Financial Assistance Program

Girl Scouts of Western Washington welcomes youth and volunteer members in any financial situation. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, financial assistance is available to Girl Scouts of Western Washington members to ensure that cost is not a barrier to joining the fun, friendship, and adventure of Girl Scouts!

Financial assistance is offered on a first-come, first-served basis, as funds are limited. We encourage you to apply for grants as soon as you know you will need them.

How to Apply

1. Join as a Girl Scout or renew your membership

Each youth or adult applying for financial assistance must be a Girl Scout member. Complete your Girl Scout membership online through your myGS portal. Upon checkout, indicate financial aid as your payment method.

2. Apply for financial assistance eligibility

Submit your financial assistance application using our digital or paper application. Volunteers may apply for financial assistance on behalf of a Girl Scout with verbal permission from a caregiver. You only need to apply for eligibility once per membership year (October 1–September 30).

Youth and adult members will be eligible for the financial assistance program if:

Your family’s income qualifies you to receive Federal free or reduce-priced school lunch. You do not need to be enrolled in the program to receive financial assistance.
Your Girl Scout is a foster child.
Your family qualifies for Washington State-specific benefits such as SNAP, TANF, CHIP, SSI, WIC, FPHA, or LIHEAP.

Note: A youth attending a school that provides free lunch to all students does not automatically qualify a household for our program. Families must submit their own benefit status or household income to verify eligibility.

Once you receive an email confirming approval for the financial assistance program, you may request additional grants.

3. Apply for grants to purchase a uniform, attend events, and go to camp

Girl Scouts who qualify for the financial assistance program can receive a membership grant (available throughout the year for new membership and renewals), three “Mix and Match Activity Grants”, and one camp grant per membership year (see details below).

Each grant must be requested by the member when needed and processed by the Financial Assistance team to successfully utilize the grant. The Financial Assistance team will process the request and apply the grant funds.

When you register for an event or camp, select “Financial Aid" as the payment type. The registrar managing the event or camp will submit the request to council on your behalf. Check each event and camp financial assistance deadlines, as they are earlier than the registration deadline. The financial assistance deadline to request grants may vary for each event and camp.

Grant Information

Membership Grants

Membership grants cover new, renewed, and extended year memberships for youth and adults. The council service fee is covered for youth. Financial Assistance eligibility is not required to request Financial Assistance for your membership!

How to apply: To request a membership grant, register for a new, renewed, or extended year membership through your myGS portal and select “Financial Aid” as the payment method.

Mix and Match Activity Grants

Each membership year, Girl Scout youth and adults can receive up to three mix and match activity grants. Grant requests are accepted each membership year from October 1–August 31.

Uniform Grant toggle arrow

A uniform grant covers specific uniform items for Girl Scout youth members. Uniform items vary by grade level and may include a Girl Scout sash, vest or tunic, troop numbers (up to five), flag patch, council ID set, membership tab, membership pin, and a world trefoil pin or applicable bridging insignia.

How to apply: Apply using the digital application To avoid delays, ensure that you have received approval for financial assistance eligibility for the current membership year and enter your Girl Scout's information exactly as it appears in your myGS portal.

How to redeem: Girl Scouts who are approved for a uniform grant will receive an approval email from the financial assistance department. This email will serve as proof of eligibility. To use the grant, visit one of our retail stores in person, or call or email the store to place your order. You can find location information, store hours, and contact details for all our retail stores on our website.

Council Event Grant toggle arrow

Council event grants are available to youth and adult members and cover registration fees for programs and events run by Girl Scouts of Western Washington staff.

How to apply: Log in to your myGS portal to register for the event and select “Financial Aid” as the payment type. Requests must be received by the financial assistance deadline in the event’s description. Please note that spots are not reserved until financial assistance has approved your request. This process can take up to 10 business days.

Service Unit Event Grant toggle arrow

Service unit event grants are available to youth and adult members and cover registration fees for Girl Scouts of Western Washington volunteer-run events and encamporees (up to $200 per event).

How to apply: Register for the event through the Service Unit and select "Financial Aid" as the payment type. The service unit registrar will submit a grant request to council on behalf of members. Requests must be received from the registrar at least 10 business days prior to the event start date.

Volunteer-Led Overnight Community Camp or Day/Twilight Camp Grant toggle arrow

Volunteer-led overnight community or day/twilight camp grants are only available to youth members and cover up to $400 in registration fees for a volunteer-led camp. This grant does not cover any required deposits. Girl Scouts who use this grant are still eligible for a Girl Scouts of Western Washington staff-led overnight or day camp grant.

Qualifying Girl Scouts are eligible for ONE volunteer-led overnight community camp or day/twilight camp grant per membership year.

How to apply: Register for the volunteer-led camp via their registration process and select "Financial Aid" as the payment type. The camp registrar will submit the grant request to council on behalf of members. Requests must be received from the camp’s registrar at least 10 business days prior to the first day of camp.

Girl Scouts of Western Washington Staff-Led Camp Grant

Girl Scouts of Western Washington staff-led camp grants are only available to youth members and have a maximum value of $1,150. This grant can be applied toward ONE staff-led overnight OR day camp session per membership year. Transportation can be covered until the maximum grant value is reached. Financial assistance does not cover the required deposit. 

This grant cannot be used for volunteer-led camps or property reservations.

Girl Scouts who use this grant are still eligible for a volunteer-led overnight community camp or day/twilight camp grant as one of their "mix and max" grant selections.

How to apply: To get started, visit our Overnight Camps page to explore available camp sessions by grade level. Once you've selected a session, log in or create a Camp InTouch account to complete your registration. A deposit is required to reserve your spot—please note that the deposit for Day or Overnight camp is not covered by financial assistance. During checkout, indicate that you’d like to apply for financial assistance. A member of our team will receive and review your request.

Once approved, grant funds will be applied to the balance due. If the cost of camp exceeds the cost of the deposit plus grant, the family will owe the balance. Requests for financial assistance must be received at least 10 business days before the first day of camp.

Paper Financial Assistance Applications

If the applicant is not yet a member, please include a paper membership form (current membership forms are available on our Forms and Documents page) along with their paper financial assistance application.

English Paper Financial Assistance Application

Español (Spanish) Paper Financial Assistance Application

Need Help?

If you have questions about our Financial Assistance program or need assistance with completing your application or requesting Financial Assistance grants, please don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Care team at 1 (800) 541-9852 or email CustomerCare@girlscoutsww.org. You may also view our FAQ page for more information.”