A blog series to help girls, parents, and leaders learn ways to fund your Girl Scout travels!

Are you ready to travel the globe and see what the world has to offer? Maybe you’re interested in joining a Girl Scouts Destinations trip or a Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI) council-sponsored trip such as our upcoming You-and-Me Trips to St. Louis, MO, or Door County, WI! 

Whatever your future Girl Scout travels may be, we have the answers to some of the questions you may have when it comes to planning your trip!

FAQ

Here is a list of the Frequently Asked Questions our Service Unit Support Manages receive!

1. Can we do a GoFund me page? When it comes to earning money for travel, we want our Girl Scouts to exercise their skills and knowledge of fundraising that is why crowd sourced fundraising is NOT permitted.
2. Wait, but can we ask people to donate to us for our trip?  Yes you can through fundraising and donation events set up by your Girl Scouts. For more info see guidelines in Volunteer Essentials, page 78
3. Can we accept cash donations?  Yes.
4. What do we do for the girls that aren’t going on the trip?  Be transparent throughout the process, carefully documenting all troop accounts and sharing with girls and parents so everyone is clear what money is for trip and what money is for “general stuff”.  
5. Can our troop have separate accounts for girls with money earning for trips? They often have some girls who want to travel and some that do not so it is tough to decide what money goes where.   Any money raised/earned is the property of the entire troop, no individual girl or adult.  Again, be transparent and open and encourage the girls to develop guidelines as to how to allocate money based on fund-raising participation, the girls usually have great ideas and are very fair! 
6. How do we go about getting a receipt for donor or an in-kind donation letter?  See Volunteer Essentials, page 80 
7. Can troop leaders earn money for being on the trip as well? It is up to each troop to decide! Some have the leader pay their own way, while others support the leader to attend. Again, be clear upfront how many adult chaperones are needed, whether the troop will help pay for the chaperones, if other adults can attend and payment details.

Use these money saving tips towards upcoming You & Me trips!

St. Louis, MO and Door County, WI

Read Blog 1 in our series: Fund Your Travels: Money-Earning Tips for Funding Girl Scout Trips

Read Blog 2 in our series: Fund Your Travels: Planning Tips for Funding Your Girl Scout Trips