SUBMITTED BY:
Girl Scouts of the USA National Board on the recommendation of the Movement Gold Award Scholarship Foundation Task Force
STATEMENT OF PROPOSAL:
THAT the National Council hereby affirms the recommendation of the Movement Gold Award Scholarship Foundation Task Force to create a permanent donor-restricted fund in support of Gold Award scholarships; and
THAT that in recognition of its importance, the existence of such fund shall be reflected in the Blue Book of Basic Documents in the Fundraising Policies section of the Blue Book (or any successor section of the Blue Book as may be appropriate from time to time).
Rationale Submitted by Movement Gold Award Scholarship Foundation Task Force
At the 55th National Council Session, held in October 2020, the National Council voted that the National Board should appoint a task force to study the feasibility of establishing a foundation to provide scholarships to Gold Award Girl Scouts scholarships, with such task force to report back for a vote on its recommendation at the 2023 National Council Session. More specifically, the National Council passed the following proposal:
THAT the National Council establish a task group overseen by GSUSA and 2 council representatives, that includes volunteers, council staff, GSUSA Board members, and GSUSA representatives, charged with examining the feasibility of developing a college scholarship foundation to benefit Gold Award Girl Scouts. The task group will report back for a vote at the 2023 NCS on the feasibility, recommendation, and timeline for potential establishment of the foundation by the 2023 National Council Session. All members of this task force shall be appointed by the GSUSA Board of Directors.
Accordingly, a Task Force of Girl Scout council, GSUSA, and Girl Scout volunteer representatives was convened to study the feasibility of a Gold Award scholarship foundation.*
The Task Force, to fulfill its charge, met from September 2021 through April 2022, during which time it examined the strategic goals of the proposal and the various legal, operational, fundraising, and programmatic aspects of establishing a foundation that could support Gold Award scholarships, as well as additional scholarship structuring options. The Task Force completed its work in June 2022 and delivered its findings to the board. As set forth in greater detail in the report, as a result of its study, the Task Force concluded that although a foundation would be technically feasible, a permanently donor-restricted scholarship fund would be the most efficient and nimble way to support the goals of the 2020 proposal, and recommended that in recognition of the fund’s significance and to retain visibility of the fund, that the existence of such fund be reflected in the Blue Book.
After considering such recommendations, and to move quickly to further the impact of the Gold Award on behalf of girls, in September 2022 the board established a permanently donor-restricted fund that is known as the Girl Scouts National Gold Award Scholarship Fund. All monies raised for such donor-restricted Girl Scouts National Gold Award Scholarship Fund are designated to be used for the development and support of a Girl Scout Gold Award scholarship program. The Gold Award Scholarship Foundation Task Force has also agreed to continue until the first annual report on the fund is provided to the Movement to provide assistance and implementation of its recommendations.
This proposal would affirm the desire of the Movement to continue to support Gold Award scholarships in this manner and would implement the Task Force’s recommendation that the existence of the fund be reflected in the Blue Book in recognition of its significance.
* The appointment and composition of the Task Force and its approach to its work is set forth in greater detail in the accompanying report from the Task Force. Read the full report here.
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