Annual Report 2023

Annual Report 2023

You BELONG in Girl Scouts

The Girl Scout Promise

On my honor, I will try: To serve God* and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

The Girl Scout Law

I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.

*when making the Girl Scout Promise, individual members may substitute wording appropriate to their own spiritual beliefs for the word “God.”

As we come together to reflect on the extraordinary year, we are grateful for the opportunity to continue serving you in our respective roles: as your Board President and your Acting CEO.

In 2023, we retained our position as the largest Girl Scout council in the nation, with a vibrant community of 76,648 members, including 46,187 youth members. This achievement underscores our joint commitment to empowering the leaders of tomorrow.

In the past year, Girl Scouts in our region reached sold over 4.4 million boxes through our Cookie Program. An accomplishment that fueled memorable trips, activities, and community service projects for our troops. The program’s proceeds to our Girl Scout troops, exceeding $4 million, became a catalyst for positive change, supporting our Girl Scouts and their impactful initiatives.

With great enthusiasm, we welcomed 2,478 campers to sleep-away-camps and 3,164 to volunteer-led day camps where Girl Scouts had the opportunity to connect with the great outdoors while fostering a sense of adventure, leadership, and community.

Our 165 Gold Award Girl Scouts exemplify the transformative impact Girl Scouts have. Their projects covered a wide range of areas, from environmental protection to mental health advocacy, leaving a lasting impression on both their lives and their communities.

Their dedication and impact were reflected in the significant number of higher awards earned: 1,534 Bronze Awards, 628 Silver Awards, and 163 Silver Trefoil Awards.

Nationally, we witnessed a vital decision at the 56th National Council Session, incorporating “anti-racism” into the Girl Scouts Constitution, reinforcing our Movement's commitment to a just world

Locally, our progress was marked by the establishment of our new Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) department. This department will play a crucial role in strengthening a diverse Girl Scout community within our region that champions equity and makes inclusion a norm. Together, we are on a collective journey to create a stronger and more inclusive community where all Girl Scouts feel like they belong.

As we dive into a new Girl Scout year, our mission remains to build Girl Scouts of courage, confidence, and character by creating more ways to engage and support our Girl Scout community. To our exceptional volunteers, Girl Scout families, supporters, donors, and staff, we thank you for serving as the driving force behind the empowerment of our Girl Scouts.

Yours in Girl Scouting,

Colleen Cibula Acting Chief Executive Officer

Barbara Krumsiek President of the Board of Directors

Gold Award Girl Scout

Offices and Centers:

Main Office: 4301 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite M-2, Washington, DC 20008

Brandywine Office: 7704 Matapeake Business Dr. Suite 220, Brandywine, MD 20613

Germantown Office: 20201 Century Blvd. Germantown, MD 20874

Archives & History Program Center: 3 Hillcrest Dr. Frederick, MD 21703

Martinsburg Office: 153 McMillan Ct. Martinsburg, WV 25404

Archive Center, Winchester VA: 119 Youth Development Ct. Winchester, VA 22601

Manassas Office: 10432 Balls Ford Rd. Suite 140, Manassas, VA 20109

Kingstowne Office: 5680 King Center Dr. Kingstowne, VA 22315

Equipment Center: 14524 Lee Rd. Unit H, Chantilly, VA 20151

Centreville Girl Scout Shop:

Council Campsites

76,648

Membership

51,436 Girl Scouts Experienced Camp

2,478 Campers Attended Sleep Away Camp

3,164 Campers Attended Day Camps

Meet Our Members

Membership

Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital remains the largest council in the nation, with an impressive total of 76,648 members, an uptick of 2.3% compared to the previous year. Among our vibrant community, our youth membership stands at 46,187. In 2023, we witnessed a remarkable surge in our adult membership, which now stands at 30,461 members— a 10% increase from the prior year. Our collaboration with community volunteer troop organizers remains a cornerstone of our council’s success. Their support helped us establish 401 new Girl Scout troops— offering our youth members a chance to engage in traditions of Girl Scouting—building friendships, testing their strengths, and exploring new horizons.

Total Membership 76,648

46,187

Girl Scouts Grades K-12

30,461

Adult and Lifetime Members

Girl Scout Troops 3,213

Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, & Inclusion (DEIA)

"To

put yourself in another's place requires real imagination, but by doing so each Girl Scout will be able to love among others happily."

- Juliette Gordon Low

DEIA Initiatives

Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital recognizes the power in our communities’ differences and firmly believes that everyone, regardless of their background, abilities, or circumstances, deserves equal opportunities to thrive. This year, we took a significant step by establishing our new DEIA department, which is actively engaged in making our programs and resources accessible to all. The department is focused on broadening community outreach, reducing economic barriers, launching conflict resolution initiatives, and maintaining a rigorous evaluation of our efforts to ensure they are both impactful and meaningful.

Cookie Season

In the 2022-2023 Girl Scout Cookie Season, over 1,000 Girl Scouts participated in Bling Your Booth! An activity where Girl Scouts are encouraged to decorate their cookie booths to earn a limited edition Bling Your Booth patch.

Cookie Season

Throughout the 2022-2023 cookie season, Girl Scouts took on the roles of young entrepreneurs, learning valuable life skills that will serve them well into the future. From setting ambitious goals to practicing their sales pitches, Girl Scouts honed their communication and financial literacy skills. They discovered the importance of teamwork, built confidence, and created lasting memories.

Beyond the practical aspects, selling cookies instills a sense of pride and accomplishment. It’s a chance for Girl Scouts to see the tangible results of their efforts and realize that they are capable of making a difference.

This year, the Girl Scout cookie program reached new heights, thanks to the active involvement of over 29,058 Girl Scouts during the season. The result was a phenomenal sale of 4.4 million boxes!

Earned by Troops to support good works in their area $4M Girl Scouts Sold Cookies 29,058

Cookie Boxes Sold 4.4M

Boxes Donated to Hometown Heroes 230K

Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math

63% of Girl Scouts in middle and high school who did multiple STEM activities aspire to a career in STEM, compared to 43% among those who did not do STEM activities—a 20% difference!

STEM Programs

This year, Girl Scouts celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Council hosted monthly webinars featuring NOAA scientists discussing conservation efforts for species like sea turtles, killer whales, and more. More than 200 Girl Scouts registered per-session and earned a commemorative patch as a symbol of their dedication.

Highlighting our dedication to STEM education, the "Think Like an Engineer" event at Sweet Briar College drew 111 Girl Scouts. Through hands-on experiments, they explored STEM careers, showcasing creativity and problem-solving. This event provided Girl Scouts with a unique opportunity to explore engineering in a supportive and engaging environment.

In collaboration with General Motors, we hosted a mechanical engineering event. Teen Girl Scouts attended a training session in the morning and then hosted Brownie Girl Scouts in the afternoon. Girl Scouts learned the basics of the design thinking process, discussed the three types of transportation, learned about design criteria and then designed their own cars!

The Outdoors

Girl Scouts explore Camp Potomac Woods, including the famous Pooh Tree.

A completely hollowed out sycamore tree that’s over 180 years old.

The Outdoors

Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital’s camping program fosters adventure, leadership, and community.

This year, our Council opened its camp doors to 51,436 eager and marked the successful reopening of Camp Winona since its COVID-19 closure. Across our sleep-away camps 2,478 Girl Scouts honed essential life skills such as teamwork and resilience. Our day and evening camps hosted 3,164 and offered them opportunities to explore their interests, discover hidden talents, and form lasting

Our camps thrived thanks to the dedication of our volunteers who warmly welcomed campers and delivered high-quality programs.

Beyond the outdoors, campers gained confidence, independence, and a profound appreciation for the environment, setting them up for a future of limitless

Girl Scouts Experiencd Camp 51,436

3,164

Campers

Attended Day Camp

2,478

Campers

Attended Sleep-Away Camp

Valiant Volunteers

Girl Scout Nation’s Capital volunteers are bundled up and keeping warm at one of our Council’s biggest cookie events—the cookie drop! Every cookie season, volunteers help distribute thousands of cookie boxes to Service Units and Troops. Our incredible volunteers make it all possible!

Volunteers

Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital takes immense pride in our volunteer program and the Council recognizes the invaluable role volunteers play in shaping Girl Scouting experiences in our region. Our commitment to deliver high-quality leadership development programs remains steadfast. With support, mentorship, and training our volunteers are well-equipped to guide and inspire the next generation of Girl Scouts.

This year, 2,075 volunteers completed our new asynchronous training for troop leaders about the Council’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Commitment and how our Girl Scout community can take steps toward our DEIA goals.

We heard feedback from volunteers that they want more resources on youth mental health. Our new initiative in Youth Mental Health First Aid training launched in the fall and our Council now has two trained instructors to teach this 8-hour certification program. So far, more than 80 staff and volunteers have been certified.

Volunteers on our Council Recognitions Panel and our Association Recognitions Committees approved 1,280 awards recognizing amazing volunteers serving in troops, service units, associations and council-wide roles.

We also rolled out a new series of Commend Coins in Fall 2022 for Association Chairs and Service Unit Managers to show volunteer appreciation within their local Girl Scout community and sold nearly 600 coins in the first year.

1,280 80+

Teams of dedicated adult educators led camping training with more than 500 volunteers, most completing the hybrid version of the course that uses online modules and a virtual planning session followed by an overnight camping trip. Newly Certified Camping Volunteers Completed Asynchronous DEIA Training Certified in Youth Mental Health First Adult Recognitions Commend Coins Presented 600

2,075

509

Highest Awards

75% of Gold Award Girl Scouts say earning their Gold Award helped them get into college or graduate program.

Reported by Girl Scout Research Institute

Highest Awards

The Girl Scouts Gold Award recognizes outstanding leadership and community service. This year, our council proudly welcomed 165 remarkable Girl Scouts into the class of 2023. These young leaders are champions of positive change, their projects covered a wide range of areas, from environmental protection to mental health advocacy, making a lasting impact intheir communities.

During the In Your Honor ceremony, held on Saturday, May 13, Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital recognized and awarded 20 Gold Award Girl Scouts with $1,000 scholarships. One $2,000 scholarship was awarded to Daryn Dickens as this year’s Nation’s Capital Young Woman of Distinction.

1,534

Financials

A full copy of the 2023 financial statements of Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital as audited by independent accountants, Aprio LLP, will be available on our website, www.gscnc.org in February 2024.

Special News and Events

Girl Scout Juniors Emma Cowger and Haeleigh Shoop join our CFO Jessica McClain in talking to DC News Now Anchor, Taniya Wright about Cookie Season! Discussing everything from the impact of cookie sales, to their personal favorite cookies—these Girl Scouts made their mark on the DC News!

News & Events

Girl Scouts exhibit a wide range of talents that help address mental health challenges by showcasing their entrepreneurial skills, and beyond. Their exceptional abilities garnered attention across the DMV region, with numerous Girl Scouts being featured in local news and engaging with community partners.

Explore our website to discover in-depth coverage of their outstanding achievements. www.gscnc.org/newsroom

Gold Award Girl Scouts Diya and Camille shared their mental health projects on FOX.

Secret Cookie Menu in collaboration with RIS DC sold out every night.

Contributions

A special thanks to the following donors for their generous support!

Corporation, Foundation, & Government Grants

$50,000+

Anonymous

A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation

Hearst Foundation, Inc.

Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation

National Geographic Society

Robert I. Schattner Foundation, Inc.

UPS

$25,000 - $49,999

The Rona & Jeffrey Abramson Foundation

Claude Moore Charitable Foundation

Deloitte

General Motors

GlobalGiving Fund/L’Oréal USA

Lockheed Martin Corporation

The Nancy Peery

Marriott Foundation

Pepco, An Exelon Company

PNC Bank

ShutterFly, Inc.

Truth Initiative

$10,000 -$24,999

Anonymous Aon

Ausherman Family Foundation

Berkeley Research Group

Emergent BioSolutions

EY

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)

Graham Holdings

The James M. Johnston Trust for Charitable and Educational Purposes

Mars Foundation

The Richard E. & Nancy P.

Marriott Foundation, Inc.

George Preston

Marshall Foundation

Match Group

Advisory Council

Washington Forrest Foundation

$5,000 - $9,999

Aprio

Baker Tilly US

Bloomberg BNA

Exelon Corporation

The Galena-Yorktown Foundation

The Gormley Group

Jacobs

KPMG

Legge Group

Mary and Daniel Loughran Foundation, Inc.

Robert E. Lutz

Charitable Trust

The Morningstar Foundation

The Siegfried Group, LLP

SPC Financial, Inc.

STEM for Her Strategic Resolution

Experts Inc.

Summit Ridge Energy, LLC

Verizon

VW International

Philip & Janis Miller

Wertheimer Fund, a component fund of The Community Foundation of Frederick County, MD

Corporation, Foundation, & Government Grants

$1,000 - $4,999

Bernard W. Abrams Family Foundation, Inc.

Bavarian Inn

Berkeley County Development

Authority

Capital Bank

Cherry Bekaert

Deltek

Dembo Jones

The Dimick Foundation

Elasticsearch

Equitrans Midstream Foundation

Fraser Forbes Real Estate Services

Girl Scouts Council of the Nation’s Capital/Grants for Girls Fund, a component fund of The Community Foundation of Frederick County

The Gendell Family Foundation Inc.

Holland and Knight

Informatica

Jefferson Security Bank

M&T Charitable Foundation

Paycom Payroll, LLC

Operating Polinger Company

Potomac Law Firm

Riddell Charitable Fund

Ruth Chapter No. 7, Order of the Eastern Star

Shepherd University Foundation

Newton B. Shingleton Trust STOUT

Judy H. Smith Trust Truist

Valley Health VMWare Foundation

John S. Wharton Family Fund, managed by Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company

Uber

The JV Schiro Zavela Foundation

Individuals

Major Donor

$25,000+

Anonymous

Catherine & Richard Bertin

Barbara Krumsiek & Bart Leonard**

Susan Moser

Barbara Ostrom

Lynne Seibert Steptoe & Phil Steptoe

Mary Lou & Craig Spottswood

Mary Gay Sprague

Diane Tipton & David Bradt

$10,000 - $24,999+

Sandra Alexander

Susan Ducey & Col. Micheal Jamilkowski

Natalie M. Lorenz-Anderson

Natalie Ludaway**

Patricia Mathews

Jeannine & Rory Maynard

Jodi & Darren Morton

Debra Randall

Wendelin White

$5,000 - $9,999

Suzanne Amsbaugh & Dana Prouix

Vicky A. Bailey

Sherry Bellamy

Morlon Bell-Izzard

Jessica Blaemire

Mary Brady

Kathleen Carl

Paul & Christine Donato

Kathy & Chris Duda

Nicole Clifton

Shirley A. Edwards

Michelle Floh

Kent & Jennifer

Francois

Charlotte Hart

Nishita Henry

Renata Hesse

Laura Lane

Frank Maguire III

Kathleen Matthews

Alan & Amy Meltzer

Stanley Myles

Janet Osborn

Chandra Graham Parker

Kathleen Purtill

Maria Rodriguez

Rhea S. Schwartz & Paul Wolff

Anne & David Scott

E. Geoffrey Sella

Mary Szpanka

Carolyn Thompson

Susan White

Mary Karen Wills

Wendy Wysong & Tracy

Rickett

Silver Member

$2,500 - $4,999

Nedra Agnew

Elizabeth Christensen

Colleen K. Cibula

Lesley Conner

Tracy DeCock

Stephenie Foster

Courtney Hammond

Susan Hansen

Karl K. & Carol Benner

Kindel

Elizabeth L. Lewis

Emily & Griffith

Lindsay

Luke Mancini

Jennifer McGarey

Younus Mirza

Lawrence Newell

Barbara O’Reilly

Kate Perrin

Kate Reilly

Judith Reinhardt

Roopal Saran

Debra Silimeo

Jeri Somers

Lidia Soto-Harmon &

Robert Harmon

Bonnie & Bill Stubblefield

Harriett Thompson

Terri Wallace

Judith Walter

Kristine Zeller

President’s Circle

$1,000 - $2,499

Nancy Adams

Mozella Ademiluyi

James Allor

Dorine Andrews & John Manzolillo

Rachel Armentrout

Mary Azcuenaga

Angela Baker

Michele Ballard

Antoinette Barksdale

Jane & John Barvir

Marguerite Bateman

Judith Batty

Kathleen Beernink

Kay Behall

Kathryn & Brian Benison

Cindy Bennett

Lisa Bond

Henry & Sheryl Bonilla

Kate Bowers

Gretchen Brainard

Stacey Brayboy

Broadine Brown

Diane K. Brown

Karen Brown

Sylvia & John Bryant

John Buckley & Jane Genster

Marilyn Burroughs

Maureen Bush

Kimberly Calder

Sharon Cantrall

Angela Carpenter

Gildner

Genie Carroll

Ana Martinez

Chamorro

MaryRose Chappelle

Chris Choi

Jennifer Clausen

Eileen Cole

Rebecca Lentz Collier

Kathleen Coxe

Carol Cross

Becky Crouch

Claire Cuccio

Marcelle DeCuir

Nora Diamond-Jones

Patricia Earnest

Jeri A. Fellerman

Alison Fields

William Fields

Tanea Foglia

Leslie Furst

Kelli Garcia & Matt

Ferguson

Carin Gendell

Elizabeth Gere

Amiee Gold

Ruth Hamilton

Eric & Monica Hanson

Lindsay Harper

Denise Hart

Salli Hartman

Shari Harvey

Jenny Herrera

Debra & Michael

Hershberger

Christine Hicks

Meghan Hottel-Cox

William Huneke

Patricia Jayne

Madelyn Pulver

Jennings

Beth Johnson

Stephanie Joshi

Anne Juran

Laura Lane

Lauren Lawson-Zilai

Catherine Leach

Elaine Leavenworth

Alex Lofaso

Judith Lokerson

Laura Loomis

Marguerete Luter

Lauren Lynch Flick

Heather Lyons

Phyllis McBride

Jessica McClain

Sarah McCue

Michael McDonald

Patricia McGuire

Kathy McKinless

Judith Monte

Linda More

Robert Morris

Robert Moses

John Mutarelli

Marjorie Nesbitt

Mae & Raymond Novak

Lisa & Paul Page

Kea Parker

Karen R. Penn

Edwin Perlmutter

Jane Phillips

Barbara Phillips

Annejanette Pickens

Amy Pietrykowski

Linda & David

Purcell

Chelsea Rao

Sharon Richardson

Michael & Kathy Richman

Aida Rivera-Gines

Jacquelyn Rizzo

Marietta Robinson

Christine & Richard Rudisill

Gail Ruf

Jean & Craig

Sansonetti

Kristen Santaromita

Bob Sapio

Michelle Schafer

Heather Schiller

Lucinda Schofer

Gretchen Schreiber

H. Stewart & Patricia

Anne Van Scoyoc

Rita Shapiro

Hajira Shariff

Margaret Siegel

Penelope Sinclair

Krista Smith

Cindy Smith

Larry Smith

Jesse Strauss

Florence Sumaray

Deb Taft

Lynn Thompson

Cheryle Thorne-Harris

Brigitta Toruño

Troop 60244

Stephanie Tsacoumis

Leif Ulstrup

Jan Verhage

Lauren K. Vessey

Christine Virgin

Elizabeth Wainger

Isaac & Mandi Wedin

Ayesha Whyte

Laura Wickman

Heather Wilcox

William & Sarah

Woessner

Kevin & Jennifer Woody

Jane Woolard

Theresa Ziemba

Pamela Zurer

In Honor Of In Memory Of

Piper Nora Autry

Brownie Troop 60257

Alexandra Smith —

Nicole Clifton

The Coote Girls

Mr. Fiorienti

Carolyn Harlow

Camille Jefferson

Joyce Littlefield

Laura Loomisra

Maggie, Lucie & Evie

Kyla Marrkand

Victoria Meyer

Tam Miller

Jodi Morton

Mae Novak

Daniella Paushter

Rhea Schwartz

Kate Shattuck

Jeri Somers

Nina Soto

Troop 00840

Troop 05717’s

Graduating Seniors

Maria Vargas

Jackie Wooldridge

Marilyn Joan Baker

Cindy Crawford Beatie

Tina Capps

Jessica Hodges Dovi

Betty Van Gieson

Susan K. Guthridge

Rose Ann Hastings

Pat Henriques

June Hutchison

B. Katz

Cindy Kirby

Cheryl Krauser

Rosemary Levak

Virginia McClelland

Kathleen McGuire

Kathie Medlock

Charlene Meidlinger

Gail Milburn

Christine Munyasia

Penelope Gail Newell

Joan Paull

Mable Porteous

Melissa J. Rizzo

GSCNC has taken care to ensure the accuracy of this list. If, however, there should be an omission or error, we express our sincer regret and ask that you bring it to our attention by calling our Development Office. 202-274-3330

Board of Directors FY '23

Barbara Krumsiek, President/Board Chair

Kathleen Matthews, First Vice President

Antoinette Barksdale, Second Vice President

Nicole (Nikki) Clifton, Third Vice President

Wendelin (Wendy) A. White, Secretary

Maria Rodriguez, Treasurer

Jenny Herrera, Assistant Treasurer

Members At Large

Sherry Bellamy

Morlon Bell-Izzard

Kathleen (Kathy) Carl

Tracy DeCock

Paul Donato

Nishita Henry

Zara Javeri (teen)

Natalie Ludaway

Rory Maynard

Jodi Morton

Susan Moser

Janet Osborn

Barbara Ostrom

Chandra Graham Parker

Ella Ridgway (teen)

Anne Scott

Edward Geoffrey (Jeff) Sella

Jeri Somers

Council Senior Team

Carolyn Thompson Harriett Thompson

Cheryle Thorne-Harris

Brigitta Toruño

Colleen Cibula, Acting Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer

Jessica McClain, Chief Financial Officer

Angela Baker, Director of Human Resources

Zoë Chapman, Director of Membership

Betsy Thurston, Director of Development

SHARE Impacts every Girl Scout and volunteer in our Council.

Camp

Maintains our eight camps, high adventure activities and ensures every Girl Scout has the chance to enjoy the outdoors. $1000 helps Girl Scouts afford sleep-away camp.

Financial Assistance

Covers membership and troop dues, supplies, camperships and program fees.

$500 supports a year of Girl Scouting.

Supports troop and camp programs, STEM,

$250 helps a Girl Scout travel to a Destination.

Volunteer Assistance