Money Earning and Volunteer-Led Banking

From funding a once-in-a-lifetime troop trip to building valuable money management skills in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, our volunteers are real-life role models for our Girl Scouts when it comes to building money smarts!

As a volunteer, here’s what you need to know about Girl Scout money earning and troop banking.

Getting Started

Get started with troop banking by learning how to open and modify a troop bank account.

Service Unit Reports

Access Service Unit Financial Reports.

Money-Earning Activity

Review guidance on how to submit a proposal and gain approval for a money-earning activity.

Troop Fund-Splitting

Review our policy for youth member(s) leaving a troop and retaining Girl Scout membership in WA.

ATFR

Everything you need to know to submit the Annual Troop Finance Report (ATFR).

Other Resources

Review additional banking policies, forms, and frequently asked questions.

A close up of a Girl Scout's hands inserting a credit card into a card reader.

Troop Finances

Return to the Troop Finances page within the Volunteer Essentials digital guide.

TROOP FINANCES

Getting Started with Volunteer-Led Banking

Opening a New Volunteer-Led Bank Account toggle arrow

1. Establish Signers

Signer Prerequisites:

All bank accounts require a minimum of two signers and a maximum of three.
Each signer will need to read, acknowledge, and sign the checking account request form.
Signers cannot be related by blood or marriage.
Signers cannot share a household.
Signers must be at least 18 years old.
For troop accounts, the signer must be listed on the roster as a troop leader, assistant leader, or treasurer. For camp, group, and service unit accounts, it is recommended that signers hold leadership roles, but it is not required.
Each signer needs to have an active membership.
Each signer needs to have an eligble and current (within 2 years) background check on file.
Individuals may be signers on up to a maximum of three Girl Scouts of Western Washington bank accounts.

2 . Open a New Bank Account

All troops, groups, camps, and service units managing Girl Scout funds must have a bank account through Girl Scouts of Western Washington. Complete our checking account request form to open your troop, group, camp, or service unit bank account.

3) Create Your Troop Financial Agreement

We strongly encourage troops to complete this form as soon as you set up your new bank account.

Check out the gsLearn module "688 Volunteer-Led Banking: Managing Accounts" for all banking-related information.

Managing Your Volunteer-Led Bank Account

Updating Your Volunteer-Led Bank Account toggle arrow

Have you experienced a change in leadership? Submit a checking account request form to make changes to your existing account. 

Volunteers who will be signers on an existing account will need to make sure they meet the signer prerequisites noted above. Existing signers who will remain on the account must complete the checking account request form to update their signature on the volunteer acknowledgement and verify the accuracy of their contact information.

Money-Earning Activities toggle arrow

If you’re planning to earn money as part of a Girl Scout activity or project, you need to submit your money-earning activity for approval four weeks before it takes place. Please complete our online Money-Earning Activity Application to get started or use the paper form below.

Money-Earning Activity Application (online form)
Money-Earning Activity Application (paper form)
Money-Earning Activity Guidelines
Money-Earning Group Agreement

Please note that money earned is for groups to fund their Girl Scout activities and is not to be retained by individuals.

Troop Fund-Splitting Policy toggle arrow

The following policy is for youth member(s) leaving a troop and continuing to participate in Girl Scouts within Western Washington.

If a troop has a signed financial group agreement with family members regarding the division of troop funds, that agreement should be maintained. Questions the financial agreement should answer include:

Will troop funds follow a youth member when they leave the troop? If yes, how will their portion of funds be calculated?

Are there exceptions to the rule? Example: If a troop is raising funds for international travel does that change how troop funds will be split?

For further ideas or questions, you may want to consider, particularly related to money earning, review our Money Earning Group Agreement.

Without a signed agreement, the remaining troop funds will be divided equally based on the current number of registered youth members at the time the request is made (minus any outstanding debts), with a few of exceptions:

If a youth member has not yet been part of a fundraising activity, the family would only be eligible for a prorated portion of their troop dues. Example: If the troop dues were $36 for the year and the member had participated for 3 months, the family would be eligible for $27 back.

If a youth member has participated in an existing troop (a troop that has been running for over a full calendar year) for under a year, did not bring previous troop funds with them, and has participated in fundraising, the family would be eligible for only 50% of their share of the funds.

Product Program: from the first day of order taking until 5 business days after the final scheduled ACH withdrawal from the troop account, any proceeds earned during a Girl Scouts of Western Washington Product Program remain the property of the troop and will not be considered as part of the existing troop funds.  Any payments owed to a troop as part of an ongoing Product Program will remain due to the troop by the youth member/family leaving the troop. Example: If a youth member leaves a troop in the middle of the Cookie Program, the account balance used to determine the youth member’s share of funds will be from the account balance prior to the first day of order taking. The youth member/family will owe any balance due for cookies ordered and will not receive any portion of the proceeds from the ongoing cookie program.

The funds need to be requested within 30 days of leaving the troop and will be transferred directly to either the new Girl Scout troop the member is participating in or onto an Individually Registered Member (IRM) card. Please email your Troop Leader and Volunteer Support Manager with the below information to initiate the request for funds:

Your Girl Scout’s name

How long your Girl Scout was part of the troop they are leaving

Whether or not your Girl Scout participated in fundraising for the troop

Whether your Girl Scout is joining a new troop or becoming an IRM

The new troop number (if applicable)

The Volunteer Support Manager will collaborate with the troop leadership to determine the amount that will be following the youth member and will respond to the family with the amount and timeline/details of the funds being transferred.

Service Unit (SU) Financial Reports toggle arrow

Click below for more information:

SU Financial Report Checklist
SU Finance Summary Report
SU Unit Allocation Ledger
SU Unit Event Ledger - use one ledger per event
SU Other Income Ledger
SU Event Planning Form

Other Banking Resources toggle arrow

Troop Banking Frequently Asked Questions
Key Bank Fee Schedule
Non-Sufficient Funds/Bounced Check Policy
Sysco Order Payment Form (use this form to pay Sysco invoices for volunteer-led Girl Scout events)
Columbia Bank Complete Help Guide
Theft and Mismanagement of Volunteer-Led Bank Account Funds Policy

Annual Troop Finance Report (ATFR) toggle arrow

Each membership year, all Girl Scout troops and groups are required to submit an Annual Troop Finance Report (ATFR) by June 30 through the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK).

Submission Options:

Preferred Method: Submit your ATFR electronically in the VTK by June 30. The VTK remains open for submissions through September 30.

After September 30: Delinquent ATFR submissions must be completed using the paper form.

IMPORTANT: If a delinquent troop has not submitted an ATFR by May 31 of the following year, remaining troop funds will be donated and cannot be recovered or reimbursed by Girl Scouts of Western Washington.

Annual Troop Finance Report (ATFR) Resources

ATFR Hot Sheet
VTK Submission Instructions for the ATFR
Troop Detailed Cash Record
2025–2026 ATFR (paper form): Please use this paper form only if you cannot file your report using the Volunteer Toolkit.
ATFR EXAMPLE for Troops with NO Bank Account

Disbanding, Retiring, or Graduating Troops

When a Girl Scout troop disbands, you need to fill out an Annual Troop Finance Report (along with a Troop Disbanding Report). Contact your Volunteer Support Manager with questions.

Troop Disbanding Process and Frequently Asked Questions
Disbanding Troop Report (paper copy)

Keeping Your Records

Volunteers who lead Girl Scout troops or groups must keep all itemized receipts of purchases, bank receipts and deposits, and monthly bank statements on file for a minimum of four years. These documents may be requested at any time by any registered Girl Scout member, guardian of a youth member, or Girl Scouts staff member. This is based on IRS record retention guidelines.