
The membership drop mirrors similar declines throughout the
nonprofit and youth-serving sectors, with organizations across the country
experiencing the residual effects of the 2008 financial crisis, and its
lingering impact on the time and resources both girls and parents have to give
to Girl Scouts and other activities. The increased demand and competition from
other organizations, school, and extracurricular activities for the attention
of girls have also cut into the time girls commit to Girl Scouts.
Much of Girl Scouts’ membership decline over the past several
years can be attributed to a lack of adult volunteers to lead troops and
deliver programming. With 30,000 girls on waiting lists nationwide to join the
Girl Scouts, it is clear girls’ interest in joining the organization remains
high. Declining time and interest on the part of potential adult volunteers to
serve as troop leaders, cookie moms, and in other capacities has led to a net
decline in overall girl and adult membership, as many girls no longer have a
local troop to join. The recruitment and training of qualified adults is a top
priority for the organization, as a single volunteer can take as many as five
girls off of a wait list and into a troop setting.
“We are aware of the national trends in the youth-serving
nonprofit space, and are investing heavily in innovative technological upgrades
that will take the Girl Scout experience fully into the twenty-first century,”
said Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. “As we head into our national
convention this month, we are embracing new tactics, ideas, and strategies that
will help us reach, recruit, and retain more girls and the adults who serve
them. As we position Girl Scouts for its second century of service to girls, we
are continuing to work to connect the organization to the fast-paced modern
world, ensuring we deliver a unique leadership experience that is consistent
with the needs of today’s girls while teaching the values and ideals our
Movement has always upheld.”
More sophisticated social media campaigns and a first-ever online
resource for volunteers, called the Volunteer Toolkit, are among the new
tactics and strategies Girl Scouts of the USA has been investing in to assist in recruiting more
adult volunteers. This fall Girl Scouts of the USA launched its first national Facebook ad
campaign for the majority of Girl Scout councils. The campaign, which uses
geo-targeted ads optimized for conversions, reached over nine million potential
volunteers in the first month. The development of the Volunteer Toolkit is
revolutionary for Girl Scouts of the USA, as it will ease the on-boarding process for new
volunteers, and troop leaders will be able to plan an entire year of meetings
and activities in one online visit. The mobile-friendly toolkit also provides easy
access and constant support for on-the-go volunteers. The handful of councils currently
piloting the toolkit have already seen a significant positive impact, greatly
reducing the number of girls on waiting lists.
Though overall membership is down, the
positive effect Girl Scouts has on girls continues to be indisputable. Studies
from the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) show women who were Girl Scouts
display positive life outcomes with regard to sense of self, community service,
civic engagement, education, and income to a greater degree than women who were
not Girl Scouts. And this is the case for all Girl Scout alumnae, across age/generations,
social class, race, and engagement in other extracurricular activities. Results
from a Girl Scouts of the USA summer 2014 pulse poll conducted with more than 3,500 volunteers
and parents of Girl Scouts in the K−5 age range shows at
least 90 percent of caregivers say their daughter is more
confident, has more friends, and is happier because she’s
in Girl Scouts, while 88 percent of volunteers believe their lives are
better because they volunteer with Girl Scouts.
