Ideas for End-of-Year Scout Events and How to Fund Them

How Can You Earn the Most Money for Your Troop?

Here are some ideas for Girl Scout fundraising you can suggest to your troop. These ideas come from the facebook page Freebies for Girl Scouts.

We’ve included some patch suggestions to reward those who participate in the event.

From Sabrina
We do an end of the year party and invite the families. We include the final badge ceremony, bridging ceremony, slide show, potluck style dinner (we provided the main- caterering from Rudys, the families all brought sides, drinks, etc) and a bridging cake. The room is free from my HOA. Last year we spent about $250 to feed 80 and the cake.

From Jennifer:
We do a water slide party potluck all the parents bring something I provide the main dish. I own the water slide so there is no additional cost for that. We usually don’t use any troop funds since we invite the whole family.

From Brenda:
I think we’re doing a cookie celebration with build a bear (at girl scouts) then a separate bridging ceremony as part of our last meeting, maybe set goals for next year. TBD!!

From Havens:
We are doing an end of year celebration, using the church auditorium to present final badges and summit pins, as well as their girl scout law award I give, each girl who epitomizes a line from the law is recognized. We are inviting our “little sister troop” of daisies to count for our “pass it on” for bridging in September. Then I will arrange for the local ice cream truck to come by and provide ice cream for everyone!

From Sara
We’ve done ice cream party, pool party at the Y, and this year going camping at the beach. We use some of our cookie proceeds. Just did iFly with Brownies and Cadettes. If you have one near you they have a great scout program.

From Traece
Eoy trip in June. Eoy swim party in summer. Cookies funds cover it.

Girls vote on location for eoy trip. This year, mideval times, hotel with pool, meow wolf (art thing on LSD).

From Brandye
We’ve made fairy lanterns with my leftover spaghetti sauce jars, modpoj tissue paper, fairy lights and black silhouette of a fairy I’ve cut on my Cricut. We’ve made shirts before. We’ve done trips. I’m starting my planning now for this year.

From Peggy
One of our families has a very nice inground pool plus is lifeguard certified so if the pool is open we do an end of the school year pool party, families included, usually a pot luck with the troop paying for hotdogs and hamburgers and families bringing the sides.

We try to do the same thing at the end of the summer for back to school. We do year goal setting followed by the pool party.

From Laura
For end of year when we didn’t have much money we had a water party in my backyard. Duck duck goose with cups of water. Sprinkler. Wet sponge tosses. Just anything wet and fun. I probably made chicken nuggets and Mac and cheese, served juice and had Italian ices. Then a parent offered their pool for the following year. We hired a life guard as per our council rules. We use cookie money.

From Jennifer
This year we are doing a nice dinner at a restaurant. Troop will pay for scouts. Families pay for themselves if they stay.

From Elizabeth
I lead high school girls.

We’ll be doing a university campus visit next month, including a bus tour (free, but the girls needed to make their own reservations), lunch at a dining hall (has a fee, but I ask families to pay half the expected cost; this way, if anybody flakes the day-of, the troop isn’t out all the money), and a walking tour of one of the smaller colleges.

We’ll have to talk a bit about what we should do this year, but last year, we went to a museum exhibit in NYC, I taught the girls to use the subway, & after we checked out the museum, we had lunch together & enjoyed a walk back to Midtown on a lovely late spring day.

Families paid for their own train tickets & station parking, but the troop funded the museum admissions, individual MetroCards (RIP), and lunch.

We are actually carrying a surplus from safer-at-home in 2020, so we have been able to fund A LOT of activities in the 6 years since.

From Elizabeth
We always do an end of the year lock in. We have bridging and awards with a family potluck and then the families go home and we do games, movies, cooking challenges, and just chill. There’s usually a them of some sort and we dress in costumes… we’ve done a murderer mystery, candy land, escape rooms, chopped challenges, etc. Our girls are now seniors and ambassadors and we’ve done this almost every year we’ve been a troop.

From Jodi
Brownie level. The girls want to do rock climbing. And funded by cookie sales.

From Samantha
We’re giving our girls the choice of

1. Idea museum (Mesa, AZ STEM museum geared towards preschool and early elementary aged kids)

2. Renting a gazebo at a splash pad/park for a giant family picnic in town or going to a bigger area in Phoenix area

3. A “sleep under” all the sleepover fun stuff, minus the sleeping. Everyone goes home to their own beds with their own families after a few hours.

From Sarah
We did the arcade. I was skeptical about it holding their attention but it was great. Gave them each $15 towards games, they could bring extra if they wanted. We had a table area so brought pizza and cupcakes. They had the best time.

From Casandra
Year 1 we did the zoo and year 2 the aquarium, but ask the girls what they want to do that’s in your cookie funds budget.

From Lucy
We are doing the water park and/ or the circus.

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Ending the year strong doesn’t have to break the bank. By utilizing your troop’s cookie proceeds, exploring local, low-cost venues, and encouraging girls to lead the planning, you can host an unforgettable celebration. Remember, the best parties are the ones where the girls can reflect on their growth and celebrate their, and your, success. So, start brainstorming with your girls, use these funding tips, and toast to an amazing year of Girl Scouting!