Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts

What Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts does

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional council of Girl Scouts of the USA, headquartered at 265 Beaver Street in Waltham, Massachusetts, and serving approximately 20,000 youth members across Eastern Massachusetts. Incorporated in Massachusetts and operating under a Congressional Charter held by its national parent, GSEMA delivers the Girl Scout Leadership Experience across K-12 grade levels — Daisies through Ambassadors — through volunteer-led troops, service units, summer camps (Camp Cedar Hill and Camp Wind in the Pines), and specialty programming in STEM, outdoor skills, entrepreneurship, and community service. The council operates a tiered progression culminating in Bronze, Silver, and Gold Highest Awards, with over 600 Gold Award recipients since 2008.

GSEMA runs its operations on the digital platform stack provided by GSUSA, including the MyGS member portal for registrations and renewals, gsLearn for volunteer training, the Volunteer Toolkit for troop planning, GoGold Online for Gold Award administration, and the Digital Cookie platform for online cookie sales. The organization is primarily volunteer-driven, with a small staff at the Waltham headquarters, and supplements delivery through community locations such as schools, churches, and community centers.

The revenue model combines annual membership fees ($90 youth, $30 adult, October through September), one-time lifetime memberships ($400 standard, $200 reduced), the flagship Girl Scout Cookie Program (physical booths plus Digital Cookie), a Fall Product Program (nut mixes), camp and program fees, shop merchandise sales, and a diversified fundraising apparatus spanning individual giving, corporate partnerships, the Women's Advisory Network, Emerald Circle, planned giving, and special events including the 33+ year-old Leading Women Awards, Golf for Girl Scouts, Cookies & Cocktails, and the Falmouth Road Race team. Key strategic partners include General Motors (Girl Scout Experience Box), Citizens Bank (troop banking), the Connecticut Sun WNBA (Girl Scout Day), and ASICS Falmouth Road Race (Numbers for Nonprofits).

Name

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts

Legal name

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, Inc.

Website

https://gsema.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts is a 501(c)(3) regional council serving roughly 20,000 youth members across Eastern Massachusetts through volunteer-led troops, camps, and programs in leadership, STEM, outdoors, and entrepreneurship funded by memberships, cookie sales, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA), STEM & Science Camps (Biology, Chemistry, Space, Lab Science) (EDAMALAC), Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO), Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Girl scouting membership
• Leadership education
• Outdoor summer camps
• Nonprofit volunteer services

Headquarters

HQ city

Waltham

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: Annual membership fees fund council operations and GSUSA national membership. Youth membership includes $65 GSUSA fee plus $25 GSEMA Council Service Fee.
2. Girl Scout Cookie Program: The flagship entrepreneurship program where Girl Scouts sell cookies. Proceeds support troop activities and council programming. Includes both in-person booth sales and Digital Cookie online platform.
3. Fall Product Program: Council-run product program offering nut mixes and other items for fall sales, providing another revenue stream for troops
4. Camp and Program Fees: Fees for summer camp sessions, day camp, troop adventures, and program events. Financial assistance (camperships) available.
5. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through Annual Giving, Corporate Partners, Women's Advisory Network, Emerald Circle, Planned Giving, and Campership Fund. Special fundraising events include Golf for Girl Scouts, Cookies & Cocktails, Leading Women Awards, and Falmouth Road Race team participation.
6. GSEMA Shop Sales: Council shop selling Girl Scout merchandise, uniforms, badges, awards, and regalia including graduation items
7. Lifetime Membership: One-time lifetime membership fees of $400 (or $200 for qualifying alums and volunteers) are tax-deductible donations supporting the organization's long-term financial sustainability

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts delivers youth leadership development programming for approximately 20,000 girls in grades K-12 through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, including badge and Journey curriculum, Highest Awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold), summer camps, troop adventures, and the annual Girl Scout Cookie entrepreneurship program. The council also provides volunteer training through gsLearn and membership management via the MyGS portal, all operated as a 501(c)(3) regional council under Girl Scouts of the USA.

Product overview

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts operates a unified youth development platform delivering membership management, educational programming, and volunteer support services. The core offering centers on the MyGS Portal for membership administration, paired with gsLearn for volunteer training and the Volunteer Toolkit for troop planning. The product portfolio includes Badges and Journeys for skill-building, Highest Awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold) for leadership recognition, Summer Camp Programs, the Girl Scout Cookie Program, and Troop Adventures. Add-on offerings include the Girl Scout Experience Box for new Daisy and Brownie troops. All offerings are integrated through the council's website and member portals, supporting nearly 20,000 youth members across Eastern Massachusetts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Youth Membership Annual subscription membership for girls in grades K-12, granting access to troops, programs, badge curriculum, council events, camps, and the cookie program. Priced at $90 per year with financial aid available.
• Annual Adult Membership Annual subscription membership for adult volunteers enabling service as troop leaders, service unit volunteers, and council committee members. Priced at $30 per year with no council service fee.
• Lifetime Membership One-time perpetual membership providing lifetime Girl Scout membership, available at $400 standard or $200 for qualifying alums under 30 and volunteers with 10+ years of service. Treated as a tax-deductible donation.
• Badges and Journeys Program Skill-building award curriculum covering hundreds of badge options across STEM, Outdoor, Creative Arts, Life Skills, Entrepreneurship, and Community Service categories for all Girl Scout grade levels.
• Highest Awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold) Prestigious leadership awards recognizing Girl Scouts who complete community action projects: Bronze Award (Juniors), Silver Award (Cadettes), and Gold Award (Seniors/Ambassadors). GSEMA has produced over 600 Gold Award recipients since 2008.
• Summer Camp Programs Day camp and overnight camp experiences at GSEMA-owned properties including Camp Cedar Hill and Camp Wind in the Pines, offering outdoor adventure activities. Financial assistance (camperships) is available.
• Girl Scout Cookie Program Annual cookie sales program where Girl Scouts sell cookies through physical booth locations and the Digital Cookie online platform, teaching goal-setting, money management, and entrepreneurship skills. Proceeds support troop activities and council programming.
• Fall Product Program Council-run fall product program offering nut mixes and other items for troop sales, providing an additional fundraising revenue stream for troops.
• GSEMA Shop Council shop selling Girl Scout merchandise, uniforms, badges, awards, and regalia including graduation stoles, tassels, and cords.
• Troop Adventures Field trips, camping experiences, property reservations, and activity programming for troops throughout the council.
• Teen Leadership Opportunities Leadership development programs for older Girl Scouts including Youth Board Member positions, National Delegate roles, and GSUSA Youth Girl Scout Advisory Board participation.
• STEM on the Go Mobile STEM programming bringing science, technology, engineering, and math activities to Girl Scout troops and communities.

Named customers2 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• General Motors (GM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneral Motors is a national partner that makes the Girl Scout Experience Box possible nationally. GM's support enables GSEMA and other councils to provide monthly supply boxes filled with step-by-step instructions, ready-to-go supplies, and meeting script suggestions to new Daisy and Brownie troop leaders.
• Citizens BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSEMA has an agreement with Citizens Bank where Girl Scout troops opening bank accounts will not be charged a monthly fee. This partnership supports troop financial management.
• Connecticut Sun (WNBA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGSEMA partners with the Connecticut Sun WNBA team for Girl Scout Day events, where Girl Scouts from across New England attend games with exclusive patches and post-game panel access.
• ASICS Falmouth Road RaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGSEMA participates in the Numbers for Nonprofits Program at the ASICS Falmouth Road Race, recruiting runners to join Team Run Like a Girl Scout with guaranteed race entry in exchange for fundraising commitments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• 4-H (National Headquarters, USDA/NIFA): USDA-affiliated youth development organization with STEM, civic, and outdoor programs delivered via cooperative extension. Overlaps with GSEMA on badges-equivalent learning pathways.

Direct peers

• Girl Scouts of Connecticut: Neighboring New England Girl Scout council with an overlapping service population, identical programming framework, and shared partnerships (e.g., Connecticut Sun events).
• Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana: Another large urban/suburban regional Girl Scout council operating the same badge, cookie, camp, and Highest Awards model under GSUSA. Directly comparable in mission, programs, and revenue mix.
• Girl Scouts of New York: Large metropolitan Girl Scout council serving the New York region with the same troop, camp, and Gold Award structure. Closest geographic-adjacent peer in scale and program mix.
• Camp Fire (formerly Camp Fire Girls of America): Historic co-ed youth-development organization with a comparable mission of leadership, outdoor, and SEL programming. Shares the same customer type and volunteer-led model.
• Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania: Another similarly sized regional Girl Scout council with comparable badge, camp, and cookie programming across a multi-county service area.

Broad incumbents

• Boy Scouts of America (Scouting America): The largest sibling scouting organization in the U.S., serving co-ed youth with merit-badge curricula, camping, and leadership awards. Overlaps with GSEMA on outdoor programming and family mindshare.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth-development nonprofit serving elementary and teen members through after-school programming, leadership, and outdoor activities. Competes for the same youth and family time/share.
• YMCA of Greater Boston: Local YMCA chapter offering youth programming, summer camps, swim, and leadership activities. Comparable in serving Eastern Massachusetts families and operating camp properties.

Others

• American Camp Association: Industry association that accredits summer camps and sets safety/program standards. Adjacent to GSEMA's camp operations and an industry reference point rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GirlScoutsEMass
• Facebookfacebook.com/girlscoutsemass
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/girlscoutsemass
• Instagraminstagram.com/girlscoutsemass

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 of Eastern Massachusetts