O’Toole letter: Girl Scouts

This year, Boise-based Girl Scouts of the Silver Sage Council celebrates 100 years of girls learning business skills and raising money to participate in Girl Scout programs and activities through cookie sales. Very soon, you’ll see Girl Scouts in your neighborhood or at cookie booths asking for your support. When you do, I hope you’ll remember that 100 percent of cookie proceeds stay local and support local Girl Scouts.

Many people ask how exactly the money is distributed. So, here’s a look at how the cookie crumbles: On average, 45 percent of cookie revenue pays for local Girl Scout programs and activities; 25 percent covers the cost of cookies; 13 percent goes to troops for their own use; 7 percent is given to the girls in the form of prizes and “cookie dough” which they use for camp, travel, membership and more; 4 percent goes toward the administration of cookie product management; and the remaining 6 percent is sales tax paid to the state of Idaho. Except for taxes paid to the state, no money earned from cookie sales leaves the Silver Sage Council.

It’s a great day to be a Girl Scout.

This story was originally published February 5, 2017 at 5:40 PM with the headline "O’Toole letter: Girl Scouts."