Every girl deserves an empowering leadership experience like Girl
Scouts and local sponsors can help councils make that vision a
reality. Community organizations, businesses, religious organizations,
and individuals may be sponsors and may provide group meeting places,
volunteer their time, offer in-kind donations, provide activity
materials, or loan equipment. Encourage your girls to celebrate a
sponsor’s contribution to the troop by sending thank-you cards,
inviting the sponsor to a meeting or ceremony, or working together on
a Take Action project.
For information on working with a sponsor, consult your
council; they can give you guidance on the availability of sponsors,
recruiting guidelines, and any council policies or practices
that must be followed. Your council may already have relationships
with certain organizations, or may know of some reasons not to
collaborate with certain organizations.
Donations to Troops/Groups
Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania upholds the GSUSA fundraising and
donations policy in the Blue Book of Basic Documents. Troops, groups, or
service units ae NOT permitted to actively solicit charitable
donations specifically for their troop or service unit.
- “Adult members in their Girl Scout capacities may not solicit
financial contributions for purposes other than Girl Scouting.
Adults may engage in combined fundraising efforts authorized by the
Girl Scout council and in which the local council is a
beneficiary.”
- What this means: If adult Girl Scout
members get council approval to fundraise, all monies must go to
Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania not a troop/service
unit/group.
- Girl members may not engage in
any direct solicitation for money except for Girl Scout Seniors and
Ambassadors, who may solicit philanthropic donations to their
councils of cash or in-kind goods for Girl Scout Gold Award
projects, provided they have secured prior written permission from
their council's Chief Executive Officer, Chief Development Officer,
or their designee.
- For more detail on the Gold Award Project
Fundraising Policy & Procedure, contact Girl Scouts Western
Pennsylvania at 800-248-3355 or customercare@gswpa.org.
Exception: Troops and service units are permitted to accept
unsolicited donations.
- Donations below $250, you may accept them and deposit them
into your troop/group account; a thank-you note is encouraged when
possible.
-
Donations of $250 or more must be sent directly to
the Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania corporate office for proper
processing and acknowledgment required by the IRS
- For donors to claim a tax deduction for gifts of $250 or
more, they must receive a written acknowledgment from the
organization.
- Troops/groups cannot provide a tax letter;
only the Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania corporate office.
- Any checks should be made payable to ‘Girl Scouts Western
Pennsylvania’ with the troop/group # in the memo so they can be
processed and redistributed.
- A 10% (up to $25)
processing fee will be assessed.
For more detail on the Donations to Troops Policy & Procedure,
please contact Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania at 800-248-3355
or customercare@gswpa.org.
When collaborating with any other organization, keep these
additional guidelines in mind:
Avoid fundraising for other organizations: Girl Scouts are not
allowed to solicit money on behalf of another organization when
identifying ourselves as Girl Scouts (such as wearing a uniform, a
sash or vest, official pins, and so on). This includes participating
in a walkathon or telethon while in uniform. However, you and your
group can support another organization through take-action
projects. Girl Scouts as individuals are able to participate in
whatever events they choose, as long as they’re not wearing anything
that officially identifies them as “Girl Scouts.”
Steer clear of political fundraisers: When in an official Girl
Scout capacity or in any way identifying yourselves as Girl Scouts,
your group may not participate (directly or indirectly) in any
political campaign or work on behalf of or in opposition to a
candidate for public office. Letter-writing campaigns are not allowed,
nor is participating in a political rally, circulating a petition, or
carrying a political banner.
Be respectful when collaborating with religious
organizations: Girl Scout groups must respect the opinions and
practices of religious partners, but no girl should be required to
take part in any religious observance or practice of the sponsoring group.
Avoid selling or endorsing commercial products: “Commercial
products” is any product sold at a retail location. Since 1939, girls
and volunteers have not been allowed to endorse, provide a testimonial
for, or sell such products.