BEDFORD, NH – Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains has launched the 2019 Girl Scout Cookie season, celebrating the largest financial investment in girls annually in the United States and a powerful entrepreneurship incubator for the next generation of female leaders.
At a time when girls’ needs and issues collect fewer than eight cents of every dollar granted by philanthropic foundations in the country, each and every Girl Scout Cookie purchase is key to supporting the change-makers of today and tomorrow.
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu will elevate the importance of this program by proclaiming Feb. 22-24 as Girl Scout Cookie Weekend in New Hampshire.
Girl Scouts have been busy selling cookies online since January, with deliveries to take place starting Feb. 15. As of today, booth sales begin, running through March 25, where you can buy cookies directly from Girl Scouts in your hometown.
Find your cookies at girlscoutscookies.org
Research shows that female-founded start-ups generate more revenue over time and per dollar than male-founded start-ups, but only 17 percent of start-ups are female-founded. Given that over half (53 percent) of female entrepreneurs and business owners are Girl Scout alums, supporting Girl Scouts as they make sales and learn essential business skills is imperative to ensuring our country has a strong workforce and economy.
Girl Scouts are doing remarkable things made possible by each and every cookie sale. Brownies in Newton, New Hampshire, have created and posted signs marking a walking trail. A troop in Winooski, Vermont, is earning a trip to Costa Rica to do conservation work, are working to prevent suicide, and have been awarded a year’s supply of feminine hygiene products to help less fortunate girls get access to needed supplies. A Gold Award Girl Scout in Pelham, New Hampshire, has created a mentoring program to help students improve their SAT scores. The Girl Scout Leadership Experience has also resulted in one Gold Award Girl Scout, Cassandra Levesque of Barrington, New Hampshire, to change the law in her state to raise the legal age of marriage to 16 and gain the skills and desire necessary to win a seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives while beginning her college education.
Through the Girl Scout Cookie Program®, girls not only discover their inner leadership potential but also use their earnings to power amazing experiences for themselves and their troop, including travel, outdoor adventure, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programming. Many girls put the money toward impactful community projects right in their own backyards, from supporting animal shelters and food banks to working with local and state legislators to change laws. And the cookie program’s benefits are many; a recent Girl Scout Research Institute study found that two out of three girls who participate in the program learn five crucial skills—goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics—while doing incredible things for themselves and their communities. The proceeds stay local, meaning that when consumers purchase the delicious cookies that come from a registered Girl Scout only, they’re giving back to their wider community.
However, girls’ cookie proceeds alone aren’t enough to power the Girl Scout Movement—investing in girls is important year-round, not just during cookie season.
And Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains is celebrating a tasty way to support young female entrepreneurs with the return of the Toffee-tastic® cookie to the 2019 lineup. Toffee-tastic, which joins classics like the Thin Mints®, Samoas®, and Trefoils® varieties, is a gluten-free option introduced in 2015 that features a rich, buttery cookie with sweet, crunchy, golden toffee bits.
To find Girl Scouts selling cookies near you, visit http://bit.ly/GScookiefind or use the official Girl Scout Cookie Finder app, free on iOS and Android devices.
About Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains is recognized throughout New Hampshire and Vermont as a leading expert on girls. Our Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a one-of-a-kind leadership development program for girls, with proven results. It is based on time-tested methods and research-backed programming that helps girls take the lead—in their own lives and in the world. Through our exciting and challenging programs, Girl Scouts not only participate but also take the lead in a range of activities—from kayaking, archery, and camping, to coding, robotics, financial literacy training, and beyond! Serving more than 10,000 girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont, girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org.