Each membership year, ALL Girl Scout troops are required to submit their Annual Troop Financial Report BY July 30 (new date for 2022)*. It is one of the best ways to ensure each troop’s financial health contributes to great girl experiences. On September 30th of each year GSUSA archives and resets for the new membership year.   

This report is to be completed through the “Finance Tab” in the Volunteer Toolkit, accompanied by a reconciled bank statement, including a detailed cash report or software program report of your choice. 

“Simply fill in the boxes with the requested information, upload the required documents, and submit! That’s it!”

Additional information can be found in your myGS: 430 Managing Troop Finances

 Annual Troop Finance Report (AFR) Guide 

Questions contact our su402 Finance Manager

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Questions on Annual Troop Financial Report (AFR)

~Why do we have to fill out a report every year?
For many reasons: protect the interest of the troop, protect volunteers like yourself, auditing, and planning.

~Should I keep records and how long?
Volunteers who lead Girl Scout troops must keep all itemized receipts of purchases, bank receipts and deposits, and monthly bank statements on file for a minimum of four years. These documents may be requested at any time by any registered Girl Scout member, guardian of a girl member, or Girl Scouts staff member. This is based on IRS record retention guidelines.

~*What if we missed the deadline?
Don’t worry however VTK does go down for maintenance during the summer (date TBD) and on September 30th GSUSA archives and resets for the new membership year. We strongly suggest the sooner than the later and enjoy your summer. As soon as VTK is back up and you haven’t submitted, we suggest filling out before your troop meets before September 30th.

~What month do I start with? Do I start with October 1st?
Start right after you left off last year with the report. If you are a new troop then begin when you started your troop bank report. Do not following the Girl Scout Calendar which is October 1st.

~Help, I am having issues logging on?
Check out the VTK Troubleshooting Guide. If you are still having issues email to customercare@girlscoutsgcnwi.org or 855-456-8347. 

~My troop is debating on disbanding however my daughter or some of the girls want to continue on, what should I do?
See page “Continuing On” for your answer. There are many options!

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Disbanding? 

If a Troop is disbanding they should fill out the “ATFR” and then the disbanding form online. Please let us know if any girls are still interested in continuing with Girl Scouts, we have many local troops and a Group of Cadettes through Ambassadors Girls that meets throughout the year, Juliettes are welcome! – see Trailblazers 47281 for more information. 

There are several different ways you will receive new orders and payment over the course of the cookie program. You may get Digital Cookie orders, which are prepaid; Order card orders which are handed/e-mailed to you and come with cash or checks from your families; Additional orders after the initial order for several boxes that families ask you for; Goal Getters that are ordered through our council shops; and cookie booths where you may receive cash or credit card payments. How does this all work?

For reference, have a copy of the Troop Cookie Manager guide handy. Pages 40 – 42.

Digital Cookie (DOC) order

• These are pre-paid with a credit card on the Digital Cookie app/website and have an order number. This applies to all DOC orders throughout the entire program.
  • Money is deposited directly to COUNCIL
  • the troop receives a credit on their Payment Tab with the order number
  • the girl receives a credit on their Girl Order tab with the order number
  • this $ is part of Payments Made on your Sales Report tab.

Order Card Initial Order

• Girls turned in order cards to the troop (or sent an email with totals, etc) and the troop entered an order on the Initial Order tab under the girl’s name. 
  • Family turns money in to troop (either up front when the order was turned in or within x number of days after the girls receive their initial order).
  • Troop issues a receipt to the family and keeps a copy.
  • Troop deposits money into the bank.

Additional Orders

• Girls pick up additional cookies from the troop (not DOC girl delivered). 
  • Troop determines if family needs to pay up front or can pay at a designated time. Suggestion: the later it gets in the program, the more urgent payment is. The last two weeks should be pay upon pick up.
  • Family turns in money.
  • Troop issues a receipt to the family and keeps a copy.
  • Troop deposits money into the bank.

Goal Getters

• Order is placed on the GCNWI Shop site for a goal getter program
  • Order is paid for (either on-line or at the Gathering Place).
  • Council processes order and payment.
  • Council posts payment to the troop and credits the # of packages.
  • Council posts payment and # of packages to the girl.
  • The $ is part of the Payments Made on your Sales Report tab in eBudde.

Booth

• Cookies are purchased at a booth locations by customers
  • Cash – deposit directly into your troop account.
  • Checks – deposit directly into your troop account (only take checks from people you know at booths).
  • Credit card
    • Clover: this is deposited automatically into your troop account.
    • Digital Cookie IN HAND: Girls can use this to take payment. Deposited with council, credited to your troop and the girl just like a regular Digital Cookie order.

Note: There is no payment transaction when using Troop-to-Troop in eBudde when transferring cookie surplus to another troop.

Council Site Sales

• Booth Site Sign-up opens Sunday, JAN 9 at 7pm, Troops can sign-up for 2 time slots during this time through eBudde
• How To Sign-Up for a Booth Site: https://youtu.be/2KufWt4noaM
• Upcoming booth sign-up days Jan. 16 and Jan. 23
• Booth site opportunities are added often so be sure check back for updates.
• The Cookie Booth phase of the 2022 Cookie Program for our council officially begins on Feb 11
• Check out the Cookie Booth Essentials to plan your booth this season!
• Download the Cookie Booth Calculator as a resource, no matter how you booth it!
• Check out the Cookie Booth resources on council’s website!

Questions? Contact the Product Program Team at productprogram@girlscoutsgcnwi.org or 855.456.8347 ext. 6722

Service Unit Site Sales

Keeping it Local! Why is our area not in eBudde? Most our Merchants in our communities want local Girl Scout Troops and not to mention all the guidelines per village. EBudde is open to all troops in our Council and by moving our communities to a different platform secures that OUR troops come first!

We have secured the following locations:

• Jewel on Vail (AH)
• Jewel on Rand (AH)
• Jewel in BG
• Walgreens in AH, BG, Lincolnshire, and Wheeling
• Lowes in Arlington Hts
• For updated locations and guidelines see here

How to sign-up:

• Booth Site Sign-up opens FEB 1 at 7pm – Troops can sign-up for 2 time slots during this time through Sign-up Genius
• We will email, post on Facebook, and su402.org website when troops can sign-up
• Upcoming addtional booth sign-up days FEB 7 and FEB 14
• Download our su402 Cookie Booth Calculator as we based on our initial sales for our areas
• Check often updated information and resources on our su402 website
• Booth Site Permits – to come for Arlington Hts!

Questions? Contact the SU Product Team at su402productteam@gmail.com

Postings to any allowed social or general media may ONLY be done during Cookie Program sale dates

Posts ALLOWED 

• Posts are allowed during the cookie program, not prior before the initial date.
• Posting to personal social media is permitted. Be cognizant of settings (private vs. public).
• Posting to LOCAL public social media sites (approved membership or public) with Girl Scout or Troop Digital Cookie link is permissible for the promotion of booth sale sites, online direct ship orders and public pick-up of girl delivery orders. We remind parents and troop volunteers to be safety conscious and cautious providing a URL to unknown customers. ALWAYS meet in a public location for distribution of Girl Delivery orders from unknown customers.

Posts NOT ALLOWED

• Posting to national sites such as, but not limited to, eBay, Etsy, Craigslist, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, etc. is NOT permitted.
• NO paid advertising of any kind on social media or general media is allowed.

We would like to remind everyone that the Girl Scout Cookie Program is a girl-led program and girls should be involved as much as safely possible in social media and online sales. We also recommend parents use caution when posting to ANY social media site and taking orders from strangers. The safety of Girl Scouts and their families is first and foremost. Parents should use their best judgement when approving in-person delivery orders, versus shipped-only orders, to customers they don’t know. A girl should be accompanied by an adult at all times when selling or delivering cookies. Abuse or misuse of a girl’s Digital Cookie site may result in council inactivating the girl’s site.

Adhere to the Cookie Program sale dates, pricing, council boundaries and cookies

Sale dates and pricing are specific for each Girl Scout council. It is important that troops, girls and families follow the sale dates and pricing for our council. Girls may NOT take in-person or digital orders including going door-to-door, posting order cards at parent workplace, etc. prior to December 15, 2021. Additionally, booth sales may only occur during the designated booth sale dates. Troops may face consequences if sale dates and pricing are not followed.

All troops must keep sales within the boundaries of our council. No booth sites or door-to-door selling may occur outside of Council boundaries. To confirm if a retail location or city is within our boundaries, please contact Council’s Product Program Team. If you see a troop selling within boundaries which you suspect is not from our council, DO NOT confront the troop, be argumentative or engage in a conflict. Make specific note of the date, time, location and troop number and report the information to your Council’s Product Program Team. Our council will follow up with the appropriate council.

Troop Penalties

All programs have requirements, expectations and rules for participants. The Cookie Program is no different. It is important that troops and Girl Scouts have equal opportunities to sell cookies; we would hope parents, Girl Scouts, Troop Leaders, Troop Cookie Chairs, etc. would all act appropriately, but unfortunately this does not always happen. If the Service Unit confirms a report that a troop or a girl within a troop has broken any rules or requirements of the program, including but not limited to, early selling, selling at higher pricing, selling outside of council boundaries, misconduct at sites, posting to restricted social media sites, or selling rewards, the service unit will have to report to council and there could be penalties to the troop. This is not something we want to do, but as a result of prior incidents, it is unfortunately something that needs to be enforced. Always follow the Girl Scout Law and Promise!

As a Troop Leader or Troop Cookie Chair, we expect you to explain the requirements and do’s and don’ts of the program to your Girl Scouts and their parents along with the explanation that if even one girl in the troop breaks the rules, the entire troop may be penalized. 

Reports of inappropriate selling activities will be accepted and investigated by Council’s Product Program Team. Girl Scouts, parents, Troop Leaders, and Troop Cookie Chairs should not confront the troop, be argumentative or engage in a conflict. Reports should include specific information such as date, time, location, troop number and/or name when possible. 

Contact Council’s Product Program team with any questions at 855-456-8347  ext. 6722 or productprogram@girlscoutsgcnwi.org