Multi-Use Troop Form

If you are planning to travel internationally please provide the following:

• Permission to Travel form for Minors

A Money Earning Activity is an optional fundraising activity. MEAs should be chosen based on program value for the girls, and they should be consistent with the program standards and council policies on money earning. All Safety Activity Checkpoints and council policies and guidelines must be followed.

The basics

• Troops must obtain approval from their community leader/troop support specialist before they begin planning or advertising an event.
• Applications should be submitted to GSGC staff at least four weeks prior to the event. The community leader/troop support specialist will approve or deny the request.
• Troops must be in good financial standing to be eligible to do a money earning
  activity.
• Girl Scout insurance only covers approved events/activities. Additional insurance may be required for certain events

Criteria

A money-earning activity must:

• Be a valuable program activity for girls that will generate additional funds for a planned activity or event.
• Be suited to ages/abilities of the girls and consistent with goals/principles of Girl Scouting.
• Be a girl-led activity — planned, generated, produced and performed by girls with supervision and support from volunteers

Eligibility

• Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies are not permitted to participate in Money
  Earning Activities or fundraising outside of the Girl Scout Cookie Program and
  Fall Product Program.
• Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors may hold MEAs. Girls applying to earn their Silver Award and/or Gold Award may also hold MEAs to fund their Take Action Project; Gold Award MEA applications must be approved by their Gold Award mentor.
• Troops must actively participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program and Fall
  Product Program.
  • Cookies — 60% of registered members of a troop selling, with a 50-box
    PGA
  • Fall Products — 60% of registered members of a troop selling, with a $50 PGA
• All troop members must be registered Girl Scouts and have a permission slip for the event signed by a parent or guardian.
• The troop must follow program progression for trips and must have a trip
  application on file for extended trips, if applicable.
• A finance report must be on file for the previous year.
• Troops must have a purpose and financial need for the MEA. The income from
  the MEA never becomes property of individual girls but is part of the troop
  treasury

Help Girls Reach Their Financial Goals

• In order for a troop to participate in additional money earning activities, there
must be a need. One of your opportunities as a volunteer is to facilitate girl-led
financial planning, which may include the following steps for the girls:
• What do the girls hope to accomplish through this activity? In addition to earning money, what skills do they hope to build? What leadership opportunities presented themselves?
• Create a budget. Use a budget worksheet that includes both expenses and
available income.
• Determine how much the group needs to earn. Subtract expenses from available income to determine how much money your troop needs to earn.
• Make a plan. The troop can brainstorm and make decisions about its financial
plans. In this planning stage, determine what funds are needed beyond what the troop will earn through the cookie and fall product programs. In this planning stage, engage the girls through the Girl Scout processes (girl-led, learning by doing and cooperative learning) and consider the value of any potential activity. Have the girls weigh feasibility, implementation and safety factors.
• Write it out. Once the group has decided a financial plan, describe it in writing.
• Remember: It’s great for girls to have opportunities like the Girl Scout Cookie
Program to earn funds that help them fulfill their goals as part of the Girl Scout
Leadership Experience. As a volunteer, try to help the girls balance the money
earning they do with opportunities to enjoy other activities that have less
emphasis on earning and spending money. Take Action Projects, for example,
might not always require girls to spend any money

Resrictions

• Troops can run up to four (4) money earning activities plus Gateway Council’s
  product programs for a total of six (6) money-earning opportunities per Girl Scout year, from Oct. 1-Sept. 30.
  • Gateway Council is not responsible for any loss incurred from a money earning activity.
  • Money earning activities cannot take place during the selling period of council-sponsored product sales programs without the approval of a council executive.
  • Activities must comply with local ordinances. They must be free from any
  association with gambling, raffles, silent auctions, games of chance and direct
  solicitation of cash, all of which are not approved activities. We must protect the name and goodwill of Girl Scouts of the USA and Girl Scouts of Gateway
  Council.
  • Troops may not use MEAs to solicit or raise money for any other organization or solicit over the internet.
  • Troops cannot take orders for, sell or endorse a commercial product or business of any kind. However, they may sell non-branded or homemade items.
  • Girls and adults should be dressed appropriately and should wear the Girl Scout pin, sash/vest or troop uniform (if the activity permits) during the MEA

Facility Use & Insurance Information for Meetings
Holding meetings on school property requires an agreement to be signed by our CEO or their designee. Some churches or community centers also require facility usage forms to be completed. These forms can not be signed by Girl Scout volunteers as they are an agreement between GSGC and the school board and involve insurance requirements.

Please provide the details of when and where you meet so that the required form can be completed.

Facility Information
If you answered yes to the last question, did the business/location ask for the Certificate of Insurance from Gateway Council?

If yes, make sure the contact’s name and email is the correct person to receive the Certificate of Insurance request for the business/location

If no, please ask if they need a certificate of insurance prior to requesting

An application and approval are required for any Girl Scout troop meetings or activities that will be held in a private residence. All adults (18 and over) must have an approved background check screening on file with Girl Scouts of Gateway Council (GSGC) and the residence must have Homeowner’s or Rental insurance.  Allow 4 weeks for processing; meetings or activities MAY NOT be held in a private residence until approval has been received

Guidelines for Girl Scout Meetings and/or Activities in a Private Residence

The safety and protection of girls and adults is paramount to a fun, leadership-building experience for girls. It is essential that the volunteer understands the importance of the Girl Scout SafetyGuidelines. Safety is the top priority of Girl Scouting and girls will benefit from the safe environment that allows them to be at their best while developing critical leadership skills.

The following guidelines must be met before an approved volunteer can hold any meeting or sponsor an activity in a private residence.

• Permission to Meet in Private Residence Application and Approval Form must be completed in its entirety and approved by Girl Scouts of Gateway Council before holding a meeting or activity at a private residence.
• The private residence must have Homeowner’s/Rental insurance that covers injuries/medical must be on file with GSGC before 1st meeting, event, or activity.
• All adults residing in the residence who are 18 and over must have an approved background check screening on file with Girl Scouts of Gateway Council, even if they are not participating in the troop meeting, event, or activity.
• Adult/girl ratios must be met at all times. During meetings/activities, the co-leaders and other approved GSGC volunteers must be present according to the recommended ratios of girls to volunteers.
• First-aid and activity requirements as noted in Safety Activity Checkpoints must be met.
• Policies/procedures in GSGC Volunteer Essentials must be adhered to.
• Emergency evacuation plan must be created and practiced with all exit routes and kept on file with the volunteer who is holding the meeting/activity in the private residence.
• If the troop moves their regular troop meeting location at any time, troop leadership will need to notifyGSGC of the new location. If it is to a private residence the Permission to Meet in Private Residence Application and Approval Form must be completed and approved before meeting there.
• If you have any questions, send an email to customercare@gsgateway.org

Purpose 
This policy establishes the requirements and procedures for processing donations made to Girl Scouts of Gateway Council (GSGC) for the benefit of a designated troop or community. The policy is intended to ensure donations are administered consistently, documented appropriately, and handled in accordance with applicable nonprofit and IRS requirements. 

Scope 
This policy applies to all troops, communities, donors, and volunteers involved in requesting, receiving, processing, or documenting donations intended to support a specific troop or community through GSGC. 

Policy Statement 
A pass-through donation is a contribution made to GSGC for the benefit of a designated troop or community and subsequently allocated by GSGC in accordance with this policy. 

To qualify for pass-through processing, a Pass-Through Donation Request must be submitted using the GSGC Multi-Use Troop Form before the donation is received by GSGC or within 30 days of receipt. 

GSGC retains appropriate control and discretion over all charitable contributions received by the council. Donor requests designating a troop or community will be honored to the extent permitted under this policy. 

Donations made directly to a troop or community are not processed as charitable contributions by GSGC. Accordingly, GSGC cannot provide a charitable contribution acknowledgment for these donations, nor should individual troops or communities issue such acknowledgments, as they do not independently hold tax-exempt status. GSGC is the recognized nonprofit entity and holds the applicable tax-exempt designation. 

Donation Procedures 

1. Donations of less than $250: Donations of less than $250 may be provided directly to a troop or community if the donor does not require a charitable contribution acknowledgment from GSGC. All such donations must be reported on the troop's Annual Troop Finance Report. 
2. Donations of $250 or more: Donations of $250 or more, or donations of any amount for which the donor requires a charitable contribution acknowledgment from GSGC, must be submitted to GSGC headquarters, Attn: Fund Development. 
3. Troop or Community designation: The donor must include documentation identifying the intended troop or community when the donation is submitted to GSGC. 
4. Pass-Through Donation Request: A Pass-Through Donation Request using the GSGC Multi-Use Troop Form must be submitted before the donation is received by GSGC or within 30 days of receipt. 
5. Distribution of funds: Once the donation and required documentation have been processed, qualifying funds will be allocated to the designated troop or community in a timely manner, in accordance with this policy and GSGC procedures.
6. Financial reporting: All donations received by a troop or community, whether received directly or through the pass-through donation process, must be reported on the Annual Troop Finance Report. 

Annual Donation Limit 

Troops may receive up to $1,000 in total donations through the pass-through donation process during each Girl Scout membership year. 

Once a troop reaches the $1,000 annual limit, additional donations received through GSGC will be retained by the council and directed to the Girl Opportunity Fund to support girls who need financial assistance to participate in the Girl Scout experience. 

If an individual donation would cause a troop to exceed the $1,000 annual limit, the troop will receive the portion of the donation necessary to reach the $1,000 limit, and the remaining amount will be directed to the Girl Opportunity Fund. 

Troops are responsible for monitoring donations received during the Girl Scout year in coordination with GSGC. 

Company Matching Gifts 

Company matching gifts must be submitted directly to GSGC. Matching gift funds will be directed to the Girl Opportunity Fund to support the broader Girl Scout community and will not be designated for an individual troop or community. 

Because company matching gifts are retained for council-wide use, they do not count toward a troop's $1,000 annual pass-through donation limit. 

Compliance and Administration 

GSGC is responsible for processing qualifying pass-through donations, maintaining appropriate documentation, issuing charitable contribution acknowledgments when applicable, and distributing funds in accordance with this policy and council procedures. 

Troops and communities are responsible for accurately reporting all donations received on the Annual Troop Finance Report and complying with the requirements established in this policy. 

This policy is intended to support consistent donation administration, appropriate financial oversight, transparency, and equitable support for Girl Scouts throughout Girl Scouts of Gateway Council.