Girl Scout cookie season kicks off for 2019 in Western New York celebrating country's largest financial investment in girls annually

Iconic girl-led entrepreneurship program develops next generation of female business leaders.

The 2019 Girl Scout Cookie season is at hand, celebrating the largest financial investment in girls annually in the U.S., and a powerful entrepreneurship incubator for the next generation of female leaders.

The organization stated, “At a time when girls’ needs and issues collect fewer than 8 cents of every dollar granted by philanthropic foundations in the country, each and every Girl Scout cookie purchase is key to supporting the change-makers of today and tomorrow.”

The 2019 Girl Scout Cookie program in Western New York runs Jan. 12 to March 31, while booth sales run March 3-31.

“Research shows that female-founded start-ups generate more revenue over time and per dollar than male-founded start-ups, but only 17 percent of start-ups are female-founded,” the Girl Scouts stated. “Given that over half (53 percent) of female entrepreneurs and business owners are Girl Scout alums, supporting Girl Scouts as they make sales and learn essential business skills is imperative to ensuring our country has a strong workforce and economy.”

Through the Girl Scout Cookie Program, girls not only discover their inner leadership potential but also use their earnings to power experiences for themselves and their troop, including travel, outdoor adventure, and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programming. Many girls put the money toward community projects right in their own backyards, from supporting animal shelters and food banks to working with local and state legislators to change laws. And the cookie program’s benefits are many: A recent Girl Scout Research Institute study found two out of three girls who participate in the program learn five crucial skills – goal-setting, decision-making, money management, people skills and business ethics – while doing unique things for themselves and their communities. The proceeds stay local, meaning that, when consumers purchase the cookies that come from a registered Girl Scout, they’re giving back to the wider community.

All across Western New York, Girl Scouts are doing things made possible by each and every cookie sale. Girl Scouts from Troop 34640 donated a portion of their earned cookie money to fund one-and-a-half flights for people in need of lifesaving medical care across the nation through a local aviation charity.

“Every year, Girl Scouts all over Western New York use their cookie earnings to do amazing things in their communities and beyond,” said Judith Cranston, CEO of Girl Scouts of Western New York. “As the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world, the Girl Scout Cookie Program is powering the next century of girl entrepreneurs toward greatness. …

Adult volunteers and girls can still join Girl Scouts.”

Girl Scouts of Western New York is celebrating a tasty new way to support young female entrepreneurs with a recently debuted Cookie added to the lineup: caramel chocolate chip, which joins classics like the Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, and shortbread varieties. Caramel chocolate chip features rich caramel, semisweet chocolate chips, and a hint of sea salt in a chewy gluten-free cookie. The new cookie is offered in select Girl Scout council markets only for as long as supplies last. Like other gluten-free consumer products, it may be priced higher than other Girl Scout Cookies, reflecting the cost of production.

Additionally, Girl Scouts who participate in the cookie program this season will have the opportunity to win the “cookie entrepreneur experience of a lifetime,” featuring the DC Super Hero Girls, by entering the Cookie Pro contest. GSUSA has teamed up with DC Super Hero Girls to inspire Girl Scouts to be smart and courageous as everyday super heroes. The contest will highlight and reward exceptional cookie bosses who take the lead, set high goals for themselves, bring positive change to their communities, and learn valuable entrepreneurial skills. To learn more about the contest, or to enter, visit www.girlscouts.org/cookiepro.

To find Girl Scouts selling cookies nearby, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org or use the official Girl Scout cookie finder app, free on iOS and Android devices.

About Girl Scouts of Western New York

Girl Scouts of Western New York (GSWNY) serves nearly 15,000 girls and 7,000 adult volunteers across the GSWNY jurisdiction, including Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties. The council’s administrative service centers are located in Batavia, Buffalo, Jamestown, Lockport, Niagara Falls and Rochester.