Originated by: GSUSA
Proposal: To amend the Blue Book of Basic Documents, page 23, as follows:
| Current Wording | Proposed Amendment | If Adopted, Will Read |
| Adult members pay annual dues of $25. | Adult members pay annual dues of $___. | Adult 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 2
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 recognizes the value adult members provide in the Girl Scout Movement. Delegates are asked to consider dues amounts different (i.e., lower) than the amount girls may pay, which will support volunteer recruitment and retention as well as the financial investment a family makes when the adults choose to volunteer. The National Board will recommend that $45 fill the blank for annual adult membership dues, effective for Membership Year 2026.
Raising girls of courage, confidence, and character in today’s world takes all of us—it takes a movement. Girl Scouting is that Movement. Caring adults who volunteer and support girls are a powerful and fundamental part of this. Our adult members contribute their valuable time, creativity, and expertise in many ways to make the Girl Scout experience happen.
Increasing Girl Scout dues will provide resources to strengthen our national organization (GSUSA) and the councils GSUSA serves. This will fund improved support for adult members who bring the Girl Scout experience to life. Volunteers are looking for simpler, more dependable, and exciting opportunities to actively participate in inspiring girls of courage, confidence, and character across the country. Nationally, Girl Scouts cannot do this without increased revenue. Investing more in volunteer support requires increased revenue on all fronts—through robust fundraising at the national level, additional membership dues, and comprehensive partnerships.
Why are we proposing differentiated pricing for adults? Local council leaders, delegate input, and the favorable sentiment expressed during delegate sessions in the summer of 2024 prompted the National Board to make this proposal. Delegates and councils asked us to consider a lower adult price that recognizes the value adult volunteers bring to our Movement while still providing an increase in dues revenue to invest in the initiatives needed to execute our Movement strategy and better engage, retain, and support our current and future adults in Girl Scouting.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
It is clear from national analysis and local, council, and delegate input that to meet the needs of current and future members, we must consider an increase in dues. The additional revenue provided through national annual membership dues of $45 for adults 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 will forgo if the approved dues are less than proposed.
- Staying at our current $25 membership dues will require dramatic cuts in services, passing on technology costs to councils, decreasing marketing investments, and delaying enhancements of the systems used daily to serve girls and councils.
- At $45 adult dues, we will be able to maintain service levels, and with girls’ dues at $65 or more, as outlined in Proposal 1, there will be funds for enhancements and innovation.
Based on your choice to approve dues increases aligned with our Movement strategy, Girl Scouting will be able to address the needs delegates and councils have identified—support for volunteers, which is what our girls need and families expect. Working together, we can ensure that the Girl Scout Movement, in service to girls everywhere, has the strategy, focus, and resources to thrive.
ACTIONS TAKEN TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION
While it is difficult to assess the potential impact of a dues change on adult membership, councils and GSUSA are working together to prepare for a wide variety of possible outcomes, including both membership growth and decline in the initial years following the dues increase. Investing in Girl Scout volunteers across the country includes learning from proven practices that have been shown to effectively support adult members as well as reviewing national processes and tools to make volunteering easier. Movement strategy initiatives will be designed and developed with council and volunteer input. Additionally, the National Board has approved providing council financial support and an additional membership scholarship fund to aid families in paying membership dues should it be needed.
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.
Many adults have paid for lifetime memberships. I hope that those lifetime memberships will continue to be honored.
Georgia Bosse
This proposal does not affect the Lifetime Membership level.
While I understand the need to raise the dues the $85 seems steep. If the amount is left dues blank then it can potentially be whenever the national wants. Like many corporations, it appears that those at the top want more. At the same time, the rank and file get less. And many troops pay for basic supplies out of their pockets. Which makes it costly already. I don’t think new members need a packet sent to them. The volunteers can teach and work with the girls.
$85 is proposed for girl annual dues. $45 is proposed for adult annual dues. The special NCS will use “fill-in-the-blank” parliamentary process for these two proposals. How this will be handled will be laid out in the Standing Rules which will be voted upon by the National Council at the beginning of the session. The proposed Standing Rules are linked at the end of this article.
It has long been a concern of many co-leaders that they have to pay for their membership when they put in so much time throughout the year planning and implementing the GS program with their girls. Raising the membership fee will not only add to their grievance, but will affect acquiring future co-leaders…which is already a major challenge. It will not matter how many girls we have joining Girl Scouts, if we do not have the adult volunteers to lead the troops.
Rather than increase the Adult Membership fee, I suggest not only keeping the membership fee at its current level, but waiving the fee for returning volunteers who actively serve as co-leaders and service unit team positions. Criteria could include completion of trainings, and renewal of a minimum number/percentage of girls. This could help build/retain leadership, membership, and ultimately revenue. I do realize this would be a separate proposal/idea from the one presented, but it supports my view to not raise the membership fees for adults.
I think raising the Girl registration is crazy. We already have girls who cannot afford to register. Why not cut out some of the unnecessary paper that is sent out. How much of this increase will go to paying salaries? What about National taking on some of the cost that is the responsibility of the local councils?
You have raised shop and outing prices we need a break. You have volunteers paying for registration and now you want to increase that. It is already hard enough to get volunteers. You say the lifetime members won’t be affected but what about the rate for new lifetime members? Returning volunteers have to pay every year. For some of us this is like a second job without the physical paycheck.
I am very dismayed at the lack of the financial incompetence of the leadership at at the highest levels of GSUSA. How in the world can almost an $85 million, yes $85 million, donation from MacKenzie Scott in 2022 — only 2 years ago — lead to the need for asking for such a substantial increase over 3 years years to dues? To find out that the majority of the donation, I understand, was spent on “Daisy boxes” is incredibly wasteful to have only appeared to have focused on one level of Scouts when it could have been used more wisely across all the levels, and for many more years and for more than just two years. I am so disappointed. Asking for this kind of dues increases over 3 years is a sure fire way to bring down the organization as whole. Unless that is the overall intent? Does Ms. Scott even know how her donation was was really used? It would seem to me after reviewing the last publicly available budget that cuts should be done first from inside this organization. While I realize people should be paid for their work, some of the salaries earned are just ridiculous and out of touch with the every-day person trying to have their daughter enjoy participation in such an organization. Most of the middle and lower class incomes do not get a 25% raise in a year, nor does the annual cost of living index justify such an increase. Even those on SS do not get a 25% cost of living adjustment. Just because GSUSA added language that they can ask for a dues increase up to 25% more each year does not mean they should ask for that full amount every year. Like everyone else, GSUSA needs to look internally first and really consider the impact such a raise in dues will have overall to the organization.
https://www.npr.org/2022/10/18/1129638080/girl-scouts-mackenzie-scott-donates-85-million
The $84.5 million was actually split between GSUSA and 29 councils. GSUSA received $15 million which was used to pay off their line of credit (of which they then took more out against).
Wow I forgot about that donation. Question what is the average salary at National headquarters? We pay our child care workers less than $35k per year with college degrees. These people are making a direct impact on our future Girl Scouts. I’m just saying!