Can a Girl Scout Fund-Raiser be a Success Without Traditional Host Benefits?

[VeronicaW]

As requested, I'm submitting my FR experience! :balloon:

My sister, Treana, is a Girl Scout Leader and really wanted to have a TPC FR to raise funds for their trip to England next Summer, however GS cannot endorse products. Thanks to all the help from my Chef Success friends, I finally understand the FR Program much better!

I placed Treana as the Chairperson and Kim, her sister-in-law, as the Host.
As the Host, Kim can take advantage of the Host Special. However the rest of the Host Benefits are not available for FR.
TPC will mail her a check, depending on the sales, and she will then donate that money to the GS.

The FR was this past Saturday, but before getting to the show I had already received and collected orders for the show totalling just over $300!

The GS leaders had took packets w/catty's and OForms and collected orders and brought them to the show. They delivered or mailed out 150 invites and had the FR on the radio, but not the paper.

Well, the 4 leaders, 5 girls, and 3 guests were there!

Oh Let Me Tell You Where The Show Is At!
Are You Ready?
GUEST SALES $1017.30 !!!!! :love:

Wowee! Wahoo!

The show was a flop, but the sales are Terrific!
We will close the show on Thursday, so I hope they get more orders!

 

[Chef Bobby]

That's a nice total! Good luck on more orders. You might want to ask your sister if you can do a fundraiser for the service unit (your area). They usually try to raise money for Annual Family Giving this time of year.

I'm doing a fundraiser at our local Girl Scout office for the staff this Thursday. I like it because the staff (55) has to be there for a meeting. I will have my tools displayed for them during and after their meeting. They are trying to raise money for The United Way which is a major contributor to the Girl Scouts. I guess they want to give something back.

 

[pampered.chris]

Wow!! You are all so lucky!! Our local Girl Scouts are NOT allowed to do any other type of fundraiser other than the nuts/magazines and cookies. That is so cool that they can do a PC fundraiser where you are!!

 

[Jess_K]

YAY Veronica!! way to go! congrats !!!!

 

[etteluap70PC]

Wow!! You are all so lucky!! Our local Girl Scouts are NOT allowed to do any other type of fundraiser other than the nuts/magazines and cookies. That is so cool that they can do a PC fundraiser where you are!!

Chris... No GS anywhere in the US can sell a product besides those you mentioned. Veronica & her sis are NOT having the girls sell ' hawk PC products. The key with doing this kind of thing is having the leaders and parents be the ones to collect orders. The Host/ coordinator then needs to donate the $ to the troop. It is a "roundabout" way of doing it but it still gets to the purpose.

Not picking on you just clarifying for anyone that has a question.



Yayyyy Veronica! I hope you hit at least 2000!

 

[Chef Bobby]

Wow!! You are all so lucky!! Our local Girl Scouts are NOT allowed to do any other type of fundraiser other than the nuts/magazines and cookies. That is so cool that they can do a PC fundraiser where you are!!

Our girls aren't allowed to sell PC either. There's no rules against the adults having a PC party, and the Girl Scouts aren't going to turn down a donation from a company. I had the council check with the national HQ to make sure it was alright. Just keep the girls out of the selling.

I am doing a Girl Scouts in the Kitchen fundraiser show in October. The troop leader will be the host and the parents will be in another area with the catalogues and order forms.

I have done a regular kitchen show for a GS troop before and the troop filled their camping box with grilling and other outdoor tools from the free items they earned.

 

[laurichef]

Chris... No GS anywhere in the US can sell a product besides those you mentioned. Veronica & her sis are NOT having the girls sell ' hawk PC products. The key with doing this kind of thing is having the leaders and parents be the ones to collect orders. The Host/ coordinator then needs to donate the $ to the troop. It is a "roundabout" way of doing it but it still gets to the purpose.

Not picking on you just clarifying for anyone that has a question.



Yayyyy Veronica! I hope you hit at least 2000!

Thanks for clearing that up. I was wondering how to run this by my Service Unit for individual troops. NOw I feel better about presenting it.

 

[bethcooks]

Thanks for all the info--it's a great help! I just want to clarify something so I have it right. On CC, I read the check must be payable to an organization, it won't be issued to an individual. Your post has 2 individuals listed, so did PC send a check to the host as an individual? I'm just trying to figure out who I list where when I enter in the FR info.

What about just saying we're doing a fundraiser for the troop, putting it in as a regular show order, and me donating 15% of my commission to the troop? Would that work? Thanks~~~Beth

 

[krzymomof4]

I was curious about this also. I had a girl scout parent approach me today at a fair I was doing.

 

[VeronicaW]

We closed the show at just over $1200!

 

[krzymomof4]

Who was the check from PC made out to. I thought it had to be an organization.

 

[VeronicaW]

The check was made out to my Show Host -Kim. She then signed it over or cashed it and donated it to the troop.

 

[krzymomof4]

The check was made out to my Show Host -Kim. She then signed it over or cashed it and donated it to the troop.

Cool, I didn't think we could do that.

 

[aPamperedBride]

Are the girls going to stay in Pax Lodge when they go to England? (It's right next to World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and is one of the 5 world centres.) I worked there after college and loved it! It's so great that you can help the girls get to England! I spent 6 weeks in Europe when I was 16 through a Girl Scout Wider Opportunity and it was a great experience!

 

[IAmChefJ]

I went to England as a Girl Scout in H.S.... it was Olave (sp?) House back then... is that not open any more?

 

[pamperedharriet]

The check was made out to my Show Host -Kim. She then signed it over or cashed it and donated it to the troop.

Am I missing something? I thought I read that the fundraiser check had to be payable to an organization not an individual if you submit it as a fundraiser.

How did you get HO to do this? I know that the fundraisers I've done in the past have the check payable to the organization and then it lists the chairperson and the address where the products got shipped.

 

[VeronicaW]

Yes, the check was made out to
Girl Scouts
Kim O'L. (chairperson/host)
She then signed it over or cashed it and gave it to my sister the scout leader.

I do not know where they will be staying in England.

 

[pamperedharriet]

Since the check was made payable to the Girl Scouts everything works the same as other fundraisers. Thanks, Veronica for spelling it out so others know that you did it as you would have any other fundraiser.

 

[wadesgirl]

I wanted to bump this, my host last night wants to do a fundraiser for her GS troop and I'm glad I found out this before we went too far! Not for sure how the parents are going to take having to do all the orders themselves but I think it's a great idea.

 

[chesse]

Just so you all know, Girl Scout troops are not allowed to do fundraisers with companies! If the troop gets caught - whew - don't get the GS organization mad! The only sanctioned fundraisers are cookie sales and things the girls do themselves. For instance, my daughter's group made pies and sold them. GS will not allow other organizations or individuals to make money using Girl Scouts - even if they gave all the profits to the GS. They dont' want appear to favor any product or group. They also don't want GS's to "work" for other groups. It rots, but that is the way it is.

 

[crystalscookingnow]

Just so you all know, Girl Scout troops are not allowed to do fundraisers with companies! If the troop gets caught - whew - don't get the GS organization mad! The only sanctioned fundraisers are cookie sales and things the girls do themselves. For instance, my daughter's group made pies and sold them. GS will not allow other organizations or individuals to make money using Girl Scouts - even if they gave all the profits to the GS. They dont' want appear to favor any product or group. They also don't want GS's to "work" for other groups. It rots, but that is the way it is.

Make sure you read the posts above. Everything that's listed above as suggestions is legit. Especially read Bobby's post.

 

[wadesgirl]

I remembering seeing this thread before and when the moms proposed the idea, I told them I would get back to them with future information. I'm glad I found it before I got someone in trouble. I know these moms, they would try to still do it even if they didn't have permission!

 

[etteluap70PC]

Just so you all know, Girl Scout troops are not allowed to do fundraisers with companies! If the troop gets caught - whew - don't get the GS organization mad! The only sanctioned fundraisers are cookie sales and things the girls do themselves. For instance, my daughter's group made pies and sold them. GS will not allow other organizations or individuals to make money using Girl Scouts - even if they gave all the profits to the GS. They dont' want appear to favor any product or group. They also don't want GS's to "work" for other groups. It rots, but that is the way it is.

Yep we have covered this a few times. Make sure to read thru the whole thread.
Quite a few of us are leaders and volunteers so we know the rules.

 

[Chef Bobby]

Someone asked about the fundraiser being only for businesses. If you know someone that needs a fundraiser that is not a business, PC told me to use the person's name and then fund. I''ve done it for my daughter several times without any problem. She has an animal shelter that is not legally a business yet. I have PC make the check out to "Wendy Lincoln Fund" and they have Wendy Lincoln under that as the chair person. She doesn't have any problem cashing the checks.

 

[krzymomof4]

So for those of you who are leaders, etc. How is the best way to go about this. I don't want to put GS on the check if the troop could get into trouble if it is found out.

 

[etteluap70PC]

So for those of you who are leaders, etc. How is the best way to go about this. I don't want to put GS on the check if the troop could get into trouble if it is found out.

When $ is to be donated to a particular troop it has to be sent by the Donator directly to the local GS council. Leaders have the form that needs to be sent with the $. The council then sends a check to the troop (made out to the troop) and it gets deposited in the troop bank account.

As Leaders we have to keep very good banking reccords. We have to have our toop checkbooks looked at and signed off by another parent or leader. We send a report to our council every year in June.

 

[krzymomof4]

When $ is to be donated to a particular troop it has to be sent by the Donator directly to the local GS council. Leaders have the form that needs to be sent with the $. The council then sends a check to the troop (made out to the troop) and it gets deposited in the troop bank account.

As Leaders we have to keep very good banking reccords. We have to have our toop checkbooks looked at and signed off by another parent or leader. We send a report to our council every year in June.

So, how will this work if the check has to be made out to the GS council and they won't approve these type of fundraisers? I'm sorry, maybe I am making this more complicated than it is.

 

[Chef Bobby]

The only way anyone would have a problem is if the girls took orders.
When in dought, call your local council. Here is a website to get the phone number and email address.
Girl Scouts of the USA: Council Finder

 

[etteluap70PC]

So, how will this work if the check has to be made out to the GS council and they won't approve these type of fundraisers? I'm sorry, maybe I am making this more complicated than it is.

When filling out the FR info on P3...
Girl scouts = Organization OR you could even put GS troop ### (then the leader or whomever could just cash the check and do the Council rigamaru)
Host/ organizer is the Contact person This name will also be on the check.
Use the contact persons address for the check to be sent to.

The persons name who is on the check will cash it in their personal account. Then following the directions on the donation form write a check out to the council. Send it to council. The council then sends a check to the troop.

I believe this is what Veronica did and all was fine.

THE MOST important thing here is the Girls are NOT doing any selling.

 

[Chef Bobby]

I just did a Girl Scout fundraiser yesterday by doing a kids or scouts in the kitchen show. The girls did the cooking and the moms did the ordering. Having the moms help made it an interactive show.

 

[swinkate]

I'm in England (i think the ony UK consultant currently on this fab forum!) and doing a fundraiser for our Girl Guide unit in December.

We do not have any of the stresses the girl scouts seem to have! We are encourage to fundraise however we feel is appropriate! Being only able to sell cookies (which are yummy!!) is a bit restrictive... aren't the girls allowed to have a stall at craft fairs. do sponsored events or anything?

Anyway... back to my PC bit! I am running the FR as part of normal meeting. I am going to set the girls up with batter bowl cakes, naked barbies, easy accent decorators etc and get them going while I do a normal cooking show for the parents. I am going to give a cookie mix layered batter bowl thing (!) to the girl who brings in the most o/o. FR in the UK work the same way as in the US. They get a % dependant on sales. I am going to add an extra 10% and also round up the booking fee donation.

I have no problems with asking H/O for a cheque made out directly to our unit, and I will donate the difference!

 

[Chef Bobby]

The only time that a Girl Scout troop is allowed to do fundraisers other than cookies and the fall nut/magazine sale is when the council isn't involved in one. That doesn't give them much time. The girls aren't ever allowed to sell any product other than Girl Scout sponsered items. They can have bake sales or around here they have Jambalaya sales or garage sales.

 

[Sprink]

I'm in England (i think the ony UK consultant currently on this fab forum!)

Nope. Hiya, swinkate. Greetings from St Albans. ;-)

And, yes, this forum IS fab.

Sprink,
who knows zilch about Girl Scouts/Guides these days but vaguely remembers the incredible pride of cooking and serving "Brownie Stew" to her family...

 

[christinaspc]

what kind of materials did you persent to the parents? My kindergartener's teacher is wanting to do a fundraiser and I am looking for info on how to present it and now I understand how I am suppose to have the checks made out for thier troop this was very helpful thread. This is a smaller group I believe there are 5 or 6 girls and the parents would be doing all the selling