Originated by: GSUSA
Proposal: To amend the Blue Book of Basic Documents, page 23, as follows:
| Current wording | Proposed Amendment | If Adopted, Will Read |
| Girl members pay annual dues of $25. | Girl members pay annual dues of $___. | Girl members pay annual dues of $[amount to be determined by National Council]. |
The National Council will use the “fill-in-the-blank” parliamentary process* for this proposal.
RATIONALE FOR PROPOSAL 1
Please also refer to the proposal introduction, which applies to both Proposals 1 and 2. (GSG Note: It is highly recommended to read this introduction which is found in the Delegate Workbook.)
This proposal specifically addresses the financial amount of national annual girl membership dues.
In recognition of the value girl members gain from the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and of the need to increase resources to deliver our Movement strategy, the National Board will recommend that $85 fill the blank for annual girl membership dues, effective for Membership Year 2026.
GSUSA research among families who were not yet part of Girl Scouting highlights the clear alignment between what parents and families want for girls and what girls themselves say they enjoy in Girl Scouting. Leaders supporting today’s Girl Scouts share the same sentiment. Raising girls of courage, confidence, and character in today’s world takes all of us—it takes a movement. Girl Scouting is that Movement.
For Girl Scouts to remain relevant, maintaining the status quo is not an option. Girl Scouts expect and deserve so much more!Girls evolve and change and so must our Movement—including the cost to be a member and the investments we secure from communities and donors. Girl Scouting grows and thrives when girls, families, volunteers, communities, and donors choose Girl Scouting. This exciting future is ours to shape as a place for girls who will change the world! We must continue to create new experiences, including opportunities for our youngest to oldest Girl Scouts. A girl is only five years old once; she is only ten once and only fifteen once. We cannot delay and miss a generation of girls. We have the potential and choice to act now to ensure Girl Scouting is possible for generations of girls to come.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
We know and we heard delegates emphasize that there must be sufficient financial assistance to meet the needs of current and future members. The additional revenue provided by national annual membership dues of $85 for girls will enable all of us, together, to deliver our Movement strategy.
As you consider the opportunities available with increased resources, it is important to also consider what opportunities we forgo if the final approved girl membership dues are less than proposed. Nationally and locally, there are significant financial implications related to our ability to support girls today and improve for tomorrow, to grow membership, and to ensure that the positive impact of Girl Scouting is represented in every community. (Refer to chart on page 12.)
- Staying at our current $25 membership dues will require dramatic cuts in services, passing technology costs on to councils, decreasing marketing investments, and delaying enhancements of the systems used daily to serve girls and councils.
- At a $45 girl membership rate, we will only be able to maintain service levels, but there will not be funds for enhancements or innovation.
- At a $65 girl membership rate, we will support councils with financial aid assistance and can maintain critical services. We will be able to make some improvements and innovations, including expanding the Girl Scout Experience Box to first year Brownies, improve and expand our older girl programs, and launch community-focused marketing.
- At $85 and above, Girl Scouting’s future is incredibly bright. Together with councils, we will prioritize initiatives and execute them in ways that work for all, including national marketing and social media influencer campaigns, consolidated handbooks and badge books, increased Gold Award Scholarship funds, and more. Regarding technology, we will be able to address the necessary enhancements, make our systems more user-friendly, and achieve connectivity to other systems. With these investments, we are confident our membership will grow as more girls and volunteers choose to join and fully engage with Girl Scouts.
Our Movement strategy reflects what you have been asking for, what our girls need, and what our families expect. We cannot do that without more financial resources. Increased fundraising is a critical priority locally and nationally, but it will never meet all our needs. For a membership organization, member dues are an essential part of the financial picture.
The dues opportunity that our National Council will consider is of great importance. Together, let’s stand and invest in girls, their potential, and the promise of Girl Scouting.
ACTIONS TAKEN TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION
While it is difficult to forecast membership changes, GSUSA has done extensive modeling and is working with councils to prepare for a wide variety of possible outcomes. This includes both membership growth and decline in the initial years following the dues increase.
In our July 2024 input sessions, delegates spoke with great compassion about not wanting the cost of Girl Scouts to leave anyone out. In response to this powerful advocacy, and recognizing this is a large increase, the National Board approved the following three resolutions to support girls and councils at its September 2024 meeting:
1. Council financial assistance
Recognizing that Girl Scout councils may require additional resources to execute the Movement strategy, including funding membership dues assistance, council financial support will be available if the National Council approves girl membership dues over $65. For five years, GSUSA will provide councils a percentage of the total annual girl membership revenue at the following rates:
a. If girl member dues are $85 or above, 32% of this revenue will be provided to councils.
b. If girl member dues are between $75 and $84, 30% of this revenue will be provided to councils.
c. If girl member dues are between $65 and $74, 25% of this revenue will be provided to councils.
2. Scholarship fund
In rare cases, a council’s financial assistance provided by the previous resolution may not fully cover a council’s membership dues financial assistance needs. To aid councils, with the approval of a girl membership dues of $65 or more, the National Board will create a membership dues scholarship support fund of up to $5 million. Councils can apply for these funds if their incremental cost of membership dues financial assistance is more than the amount of council financial assistance (see #1) provided by GSUSA.
3. Phased implementation
Delegates indicated they would be more supportive of a significant dues increase if this occurred over time versus all at once. In response, the National Board approved a resolution that, with the approval of girl membership dues of $85 or more, GSUSA will implement a 20% discount on girl membership dues in year one (Membership Year 2026) and a 10% discount in year two (Membership Year 2027). This means that, if the National Council approves an increase in girl membership dues of $85:
- in membership year 2026, girl membership dues would be $68,
- in membership year 2027, girl membership dues would be $77, and
- in membership year 2028, girl membership dues would be at the approved $85.
These measures will ensure that Girl Scouts can continue to thrive and serve more girls while addressing financial challenges and keeping the organization strong for future generations.
RECOMMENDATION OF THE NATIONAL BOARD TO THE NATIONAL COUNCIL
The National Board recommends approval of this proposal.
* GSG Note: See the proposed Standing Rules for information on how these motions will be handled during the special session.
Thoughts:
First, I am in support of a membership increase. Cost of living increases, so I can understand a membership increase. However, I think the high end of this proposal ($85) would results in a drop of membership that the increase would not be able to compensate for, resulting in being in the same financial situation we are in now. Girl Scouts as a program has value, and I believe families are willing to pay for the value. $25 a year breaks down to just over $2 a month. I think Girl Scouts is worth more than that. But a jump to $85 or more would not give us the competitive edge to increase membership.
Another consideration with this increase, is that many councils also add a council fee to the membership. Would these be discontinued or capped at a certain amount? $85 + $20 = too much for many families.
However, with the need to increase the funds to a sustainable level, I can see an increase to $40 (About $3 a month) or $50 (about $4 a month), one time increase, with GSUSA then utilizing the membership increase capabilities they already have established in the Blue Book.
The suggested ways that National would spend the funds could be re-prioritized. For example, having true handbooks with all consolidated badges in them (like there used to be), would be more appreciated that GS Experience Boxes that take the Girl out of Girl Led. Handbooks could then be sold at a break even, or even above break even cost that would be beneficial to the budget stream. Rather than having an “Influencer” social media campaign, our girls should be the influencers…sharing actual accounts of their experiences…earning a badge…and not costing a fortune.
One of the offered enhancements was “New alum engagement experience.” An untapped opportunity, and often asked for, would be to have Girl Scouting for adults. We say “Once a Girl Scout, Always a Girl Scout” until you gradate from high school…or become a Lifetime member. If we offered an opportunity for adults to continue with Girl Scouting, there would be opportunities for membership dues, an increased pool of volunteers to draw from, and a way for the sisterhood to grow. During cookie season we meet many adults who say they regret never being a Girl Scout…but don’t want to be a volunteer to lead a troop.
Lots more thoughts…but I’ll stop here.