Girl Scouts of the USA
GSUSA is the 114-year-old national nonprofit running Girl Scout troops, camps and the cookie program.
On the record
Checkpoint: Enrollment data after the $45 youth dues hike takes effect nationwide
The call
GSUSA still has the volunteers, councils and brand to keep running for years, but membership keeps shrinking while a bigger co-ed rival and quiet AI companionship both chip at its edges.
Girl Scouts runs after-school programs, camping, and the famous cookie sales program for about 1.1 million girls across 111 councils nationwide, relying on volunteer leaders and deep community trust built over more than a century. It is hard to copy because of its massive volunteer network, the cookie licensing deals, and its brand, but it faces two big threats: Scouting America, which recently went co-ed and is directly recruiting Girl Scouts members, and AI apps that girls now use when they are lonely or need advice (51 percent of girls 11 to 13 use AI for emotional support). What happens next depends on whether Girl Scouts can hold onto members after its dues nearly triple from $25 to $65 over two years, or whether the membership decline accelerates further and forces continuous shrinking and restructuring.
Why
01
AI pressure: AI companionship apps and voice assistants (Character.AI, Replika, Alexa/Siri). Girls increasingly treat AI chatbots as friends for emotional support, quietly weakening the case for belonging-based troop membership. Could AI do the core job? Unlikely.
02
Bigger players: Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America). Now co-ed with 765K members, directly recruiting girls, and already running an AI merit badge plus 'Scoutly' chatbot since October 2025. Could a giant copy it? No, they are blocked.
03
What protects it. 111-council volunteer and troop infrastructure plus a century of brand trust and exclusive cookie-baker licensing that a co-ed rival can't instantly replicate.
What would change this call
GSUSA post-2026 dues hike ($45) enrollment trend reported in FY2026 filings. Shows whether the price increase accelerates member loss or holds steady.
Whether GSUSA ships an AI-native badge or chatbot to match Scouting America's Oct 2025 'Scoutly' launch. Shows if GSUSA is responding to the youth-engagement threat or falling behind.
Outcome of Mayo v. Girl Scouts heavy-metals litigation and Girl Scouts San Diego v. Ferrero dispute. Shows whether cookie-program legal and supply risk materially hits revenue.
Whether GSUSA ships an AI-native badge or chatbot to match Scouting America's Oct 2025 'Scoutly' launch. Shows if GSUSA is responding to the youth-engagement threat or falling behind.
Outcome of Mayo v. Girl Scouts heavy-metals litigation and Girl Scouts San Diego v. Ferrero dispute. Shows whether cookie-program legal and supply risk materially hits revenue.
Key numbers
- Membership fell from 3.8M (2003) to ~1.1M girls today
- FY2024 national revenue $118.1M, up from $115.6M in FY2023
- Cookie program generates roughly $1B a year across councils
Named risks
- Membership down 70% from 2003 peak (3.8M to 1.1M), long-term secular decline.
- 160% dues hike ($25 to $65) phasing in 2026-2027 into an already shrinking membership base.
- Cookie program legal disputes with exclusive bakers (e.g., San Diego vs Ferrero, March 2026) threaten council revenue and jobs.
- Active product-liability class actions since March 2025 over heavy metals/glyphosate in cookies.
- Property and HQ divestitures (Oct 2025) signal ongoing balance-sheet pressure and possible further staff cuts.
Rivals, as read in July 2026
| Rival | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Scouting America | gaining on | Rebranded co-ed Feb 2025, recruiting scout-age girls, shipped AI merit badge and 'Scoutly' chatbot Oct 2025 |
| American Heritage Girls | contesting | Christian alternative founded 1995, claimed over 50,000 members as of 2020 (vendor-claimed) |
| AI companionship apps | gaining on | GSUSA's own May 2026 survey shows 65% of girls view voice AI as friends, eroding mentorship niche |
Questions people ask
- Is Girl Scouts of the USA profitable in 2026?
- GSUSA posted a -$8.5M net loss in FY2023 on $115.6M revenue, then FY2024 revenue rose to $118.1M with net assets growing to $202.5M as of September 30, 2024, per its Form 990 and audited annual report.
- Is Girl Scouts of the USA losing members to Scouting America?
- Scouting America (rebranded from Boy Scouts of America in February 2025) is now co-ed and recruiting scout-age girls directly, reporting ~765,000 members as of April 2025 versus GSUSA's ~1.1 million, and shipped an AI merit badge in October 2025 that GSUSA has not matched.
- Could AI replace Girl Scouts of the USA's mentorship role?
- GSUSA's own May 2026 survey found 51% of girls aged 11-13 turn to AI when sad or lonely and 65% of voice-assistant users see AI as a friend, showing AI companionship apps are already eroding the emotional-belonging niche Girl Scouts programming targets.
- Who owns Girl Scouts of the USA?
- GSUSA is a member-governed 501(c)(3) nonprofit with no shareholders, run by CEO Bonnie Barczykowski (since February 2023) and a national board led by president Noorain Khan, with delegates from 111 local councils voting on major decisions.
- What is Girl Scouts of the USA's biggest competitor?
- The closest competitor is Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America, rebranded February 2025), now co-ed and directly recruiting girls; smaller rivals include American Heritage Girls, which claimed over 50,000 members as of 2020 (vendor-claimed).
- Are Girl Scout Cookies facing lawsuits in 2026?
- Yes. Since March 2025 multiple class actions allege heavy metals and glyphosate in cookies naming GSUSA, Ferrero, and ABC Bakers; separately, Girl Scouts San Diego sued Ferrero/Little Brownie Bakers in March 2026 over a contract dispute tied to $1.1M lost revenue and 25 eliminated jobs.
Timeline
- 2026-07-07GSUSA publishes 'State of the Girl 2026' report
- 2026-05-12GSUSA survey finds 51% of girls 11-13 turn to AI when sad or lonely
- 2026-03-15Girl Scouts San Diego sues Ferrero/Little Brownie Bakers over cookie contract
- 2026-02-18GSUSA launches new 'Exploremores' cookie flavor for 2026 season
- 2025-10-14Scouting America launches AI merit badge and 'Scoutly' chatbot
- 2025-10-13GSUSA announces plan to sell Edith Macy property and HQ floors
- 2025-03-10Class action filed alleging heavy metals in Girl Scout cookies
- 2025-02Boy Scouts of America rebrands as Scouting America, goes co-ed
- 2024-10-19National Council votes to raise dues to $45 (2026) then $65 (2027)
- 2023-02Bonnie Barczykowski becomes GSUSA CEO
Revision history
26 July 2026
First assessed. Losing its protection. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
In the same band
Sources
- Girl Scouts of the USA (2026-07-25)
- Facts About Girl Scouts
- National Council Session concludes (2024-10-19)
- Girl Scout Blog (2025-10-13)
- Form 990 financials
- GSUSA Annual Report 2024
- Girl Scouts: Facts and Figures
- Mayo v. Girl Scouts complaint (2025-03-10)
- Girl Scouts sues snack food giant (2026-03-15)
- Girl Scouts hope tech initiatives will curb membership drop (2015-12-08)
- Girl Scouts Number of Employees 2026 (2026-06-29)
- Girl Scouts of the USA - Headcount (2026-07-11)