Participation in this Girl Scout program activity is voluntary. However, girls tell us selling Girl Scout Cookies is fun. Girls practice life skills such as teamwork, money management, and entrepreneurship. This activity provides Girl Scout councils with revenue to support Girl Scouting in local communities, including a portion that goes back to the Girl Scout troop/group selling the cookies. Customers purchase great cookies and know they are supporting the girls in their area.

Only Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts and Girl Scouts 11-17 may sell Girl Scout Cookies. Participation in this Girl Scout program activity is voluntary.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program is not just about cookies. These annual activities offer many opportunities for hands-on entrepreneurial program activities. We find that most girls in Girl Scouting thoroughly enjoy this activity and look forward to it each year. Participation in this activity is voluntary and requires written permission by a parent or guardian. Our youngest members, Daisy Girl Scouts, who are five and six—are not allowed to sell Girl Scout cookies under any circumstances.

With every purchase, approximately 70% of the proceeds stays in the local Girl Scout council to provide a portion of the resources needed to support Girl Scouting in that area, including a portion that goes directly to the troop/group selling the cookies. The balance goes directly to the baker to pay for the cookies.

Two commercial bakers are licensed by the national Girl Scout organization, Girl Scouts of the USA, to produce Girl Scout Cookies: ABC/Interbake Foods and Little Brownie Bakers.

Our existing National Girl Scout policy prohibits the sale of Girl Scout cookies or any other Girl Scout approved product on the Internet. The safety of our girls is always our chief concern. Even in supervised settings it is not possible to guarantee that the person purchasing Girl Scout Cookies harbors no harmful intent. Girl Scout Cookie Activities are designed to be face-to-face learning experiences for girls.

Each of our two licensed bakers lists dietary exchanges on the order form so diabetics can make informed choices. For more information, check the bakers' Web sites:

Girl Scouts of the USA does not allow online sales but its cookie site, GirlScoutCookies.org can help you locate cookie sales in your community. Simply visit GirlScoutCookies.org.

No, if the customer keeps the cookies. Individuals who buy Girl Scout Cookies and take the cookies home, or consume them, have purchased a product at a fair market value. For this reason, no part of the price of a box of Girl Scout Cookies used in this way is tax-deductible. Yes, if the customer leaves the cookies with Girl Scouts. Many Girl Scouts ask customers to pay for one or more boxes of cookies for use in their community service project, for example, collecting for a food pantry.

Girl Scout Cookies are sold by weight, not by size or number. The number and size of cookies may vary by variety. The national Girl Scout organization, Girl Scouts of the USA, monitors the weights of the cookies, which are set by contract. Girl Scout Cookies sell for different prices in different areas of the country. Each of the 300 plus local Girl Scout councils has the right to set its own price based on its needs and knowledge of the local market. Today's prices, currently $2.50 to $4.

Girl Scout Cookies do not contain preservatives. They are all made with pure vegetable shortening, are kosher, and freeze well to extend their shelf life.

So that consumers can make an informed choice, the ingredients and nutritional profile of each variety are clearly listed on both the cookie box and the cookie order form. For more information, check the bakers' Web sites:

The Girl Scout Cookie Program is not just about cookies. This annual activity offers many opportunities for hands-on entrepreneurial program activities. We find that most girls in Girl Scouting thoroughly enjoy this activity and look forward to it each year. Girl participation is voluntary and requires written permission by a parent or guardian. Our youngest members, Daisy Girl Scouts, who are 5 and 6 years old, are not allowed to sell Girl Scout Cookies under any circumstance at this time.

For several decades, it was thought that partially hydrogenated oils–sometimes referred to as trans fats–were a healthier food choice compared with saturated fats. In recent years, data has emerged suggesting that, in fact, trans fats are not a healthier choice than saturated fats. Girl Scouts of the USA is proud to announce that all Girl Scout cookies are now "zero trans fat per serving" with the same great taste that has made them one of America's favorite treats over the years.

No. As an adult volunteer, you may not participate in program activities reserved for girls. You are a part of the adult volunteer group in the council.

No. The activities involved in cookie sales include programmatic components that require a range of skills, including arithmetic, reading comprehension, writing, problem-solving, planning, and social skills not typically possessed by girls of Daisy Girl Scout age.

The safety and security of our members is always our chief concern. We have strict guidelines for safety. Girl Scouts, depending on their age, must be accompanied by an adult when selling Girl Scout cookies and always use the buddy system. Our youngest members, Daisy Girl Scouts, who are five and six—are not allowed to sell Girl Scout cookies under any circumstances.

The best way to get your cookies is from a local Girl Scout. If you don't know a Girl Scout there are other ways to get your hands on your favorite once-a-year treat. You can find Girl Scouts out in the community at many local businesses conducting booth sales on the weekends during the sales period.

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There are many ways girls can take part in Girl Scouting. Depending on their free time and interests, they can register individually, for camp, as part of an interest group, or join a troop. If a girl registers individually, she may want to take part in one or two group events, like camp or a council-wide event.

She registers through her local Girl Scout council as an individual or a troop/group member. See Join Us.

The best way to understand where the money goes is by picturing a cookie. A piece of the cookie goes to pay the baker for making the product. Another piece goes to the local Girl Scout council to support Girl Scouts in its area, and a third piece goes directly to the troop/group selling the cookies.

All of the revenue stays in the local council, including a portion of money that goes directly to local troops selling cookies. Girls benefited not only by participating in the council-sponsored activities, but also by deciding what to do with the earned money for troop/group projects. We know of no other youth-oriented sale where the girls themselves decide what to do with the revenue received for their efforts. No money from local purchases goes to the national Girl Scout organization.

The best way to purchase Girl Scout Cookies is from a local Girl Scout. To find one, contact your local Girl Scout office or call (888) 686-MINT. Selling Girl Scout Cookies is a program activity for girls. Every Girl Scout council develops the procedures and guidelines for its cookie activities, including the dates when you can order or purchase cookies and the price per box. A council conducts only one cookie sale per year.

For safety reasons and product quality, girls are not allowed to sell cookies on the Internet. Girls can use E-mail to let family and friends know about the sale.

The youngest Daisy Girl Scouts are 5 years old, while the oldest Senior Girl Scouts are 17 or seniors in high school. See Join Us. Adults working with girls can join as well. See Adults in Girl Scouting. Also check out LEADER magazine online.