Stand Up, Stand Out
2018 GSSNE COOKIE PROGRAM
I
n mid-November, GSSNE celebrated 101 years
of Girl Scouts selling cookies with a kick-off
celebration. Over 100 dedicated volunteers
gathered together over breakfast to hear about
the amazing accomplishments achieved by
our girls, parents, and volunteers that are made
possible by the Girl Scout Cookie Program. They
were greeted by the 2018 Honorary Cookie Chair,
Gail Alofsin, who shared inspiring words and
what was new for 2018. Gail is a Girl Scout alum,
educator, author, and GSSNE Leading Women of
Distinction honoree.
In January, more than 600 volunteers, girls, and
family members took part in the Annual Cookie
Rally! The event featured a variety of hands-on
activities to help prepare girls for the cookie sale.
These activities focused on the 5 Essential Skills
that girls learn by participating in the Girl Scout
Cookie Program. These skills are Business Ethics,
Money Management, People Skills, Goal Setting,
and Decision Making.
ABC Bakers launched a new order management
platform for cookies in 2018 called Smart
Cookies. Smart Cookies enables the council,
volunteers, and girls to manage all aspects of
the cookie business. This platform includes
inventory management, tracking financial
transactions, the ability to send e-cards to
customers, set and track goals, and manage
recognitions and proceeds.
Troops donated over 3,000 packages to local
military organizations through the virtual cookie
share feature in Smart Cookies and also sold
44,148 in packages of cookies using online and
mobile devices.
GSSNE was one of three councils that took part
in a pilot through GSUSA and First Data called
Frictionless Transactions. Approximately 20
troops were given Clover Go credit card processing
devices to use at cookie booths throughout the
season. The results of this pilot were outstanding,
with participating troops experiencing a 20+ PGA
lift in package sales and these sales resulted in
over $8,000 in additional revenue. The ultimate
goal is not only to be able to process credit and
debit card sales, but also to track progress and
ultimately invoice customers. We are working
toward less money handling and a greater focus
on managing the sale for our volunteers and girls.
Each year, GSSNE selects a local organization to be
the recipient of the annual Cookie Sale Community
Service Project to teach girls the importance
of giving back to the community and to learn
about other non-profits in the area. Troops can
choose to donate a portion of their proceeds to
the organization. In 2018, The Confetti Foundation
was chosen to be the recipient. The mission of The
Confetti Foundation is to supply birthday parties
to children who have to spend their birthday in
a hospital, pediatric oncology clinic, or hospice
facility. Troops donated $3,190.54 to this worthy
cause to help provide positive memories and
normalcy during a difficult time.