational backer and a strategic constraint. Provides the MyGS platform, national curriculum, brand, and policy framework while setting programming standards and allocating national-level resources.

Others

• National Audubon Society: National conservation organization operating youth nature and outdoor education programs analogous to GSWNY's outdoor programming line. While not a direct competitor for troop-based youth development, Audubon competes for the same outdoor-programming dollars and family interest in nature-based enrichment experiences.

Direct peers

• Jack and Jill of America: National membership organization serving youth and families through leadership development, cultural programming, and educational enrichment. Operates through local chapters with parent-volunteer delivery model analogous to Girl Scout troops, targeting a partially overlapping demographic.
• Scouting America: Formerly Boy Scouts of America, Scouting America is the most direct peer offering badge-driven youth development for K-12 youth with similar troop structures, summer camps, and national branding. Both organizations compete for the same parent-volunteer-youth member cohort across overlapping age ranges.
• Camp Fire: National youth development organization with comparable mission around building confident, capable youth through outdoor programs, leadership, and community service. Camp Fire offers similar badge/progression structures and summer camp operations and serves a directly overlapping target demographic.
• 4-H (National 4-H Council): National youth development organization delivering leadership, STEM, and civic engagement programming through club-based models. 4-H competes with GSWNY for parent mindshare, volunteer engagement, and youth enrichment time, with similar badge/project-based progression and county-level delivery.
• Police Athletic League (PAL): National youth development organization offering sports, educational, and cultural programs with similar badge/clubs structures and volunteer-driven delivery. PAL serves youth in urban markets overlapping GSWNY's community-based recruitment geography and competes for the same at-risk youth member base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/girlscoutswny
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZOMEQnqJEZ4RusIZPfyPXA
• Facebookfacebook.com/gswny
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/girl-scouts-of-western-new-york
• Instagraminstagram.com/girlscoutswny

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Western New York