Girls Scouts of Central Illinois
Project Name: In-School Outreach Girl Scout Troops
Project summary: GSCI's outreach program is transforming into a year-long troop experience, delivered by trained Program Specialists on-site at area schools. With girls facing a mental health crisis and heightened barriers to participation, this will allow for long-term mentorship and increased program impact.
Amount requested: $7,500
Website: https://www.getyourgirlpower.org/
Project statement of need: Girls have never faced more challenging circumstances. In 2023, the Center for Disease Control released its ten year study on youth mental health and risk behaviors. In each area of mental health explored, girls fared worse than they had a decade ago. And today, when compared to their male counterparts, girls are twice as likely to experience poor mental health or depression, and to consider, plan, and attempt suicide. While it is appealing to believe that these national statistics do not reflect reality of local girls, the most recent Illinois Youth Survey shows that nearly half of Macon County 8th graders experienced depression last year. For girls, this number is likely much higher.
These statistics can be overwhelming - but some solutions are simple. Girl Scouts has a century-long history of providing a safe space, social support, positive adult role models, and a program that teaches girls the skills they need to grow today in order to thrive tomorrow - exactly the elements that experts agree are crucial to supporting a girl's mental health. Additionally, our single-gender environment sets our program apart from other youth development offerings in our community, allowing a Girl Scout to be herself and learn her own strengths on her own terms. She can build the bravery, confidence, and resilience that come with taking risks, struggling, failing, and trying again. And she can carry these experiences and skills with her into the wider world where they will bolster her and help her rise to new limits despite any barriers in her way.
However, not all girls experience equitable opportunities for enrichment experiences. Systemic and environmental barriers intensify existing opportunity gaps for at-risk girls, including economic hardship, lack of transportation, and limited adult volunteers -- all of which disproportionately impact girls of color. To meet the persistent and emerging needs specific to these girls, Girl Scouts of Central Illinois (GSCI) delivers the Girl Scout Outreach Program. Previously, this program was designed to give girls a sample of Girl Scouting over several weeks. However, we have been working to determine how best to increase the impact of our program, ensuring that the experience of Girl Scouts served through outreach is as equitable to those served by a volunteer-led troop as possible. As such, in the upcoming year, GSCI is shifting our model to staff-led troops, meeting bi-weekly in schools. Free of cost to the girls served and our collaborative partners, this removes the barriers most often impacting girls' ability to access resources benefitting their well-being.
Our program focuses on entrepreneurship and financial literacy, life skill development, outdoor education, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). In the past year, we have also intentionally incorporated mental health and wellness curriculum and activities into our program. Our program is designed to help girls develop a strong sense of self, positive values, challenge-seeking behaviors, healthy relationship skills, and community problem-solving abilities - all critical to long-term positive life outcomes. Through activities designed to encourage development in these areas, outreach programming confronts challenges posing an increased threat to girls, while supporting their journey to achieve their dreams - dreams they share with all girls. In Macon County, 300 girls (age 5-17) will be served through this program.
Describe how this project aligns with your organization's mission and goals? Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. At Girl Scouts, we focus on community and sisterhood, on appreciating everyone’s unique value, celebrating our differences, and on supporting one another through obstacles and conflict. Without working to build equity and accessibility, we would be falling short of our core values. At GSCI, we recognize that we must adapt our program to meet girls where they are and recognize the barriers they may face to accessing our "traditional" program model. Every girl has what it takes to be a Girl Scout and every girl should have the opportunity to grow into her full potential. The Girl Scout Outreach Program has always been designed to do this. However, by extending the program to meet bi-monthly for the duration of a school year, we do our part to ensure that Girl Scouts served through this program model get an experience that is highly impactful and will support them now and into adulthood.
Age groups served: 5-17
Gender served: Female
Number of females served: 300
Explanation of intent - pilot program: GSCI has been exploring ways to increase the impact our outreach program has on girls served. Last year, we determined we needed to increase the amount of time we were able to commit to groups served through outreach. However, we knew this would lead to a reduction in the number of girls served, due to time constraints. It was determined that we would start with a small trial of a school-year program model in a market that had recently been underserved due to a staff vacancy - Danville, IL. We began this trial in August of 2024 and are already seeing an increased impact and experience for the 100 Vermilion County Girl Scouts being served through this program model. They are able to earn badges, participate in product programs, and delve deeper into activities and curriculum - all while establishing a more substantial mentorship relationship with their Program Specialist. As such, we intend to pilot a similar model in all of our markets served through outreach starting in fall of 2025.
Sustainability beyond grant period: Increasing and diversifying funding sources remains a strategic organizational priority. Historically, delivery of outreach programming has been sustained throughout out council, including Macon County, through product sales, such as the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program, as well as deliberate partnerships to advance our mission through the public support of individual donors, corporations, foundations, and applicable United Ways. These efforts are supported by special event fundraisers and three, annual direct mail appeals. These avenues of support will continue to be sought. Additionally, by creating a troop-model of our outreach program, the troops, themselves, will generate some funding to support their own activities by participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Troop funds are created through this program, which can be used for field trips, activities, and unique experiences. Additionally, Girl Scouts participating in this program also earn incentives, including Cookie Dough, which can be used to register for Girl Scout camp or other Girl Scout events, further empowering these girls with the ability to engage in enrichment programming, while teaching financial literacy skills such as goal-setting and budgeting.
If you receive partial funding, how would the program be impacted? GSCI has identified the continuation of outreach programming as an organizational priority. This requires consistently seeking community-based funds to support its delivery. In the event that we receive partial funding, every effort will be made to secure additional support through new or increased revenue from individual donors or grants. If additional support was not found, then the number of girls served may be reduced. However, every effort would be made to ensure this did not occur.
Project budget narrative: Revenue and income anticipated in relation to this program include additional grant funding to be requested from the John Ullrich Foundation, State Farm Foundation, United Way of Decatur & Mid-Illinois, and T.S. and Juanita Ballance Foundation. The figures listed for fundraising revenue, product sales, and individual donations reflect the portion of anticipated budgeted amounts for those income lines of our organizational budget that would be consistent with the number of girls to be served through this program. Fundraising revenue reflects a portion of the funds raised at our annual special event in Decatur as well as portions of our Back to School, Gifts for Girls, and Camp Appeals - mailed in August, December, and May.
Expense #1, membership assistance, reflects the membership fee that is obligated to our national organization, GSUSA, for any girl served through Girl Scout programming. GSCI pays this cost for every girl served through outreach programming, in order to build accessibility and remove financial barriers which might prevent participation. Starting October 1, 2025, this amount will rise from $25 to $45 per girl served. GSCI remains committed to paying this expense on behalf of girls from low-income households. Program supplies would be specific to this program and total to approximately $6.67 per girl to be served. Expense #3, staff travel, is specific to mileage reimbursements and gas for a company vehicle specifically used for staff to travel to and from program sites for the direct delivery of this program. Staff salary and related expense includes the portion of our Program Specialist's salary, benefits, and payroll taxes proportionate to her work on outreach programming. In Decatur, this position also plans and implements council-sponsored events throughout the Decatur region, which accounts for the other portion of her salary cost. Finally, all GSCI Program Specialists engage in annual training opportunities specific to ensuring they deliver a program which best meets the needs of the girls they serve. This cost is indicated as Expense #5.
GSCI has made the continuation of outreach programming an organizational priority - despite rising costs - and commits to keeping the program free of cost and accessible for at-risk girls. The budget for this program is overseen by GSCI's Decatur Program Specialist as well as our Director of Program, who supervises this position. Additionally, all expenses to be applied to this grant are reviewed by our Director of Grants and Strategic Initiatives and Chief Administrative Officer. Per girl, the cost of this program is less than $150. Moving forward, a portion of this expense would be self-sustaining through girls' participation in product programs such as the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program. Community support through grant funding, special fundraising events, and individual donors will continue to be critical to the success of this program.
