Cookie Update
Dear Cookie Volunteers,
Given the shortened cookie season for several councils throughout
the country, GSUSA has deployed a reimagined online cookie
campaign!
The Girl Scouts Cookie Care campaign encourages cookie supporters to
go online and purchase donated cookies or purchase cookies to be
shipped directly to their home. Girl Scouts will be able to distribute
them to first responders, frontline volunteers, and local causes in
need when it is safe to do so.
GSUSA created an online Virtual Cookie Booth campaign to push out to
the general public to support local councils with their large amounts
of remaining inventory. Councils have already purchased these cookies
from the baker, and will need to sell these packages to help relieve
the financial burden to avoid affecting program delivery and
operations.
As part of this campaign, GSUSA will have a cookie landing page with
the theme “Eat. Share. Show Communities We Care.” On the landing page,
visitors can select the buy or donate button and they will be taken to
a national Cookie Finder, where they will enter their zip code. Once
their zip code is entered, they will be directed to a Council Digital
page closest to their council. From the Council Digital page, visitors
can purchase cookies to be shipped to them or donate cookies that will
be allocated and delivered through a combination of efforts by Girl
Scouts across the country. In Utah, these will be cookies from our
remaining inventory, and cookie cupboards. The program has now
launched nationally and includes GSU on their site. See the site
here.
How can we partcipate, and what does this mean for us?
All troops were given the opportunity to choose one of three options
for their cookie sale. They chose between: keeping their inventory for
a future relaunch; returning their cookies to GSU; or reporting that
their sale was complete for the 2020 season. For the approximately 100
troops who chose to keep their inventory, this new opportunity is
considered the official relaunch. Although we know many troops would
love to participate now in this new opportunity, at this time, our
focus for this program will be the troops who chose to keep and sell
their existing inventory.
We appreciate all troops understanding this process, and helping us
spread the word and your sister Girl Scouts! When customers purchase
or donate cookies, this helps other girls with their remaining
cookies. This also helps reduce the financial burden of the large
number of cookies remaining in the cupboards, and the cookie buybacks
from troops. These cookies have already been paid in full by Girl
Scouts of Utah to the baker.
Troops With Inventory
This option is only for troops who selected to participate in the
relaunch of the cookie program.
While we have cookies in the cupboard, our top and number-one
priority of this Cookie Care campaign is to ensure that all troops
with remaining cookies are given the opportunity to complete the
Cookie Program and have their financial obligations met in full.
In the next few days, a member of our Volunteer Support team will be
reaching out to each Troop Cookie Manager to confirm how many packages
are left in inventory.
As cookies are purchased or donated through our online site, we will
work with individual troops to deplete their unsold inventory by
marking for donation. This will be done as an equal percentage to
distribute fairly among participating troops.
When a customer chooses to have cookies shipped directly to their
home, these are shipped from the warehouse, not from our council
cupboard. However, we will be honoring these sales and considering
these “donated” cookies from each troop. In essence, we are donating
one package of cookies for each package purchased online and will help
fulfill troops’ outstanding inventory.
We will also have the option for donors to use a link to donate cash
for cookies directly on our website. Both options are available on
this site.
In the event that we do not sell through our troops’ existing
inventory, we will look at additional strategies to complete the sale.
Your troop can take this learning and teambuilding opportunity to
pick which Hometown Heroes – first responders, healthcare workers, and
those working tirelessly in the community during this crisis – will
get your donated cookies.
Once it becomes safe to do so, your troop can plan an outing to
deliver these cookies. Please DO NOT deliver these cookies until you
are informed by our council that it is safe to do so. Delivering
cookies before given approval portrays an image of unsafe behavior
that does not reflect positively on Girl Scouts.
Promote this website to all of your friends and family, letting them
know that their #virtualcookiebooth purchases and donations will
directly help girls in your troop. Sample messaging is available
below, as well as links to social media graphics.
This is inclusive of ALL cookies in the market: cookies with troop
leaders, and cookies with individual girls.
However, if you still have cookies that are meant to fulfill a
Digital Cookie girl-delivery order, you must keep those cookies to be
delivered to the paying customer as soon as it becomes safe to do so
Activity Credits & Proceeds
Troops who already chose to keep their inventory for a future
relaunch are being made “whole,” meaning they will be receiving the
Activity Credits and proceeds on time, as if the cookies had already
been sold. Activity Credits will still go out in the beginning of May,
as scheduled.
Girls with Digital Cookie Girl-Delivery Orders Still Not Delivered
Please keep these cookies to deliver once it becomes safe to do so
and GSU approves deliveries. Please see #9 above.
Troops Who Indicated Their Sale Was Complete or Returned Cookies to GSU
Please help us spread the word and help your sister Girl Scouts!
When customers purchase or donate cookies, this helps other girls with
their remaining cookies. This also helps reduce the financial burden
of the large number of cookies remaining in the cupboards, and the
cookie buybacks from troops. These cookies have already been paid in
full by Girl Scouts of Utah to the baker.
Public Support
Many people do not know a Girl Scout and don't want to leave their
homes. The general public can use the GSUSA Cookie Care program
mentioned above. There will be national advertising support behind
this campaign. Please send them this link:
https://www.gsutah.org/en/cookies/find-cookies.html
Troop Finances
Troops with outstanding balances with the council are working
individually on a case-by-case basis with GSU’s Sr. Director of
Finance. Thank you all for your patience as we worked through the
logistics of finalizing the sale.
Guidelines for Participating and Promoting the Cookie Care Program
- Please use the below messaging to help spread the word on your
personal social media accounts or through your personal email.
Because we are not sharing individual girl information and customers
are sent directly to the council site, you may post in any social
media groups.
- Use the supplied social media graphics, or
a photo of your troop at your cookie booths! You can find graphics
to use on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
- Please DO NOT
deliver these cookies until you are informed by our council that it
is safe to do so. As Girl Scouts, this portrays an image of unsafe
behavior that does not reflect positively on Girl Scouts. 99% of the
time, these would have been great opportunities for girls, but at
this time, this portrays Girl Scouts out in the community, putting
themselves in harm’s way.
- DO NOT CONTACT LOCAL MEDIA OR
LOCAL BLOGS. All media is being coordinated by our VP of
Communications, Callie Birdsall-Chambers. If a member of any media
outlet contacts you, please direct them to
cbirdsallchambers@gsutah.org or (801) 716-5137. Even if the member
of the media is a relative or friend, please direct them to
Callie.
Social Media Sample Messaging
Graphics for Facebook and Instagram can be found on our Facebook
page. Please feel free to share our posts or save the photo and use it
as your own. Using photos of your troop during the cookie season is
also a great way to tell our story!
FACEBOOK
Option A
Help our Girl Scout troop help Hometown Heroes! Our cookie booth
season ended early due to COVID-19, but we still have cookies! For
each box of cookies donated or purchased using this site, Girl Scouts
of Utah will help us donate a box of our remaining inventory! When it
is safe to do so, we will be taking these donated cookies to local
healthcare workers, first responders, and those working tirelessly in
our community during this crisis! #virtualcookiebooth
#gsuhometownheroes https://www.gsutah.org/en/cookies/find-cookies.html
Option B
Girl Scouts have suspended door-to-door sale and cookie booths, and
some of our sister Girl Scouts in Utah still had cookies to sell! For
each box of cookies donated or purchased using this site, Girl Scouts
of Utah will help area Girl Scouts donate a box of their remaining
inventory. You can have them shipped right to your door – or you can
choose to have them donated to our Hometown Heroes – local first
responders, healthcare workers, frontline workers, and local causes in
need. #virtualcookiebooth #gsuhometownheroes https://www.gsutah.org/en/cookies/find-cookies.html
INSTAGRAM
Option A
Help our Girl Scout troop help Hometown Heroes! Our cookie booth
season ended early due to COVID-19, but we still have cookies! For
each box of cookies donated or purchased using this site, @gsutah will
help us donate a box of our remaining inventory! When it is safe to do
so, we will be taking these donated cookies to local healthcare
workers, first responders, and those working tirelessly in our
community during this crisis! Visit www.gsutah.org #virtualcookiebooth #gsuhometownheroes
Option B
Girl Scouts have suspended door-to-door sale and cookie booths, and
some of our sister Girl Scouts in Utah still had cookies to sell! For
each box of cookies donated or purchased using this site, @gsutah will
help area Girl Scouts donate a box of their remaining inventory. You
can have them shipped right to your door – or you can choose to have
them donated to our Hometown Heroes – local first responders,
healthcare workers, frontline workers, and local causes in need. Visit
www.gsutah.org #virtualcookiebooth #gsuhometownheroes
TWITTER
Girl Scouts in Utah had to end cookie booths early, and some still
had cookies to sell! For each box of cookies donated or purchased
using this site, @gsutah will help area Girl Scouts donate a box of
their remaining inventory. Ship right to your door – or donate to our
Hometown Heroes – local first responders, healthcare workers,
frontline workers, and local causes in need. #virtualcookiebooth
#gsuhometownheroes https://www.gsutah.org/en/cookies/find-cookies.html
Questions?
Please contact us at (801) 265-8472 or info@gsutah.org if you have
any questions. As a reminder, a member of our Volunteer Support Team
will be contacting you in the next few days if your troop chose to
keep inventory and participate in our relaunch.