Cookie Volunteer Hub

Training, Tools & Tips for a Sweetly Successful Season

About the Program

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The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led entrepreneurial and financial literacy program globally. This program offers flexibility for troops to decide how to participate. Girl Scouts in Western New York have the opportunity to take orders online or in-person, while troops can schedule direct sales within their communities.

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Click here to see what the Girl Scout Cookie Program Means for your Girl Scout!

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Cookie University toggle arrow

Cookie University is a series of webinars designed to help volunteers during the cookie program. It provides instruction on using online platforms like Digital Cookie and Smart Cookies, as well as guidance on goal-setting, sales techniques, and managing logistics like initial orders and inventory.

Pre-registration for the webinars is required. Click each session to register below:

12/11-Session 1: Getting Started: Smart Cookies & Digital Cookie Registration
- VIDEO RECORDING
1/6-Session 2: Cookie Booth Lottery/Troop Secured Booths
- VIDEO RECORDING
1/28-Session 3: Troop Initial Cookie and Reward Orders
- VIDEO RECORDING
2/18-Session 4: Preparation for Delivery & Inventory Management
- VIDEO RECORDING

3/11-Session 5: CANCELLED
3/19-Session 6: Final Steps

Materials & Training

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Click here for the 2026 Cookie Timeline

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Troop Cookie Manager Agreement
Troop Annual Information Form (includes Product Program Permission)
Cookie Permission Form (if Caregiver did not sign the Annual Form)
2026 Troop Guide
2026 Family Guide
Reward Program Waiver
Mini Order Card

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Cookie Team Flyer

Training Videos toggle arrow

GSWNY Cookies 101 Training Video|PDF|PPT

GSWNY Troop Training Video|PDF|PPT

See "Smart Cookies" and "Digital Cookie" links on this page for instructional videos

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Smart Cookies

What is Smart Cookies? toggle arrow

Smart Cookies is an online platform from ABC Bakers that helps manage the Girl Scout Cookie Program, allowing users to manage every aspect of the cookie business from a smartphone, tablet, or computer. It is used by council and troop leaders to handle tasks like ordering cookies, tracking sales, managing booth activities, and handling inventory and payments. Girl Scouts do not have access to Smart Cookies.

Troops will begin receiving an access email for Smart Cookies on 12/1. GSWNY will upload girls to your Smart Cookies roster. After you log into Smart Cookies - check to make sure all your girls have been added.

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ABC Smart Cookies

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SC Basics

SC Quickbites: (Each document includes a link to an instructional video)

End of Program:

ABC Smart Cookies Resources

Digital Cookie

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Digital Cookie is an online platform for Girl Scouts to sell cookies, offering a personalized storefront and a mobile app for online and in-person sales. It helps them manage orders, track sales, and learn entrepreneurial skills through features like goal setting, marketing emails, and educational games.

Troop leaders use Digital Cookie for:

Troop management: Use a troop dashboard to see the sales of each girl and the troop's progress toward goals.
Credit Card Processing: Leaders take credit card payments at cookie booths through the Digital Cookie mobile app. To use this feature, log in through the troop site - not an individual girl and enter card info. All payments go directly to the troop account, and payments can be viewed in the troop’s Digital Cookie or Smart Cookies account.
Order and delivery tracking: Track individual and troop orders, view details, and manage any orders that need approval.
Customer management: Access a link for a "Troop Ship Only" virtual booth, allowing customers to buy cookies shipped directly to their homes.
Support for girls: Help girls set up their individual sites and track their progress toward goals and earning badges.

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Digital Cookie

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Digital Cookie Quick Start - Leaders

Using the Digital Cookie Mobile App: A Training Guide for Troop Volunteers PDF|Video

Tip Sheets

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Volunteers must agree to the terms and conditions ("Volunteer Terms & Conditions") in order to participate in the Digital Cookie program.

Initial Order

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The troop initial order is the first large order of Girl Scout cookies a troop makes to fulfill the pre-orders collected from customers via paper order cards and online "girl-delivery" orders. During this period, troop leaders enter the total number of cookies each girl sold into Smart Cookies. The troop then uses this information to order the exact number of cookies needed for those initial sales, plus extra inventory for future sales like booth sales.

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What is the Booth Lottery?
- In ABC Smart Cookies, the cookie booth lottery gives all troops a fair chance at popular booth locations before open scheduling begins. From January 19–30, troops submit their preferred booth dates and times. On January 31, the system will run the lottery and randomly assign slots based on availability. Remaining slots will open on February 1 for First Come, First Served. (FCFS)
Requesting a Booth Lottery Site: PDF|Video
Requesting a First Come, First Served Lottery Site (FCFS): PDF|Video

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In order for GSWNY to pay their initial payment to ABC Bakers, we ask that troops make a payment by the initial payment due date on the timeline. All payments to council can be made at one of our Service Centers during shop hours or by using epayment:

Epayment

Keep Goaling & Delivery

What is Keep Goaling? toggle arrow

"Keep Goaling" is the name for a specific period in the Girl Scout cookie program, (also called the "Goal Getter" phase), where girls who already took pre-orders continue to sell cookies to meet individual and troop goals after the initial order period ends. During this time, girls can use order cards or online dashboards to manage sales, and troops can fulfill these new orders from a cookie cupboard. It's a way to continue growing their business and earning rewards and proceeds beyond the initial order.

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Keep Goaling Order Card
Cookie Community Manager Program C/S/A

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Cookie Share Flyer
Cookie Share Sales Flow Chart

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Direct/Booth Sales

What are Direct/Booth Sales? toggle arrow

Direct and booth sales are two primary ways Girl Scouts sell cookies in person: booth sales involve setting up a table at a public location like a storefront, while direct sales involve selling cookies immediately to customers, bypassing a pre-order process. Both are during the period of time Girl Scouts sell cookies directly from their inventory, rather than ahead of time using an order card. Girls can also continue to sell digitally during the Direct Sale period.

The most popular in-hand selling method is Cookie Booths, but there are plenty of other ways to sell cookies such as Drive-Thrus, walkabouts, Milk and Cookies breaks, etc.

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Cookie Buyout Program toggle arrow

A Cookie Booth Buyout is when a business/individual commits to buying a minimum of 100 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to give to clients, employees, or donate to local charities. See the flyer below to participate!

Cookie Buyout Program

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A cookie cupboard is a local pickup site - run by a volunteer at their home or located at a council office - where troops can get extra cookie inventory during the Cookie Program. It provides convenient, short-term access to cookies to help troops restock as they sell.

How to place a Planned Order for pickup at a Cookie Cupboard: PDF|Video
Rochester Service Center Cupboard Map

Entering Booths into SC toggle arrow

Scheduling Booths in Smart Cookies- LOTTERY : PDF|Video
Scheduling Booths in Smart Cookies - FCFS: PDF|Video
Scheduling Booths in Smart Cookies - TROOP SECURED: PDF|Video

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Troop Site Link and Troop Pick Up Orders
Smart Booth Divider (Single Booth) PDF|Video
Troop to Girl Cookie Transfers PDF|Video
How to Distribute Cookie Share Sales (flow chart)
Adding Girl Payments into Smart Cookies PDF
Glossery of Frequently Used Reports

Program Wrap-Up

Epayment

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In order to ensure Girl Scouts receive their proper recognitions, troops must transfer all remaining Troop On-Hand Inventory to girls at the close of the cookie program.