potential increase in Girl Scouts membership dues by a factor of three.
On a Saturday, the 900 decision-makers of the Girl Scouts of the USA's top body will cast votes on whether to bump up membership fees for the first time in eight years. The governing body suggests hiking up annual fees from $25 per member to $85 for each scout, resulting in a substantial 240% rise.
According to a spokesperson from Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), this move is aimed at supporting local councils and enhancing programs for current and future members. GSUSA's chief source of income, membership dues, generated approximately $38 million from its nearly 2 million members in 2023. However, the organization has been running deficits and expects a dip of $5.6 million this year.
Some members worry that the proposed hike is beyond what families can afford, potentially resulting in exclusion across the country.
"It's a ludicrous increase," Sally Bertram, a troop leader for the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio with 30 years of experience, lamented. "It's like, what in the world are you thinking? You're going to put yourselves out of business."
Bertram, who was a Girl Scout herself and now leads a troop for her granddaughters, expressed concerns over the impending financial burden. She predicts that almost every girl in her group could be affected by the increase, and the girls would not get any additional benefits.
"We're not getting our uniforms, we're not getting our badges. I just started a new troop with my youngest granddaughters. I had to ask the moms for $20 to cover expenses," she said.
The Girl Scouts' membership base has decreased in recent years, with leadership acknowledging this in September.
During a video message to members, National Board Treasurer Diane Tipton assured viewers that they had reduced costs and expenses over the past few years, and gone through a detailed budgeting process across all divisions.
Increasing the fee to $85, GSUSA's CEO Bonnie Barczykowski said, would make program delivery and technology use more simple, provide more streamlined training, recruitment tools, and programs, and create new opportunities for Girl Scouts to explore.
Bertram thought a fee increase to $35 could be reasonable but considered $85 "unreasonable."
"We will disband our group," Bertram vowed, hinting that she might form a separate organization for her troop if the hike goes through.
Soaring Expenses
Like many entities, the Girl Scouts have grappled with the pandemic, inflation, and shifts in consumer preferences.
"Costs have skyrocketed all around, and none of us – GSUSA, our councils, or you – have been spared this impact," Tipton informed members. "As a National Council, we must uphold the importance of Girl Scouting for our girls and have the courage to invest in its value through a reasonable dues increase."
The Boy Scouts of America also bumped up its membership fee to $85 in April, but the increase was a more manageable $5.
"It's a mess," Kelly Goldsmith, a marketing professor at Vanderbilt University and a Tennessee Girl Scout troop leader, remarked. Goldsmith, who will be casting a vote on Saturday, spoke from the perspective of a marketing expert and expressed concern about the significant fee hike.
Goldsmith sees this increase as a final attempt to address the organization's financial woes.
"That's also a tactic you employ when you're financially struggling," she concluded.
The organization anticipates some member dropoffs with the hike, but they have made plans to provide financial aid and are open to phasing in the increase with 20% and 10% discounts for the first and second years, respectively. They are also considering increasing adult volunteer fees.
However, Goldsmith suggested exploring alternate revenue streams, such as cutting back on GSUSA's five-avenue New York City office space or trimming executive salaries, as the CEO earned $785,000 in 2023.
"It feels like you're exploiting your loyal customers," Goldsmith remarked. "The public perception on this could not be worse; it's bound to impact membership."
The proposed fee increase to $85 for Girl Scout members is seen as a way to support local councils and enhance programs by Bertram's troop leader, but she considers it "unreasonable" and fears it could put the Girl Scouts out of business, potentially leading to their disbandment.
With the soaring expenses due to the pandemic, inflation, and shifts in consumer preferences, the Girl Scouts are facing financial difficulties and consider increasing membership fees as a means to continue investing in the value of Girl Scouting and addressing their financial woes.
