Empower Girl Scout Entrepreneurs

With your support, every girl in your troop knows that she matters and can accomplish anything.

We appreciate your organization, coordination, and determination to help girls, and our council, reach the goals necessary to make the Girl Scout Movement strong.

2027 Cookie Season Dates

Each January, cookie season begins for Girl Scouts in our local council. Start preparing for cookie season in December when our council will ship the necessary resources to your troop's product manager.

Cookie Season Dates toggle arrow

Start taking initial orders – January 8, 2027
Digital Cookie opens – January 8, 2027
Early Booth signs ups (Fall Participants only) – January 6, 2027
Booth sign ups – January 7, 9, 12, 2027
Snack and Shop at Cedar Rapids and Bettendorf Shops – January 16, 2027
Initial order ends – January 17, 2027
Initial order and rewards due in eBudde – January 20, 2027
Initial order delivery to SUPM’s – January 25-29, February 1-4, 2027
Cookie booths begin - February 5, 2027
1st ACH Pull – February 17, 2027
Girl Scout Cookie Weekend - February 19-21, 2027
Mid-Sale Check in with Caregivers – March 5-7, 2027
Last day of sale – March 21, 2021
Payment Communication Forms (PCFs) Due – March 24, 2027
Troop rewards order due – March 24, 2027
Final ACH pull – March 31, 2027

Steps to get started

Review Cookie Connections toggle arrow

Start Girl Scout Cookie Season right by reading through Cookie Connections!

Troop Product Manager Agreement toggle arrow

Troop Responsibilities:

A current bank account including a completed ACH form.
At least two registered and approved Troop Leaders.
A registered and approved adult as the Troop Product Manager who has signed the Troop Product Manager Agreement form.
The Troop Product Manager can also be a Troop Leader, but this must be added as a role.

Troop Product Manager (TPM) Responsibilities:

Teach girls the 5 Skills of the Cookie Sale Program.
Create a receipt any time cookies or money is exchanged. Receipts must be dated and signed.
Ensure that all cookies that are ordered, picked up at a cupboard, or transferred from another troop are inventoried.
Collect and keep all year-long permission forms and signed receipts.
Track all payments received from parents or at booth sales and follow financial procedures for money management success.
Track and order all girl rewards earned by the troop. Rewards should be distributed to girls within two weeks of receiving them.

Troop Product Managers will sign a copy of the TPM Agreement form upon completion of their Cookie Program training in gsLearn. They will also see a copy upon logging in to eBudde for the first time.

Complete your Cookie Program training toggle arrow

Complete the online cookie training in gsLearn. The training will include:

A required section on the Cookie Program for all troop leaders to complete in December/Janaury.
Troop Product Manager Training Video
Optional Training Resources
- Digital Cookie videos and tip sheets (see Digital Cookie section)
- eBudde videos in the eBudde Help Center
- Cookie Bites online newsletter on Wednesdays
- Cookie Chats on Wednesday nights with a member of the Product Program Staff or Cookie Crew (link to be added later)
Cookie Bites

Digital Cookie and eBudde training is available in the eBudde help center.

Attend your service unit cookie meeting toggle arrow

Your service unit will host a cookie meeting in December or January. At this meeting, you will learn important local information and try any new cookie flavors!

Host a family cookie meeting toggle arrow

Schedule a meeting with girls and families prior to starting the Cookie Sale Program. At the meeting, explain the program with the Cookie Program Family Guide, collect year-long permission forms, and encourage parents to volunteer.

What families should know:

Cookie dates and guidelines.
The 5 Skills girls learn.
The importance of goal setting.
Troop proceeds and girl rewards. Funds that do not directly go to girls support services for troops like volunteer training, special events, and program opportunities.
Ways to participate and phases of the sale.
Cookie varieties and cost.
Rules and responsibilities.
Introduce a Mid-Sale Check March 5-7thto check in on inventory for troop and discuss a plan if needed to sell the remaining inventory.

Give this flyer to Girl Scouts and their families with ways to participate in the Cookie Program.

Family Meeting Guides

Attend a Cookie Rally toggle arrow

Cookie Rallys are a great way to get prepared and excited for the upcoming Girl Scout Cookie Season! Learn more about Cookie Rally events near you from your local Service Unit or check out a Take Home Rally Kit.

Please use any of these video at your rallies or share with your troops!

Girl Scouts of all ages, Troop Leaders, and Caregivers: Can't make it to your Service Unit Cookie Rally? Bring the Rally to you!

Create crafts, sales tools, and lanyards with cookie mascot charms and sample this year's cookies
Practice goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics

Included:

Step-by-step instructions for 5 activities (excluding crayons, scissors, etc.)
Mascot themed goodies
Cookie Rally Patch (Let your Cookie SUPM know you attended a rally)
Each Girl Scout needs their own kit: 10 Girl Scouts = 10 kits
If ordering as a troop: Rally kits will be packaged individually for easy distribution

Troop Initial Order

Let’s get right to it—how do I get my cookies? With the eBudde online platform! It’s easier now than ever to manage cookie inventory, find your delivery location, and transfer to other troops (so we can all help a Girl Scout sister out)!

Troop Cookie Calculator toggle arrow

Need to get your initial order calculated, but unsure where to start? Check out our Cookie Calculator! This handy resource will help new troops, as well as existing troops determine their initial order amounts. Remember, this is just a recommendation. You can order more or less if you choose.

Cookie Booths

In 2027, troops are breaking the Cookie Booth mold and finding new ways to reach customers! Try a mix of in-person, virtual, and drive-thru Cookie Booths.

Cookie Booth Basics toggle arrow

Cookie Booth Marketing

Need materials to make your booth the best booth ever? Download posters, banners, name tags, receipts, thank-you cards, and more at Little Brownie Bakers.

Cookie Cupboard Basics

You can pick up cookies from any cookie cupboard listed in eBudde.

There are no returns on cookies unless they are checked out on consignment for a booth sale- then you have 48 hours from the time of the booth sale to return unsold cookies.

Cookie cupboards have limited inventory on hand – if you do not place a pending order, you may not get the cookies you need.

Here is an example of an order for a booth sale at a big box store such as Walmart for 4 hours:

5 cases of Thin Mints
4 cases of Samoas
3 cases of Tagalongs
2 cases of Exploremores
2 cases of Adventurefuls
2 cases of Do-si-Dos
1 case of Lemon Ups
1 case of Trefoils
1/2 case of Toffee Tastics

Cookie Booth Rules

Review the Girl Scout Law. Your troop is representing Girl Scouts to the community and is expected to behave in a professional manner.
One troop leader, one adult, and two to four girls are required to attend a booth sale.
Carry a cash box or money bag with around $30-$60 in change.
Dress appropriately for weather and wear uniforms, Girl Scout apparel, or Girl Scout pins.

Cookie Champion Challenge

GSEIWI Secret Shoppers are ready to visit random cookie booths during the cookie program. Secret Shoppers are rare which makes them so special. Not every booth will be visited by a Secret Shopper. A Secret Shopper is GSEIWI staff member or volunteer who wants to help Girl Scouts develop an entrepreneurial mindset and make a good impression on the community. These shoppers reward girls with a Cookie Champion Challenge patch who demonstrate knowledge of the Cookie Program and the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

How it works:

Troop booths, council booths, or cookie stands must be entered into eBudde to qualify
Follow and practice booth etiquette guidelines and Safety Activity Checkpoints.
See the guidelines that Secret Shoppers are following on www.girlscoutstoday.org or in Cookie Connections to be extra prepared.

Helpful Resources

Cookie Stands toggle arrow

Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) revised the cookie booth policy to permit a Girl Scout and her caregiver to participate in a booth or stand independently, without additional troop members present. Cookie Stand participation is limited to a Girl Scout and her caregiver only. If additional Girl Scouts attend, it becomes a troop booth and traditional troop booth policies apply .

Cookie Stand Agreement

Cookie Booth Return Policy toggle arrow

Per GSUSA food safety protocol for Girl Scout Cookies, cookie cupboards may accept returns of UNOPENED cases of cookies only – NO EXCEPTIONS! – within 48 hours of the booth sale. This only applies to cookies checked out from a cupboard, NOT booth cookies ordered from the initial order. Those cannot be returned at all.

You may still check out individual packages of cookies from cookie cupboards.
You will not be allowed to exchange individual packages of cookies with cookie cupboards.
You may exchange full, unopened cases of cookies with cookie cupboards.
Use extra cookies that girls or the troop already has on hand at booth sales.
Don’t over-order the less popular varieties – such as Do-si-Dos, S’mores, Lemons Ups, Toffee–tastics, and Trefoils.
Contact your Cupboard Manager or Service Unit Product Manager for help placing your order.
If you have leftover packages that you are not able to return, hold another booth sale, give them out to the girls in the troop to sell door to door, schedule a Cookie Caravan where the troop canvasses neighborhoods to sell cookies, or hold a text-a-thon at your next troop meeting where girls will text as many friends and family members as they can in one hour
Use eBudde's new Cookie Exchange to trade cookies with other troops.

Helpful Resources

Cookie Booth Return Policy PDF

Digital Cookie

The Digital Cookie app makes it super simple for customers to order their faves online and pay by credit card to either get the cookies right from you or have them shipped—awesome!

Digital Payments toggle arrow

Third Party Payment Processing

Troop Product Manager Training toggle arrow

Find the steps for Troop Product Managers to guide their girls with Digital Cookie in gsLearn. Sign in to your myGS account and find the training in gsLearn.

Digital Cookie Training for Volunteers

Digital Cookie Training for Caregivers

Troop Cookie Finances

All proceeds from the Cookie Program stay local! This financial literacy program not only teaches girls business skills, but also funds their troop experiences.

Troop Profit toggle arrow

How Much Will My Troop Earn?

Troops earn 77¢ per package sold. Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador troops who opt out of rewards for higher troop profit earn 87¢ per package sold. Troops that opt out will still qualify for all patches, Program Credit, and the Super Seller Club rewards. Troops who opt out will also qualify for PGA incentives: Troop Tshirt (300 Troop PGA).

Product Sale Bonus

Troops have the opportunity to earn an additional product sales bonus per package sold if they reach a certain per girl average (PGA) for the cookie sale. Take the total number of packages sold by your troop, divided by the number of girls selling and plug that into the chart to figure out how much your troop will earn per package sold. You can also find your troop PGA in eBudde on the total sales report or the final rewards page – already calculated. Girls not selling do not count toward your troop PGA.

Per Girl Average	*Rate (Standard)**	*Rate (Opt Out)**
1-299	$0.77	$0.87
300+	$0.82	$0.92

^{* Rate per package}

Payments & Finances toggle arrow

Collecting Payment

No money should be collected for cookies until they are delivered.
Initial cookie orders should be delivered within two weeks.
Retrieve money from sellers and deposit often. Do not hold cash or checks – deposit them immediately. Once cookie money is turned in to you, you are responsible for it, even if it gets lost or stolen.
If parents have $500 worth of cookies out and they haven’t made a single payment, request that they bring payment back before you give them additional cookies.

You are required to give a receipt each and every time cookies or money exchanges hands with parents/girls.

Return Policy

Troops and parents who sign for cookies cannot return them to the troop or to the cupboards/council unless a troop has checked them out for a booth sale. If a package is damaged, it can be replaced at any cookie cupboard that has extra cookies available.

Payment Communication Form

In the event that a parent does not turn in their cookie money by the due date, complete a Payment Communication Form (PCF). As the Troop Product Manager, you are required to complete this form for any outstanding balance - no matter who the parent or the money owed.

Do not pay the past due amount with troop proceeds.

As soon as the money is turned in, council will end the payment communication process and there will be no further action. The form must be turned in to Finance by March 24th, 2027.

Payment Communication Form

Returned Checks

Checks returned against your troop are the responsibility of the council. If you get a returned check, follow the instructions on the Returned Check Form.

Returned Check Form

Third-Party Payment Processing

We have guidelines and policies in place for troop bank accounts and the use of Third-Party Service Organizations (TSO) such as Pay Pal, Venmo, Square (etc.) for volunteers.

View the Guidelines and Policies

Counterfeit Money toggle arrow

Identifying Counterfeit Money

Hold the bill up to the light and look for:

Watermark: In the unprinted space to the right of the portrait, the watermark can be seen from both sides of the bill since it is not actually printed on the bill, but is embedded in the paper.
Security thread: This is a thin, embedded strip running from top to bottom on the face of the bill. On the $10 and $50 bills, the security strip is located to the right of the portrait. On $5, $20, and $100 bills, it is located to the left of the portrait.
Color-shifting ink: Tilt the bill back and forth and observe the numeral in the lower right-hand corner. On the $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills (produced in 2004 and later), the color shifts from copper to green. Bills produced between 1996 and 2003, will shift from green to black. Please note: The $5 bill does not have color-shifting, regardless of the year it was produced.

If You Receive Counterfeit Money

If you suspect counterfeit money, do not put yourself or girls in danger. Do not attempt to return the bill(s) to the passer and contact your bank and local authorities.

Spoiler Alert: Counterfeit pens are unreliable

These highly popular pens used to detect counterfeit bills are no longer reliable indicators of whether a bill is counterfeit. An alternate option is to use ultraviolet light, but these also come with limitations because they are difficult to use outside. More information on how to spot counterfeit money can be found at secretservice.gov/data/KnowYourMoney.pdf.

Cookie Program Marketing

Spread the word! Girl Scouts are selling cookies and have many options to reach customers and market their cookie businesses.

Cookie Marketing Resources toggle arrow

Find handouts, posters, videos, and more!

Sweet Reels Showdown toggle arrow

Show off your cookie creativity and enter the Sweet Reels Showdown! Troops and Girl Scouts are invited to create a video promoting their cookie business for a chance to win one of five FREE cases of Girl Scout Cookies. Videos will be judged and awarded based on criteria like creativity, teamwork, and thinking outside the (cookie) box. All submissions will be featured on the GSEIWI social media platforms. Video submissions are due by February 22nd.

Ready to get started? Keep in mind these helpful tips!

Keep your video short and impactful! 1-2 minutes is the sweet spot!
Represent Girl Scouts positively with your words, actions, and message!
Get creative with social media trends or come up with your own idea!

Fun Cookie Activities toggle arrow

It’s so much fun for girls to run their own businesses and make their own decisions. With Girl Scout Cookies, they can start today. Find fun games and resources to help girls learn essential skills and prepare for a successful cookie season.

Little Brownie Bakers

Cookie Share toggle arrow

Cookie Share encourages Girl Scouts to ask customers and businesses to donate as little as $6 so cookies can be shared with neighbors in need through a council-sponsored program. This year, we are partnering with River Bend Food Bank, our primary Cookie Share partner, covering the largest service area across our council. We will also distribute donated cookies through HACAP Food Reservoir and the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, helping us reach even more families and communities in need Help Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois reach our goal of 20,000 donated packages for the Cookie Share Program in 2027!

Cookie Share Resources

More Info for Troops

Cookie Rookies toggle arrow

Rookies

Check out the Little Brownie Bakers website for an interactive program and activities all about Cookie Rookies!

Cookie Rookies are girls and troops new to the Cookie Sale Program. Cookie Rookie girls will receive special training at your local Cookie Rally (and a special patch!).

Girls will learn:

How the sale works
Cookie names
Easy ways to ask a customer to buy
Cookie booth essentials
Safety rules
How to set a goal

Cookie Crew toggle arrow

During Girl Scout Cookie Season there are multitudes of people that make the cookie season a success! GSEIWI is currently looking for 10-15 volunteers to assist council staff with cookie program activities/events. You will even get your own Cookie Crew t-shirt to wear in proud support of the GSEIWI Cookie Program!

Some of these events may include (and are not necessary limited to) assisting with the following:

Cookie Rallies
Attend troop leader trainings
Attend parent meetings
Digital Cookie Days
Open Houses
Serve as a mentor to new troop leaders (can be done by phone or email)
Cookie Program Celebrations

Requirements:

3 or more years Cookie Program experience
Availability to help at a minimum of 4 cookie program activities/events
Enthusiastic, knowledgeable, somewhat flexible schedule
Attend a webinar training conducted by GSEIWI Product Program Staff

2027 Cookie Crew:

Have a questions or need assistance? The Cookie Crew is here to help! This group of experienced volunteers are here to help during your cookie program.

Cari Rusnak
lovecloudstrife@gmail.com | 402-443-6451

Ronda Thompson
ronda.k.thompson@gmail.com | 319-721-4386

Ruthanne Weighton
weighton4427@gmail.com | 319-899-8207

Mary Kay Foerster
sirocco@imonmail.com | 319-329-1777

Deanna Wiezorek
dkwmem@msn.com | 563-580-1416

Beth Graves
beth@brainfat.net | 319-538-4066

Kendra Marinaccio
gsbug00@gmail.com | (563) 343-3064

eBudde Resources toggle arrow

Little Brownie Bakers has released a series of YouTube Videos to help you prepare for Cookie Season!

Topics include:

Council Booth Sales (How to sign up)
Girl Rewards – How to enter them and how to distribute them
Initial Order – How to put in your Troops initial order
Sales Report – How to see your troops Sales Report
Transactions - How to use the transactions tab
Troop Booth Sales – How to enter a booth for approval
Payments – How to use the payments tab and what it does
Cookie Exchange – How to list extra cookies or find cookie you need from other troops

Girl Scout Cookies

Buy Cookies

Program Credit

Council Finder

Volunteer Cookie Resources