Station 3
I. The Philanthropy Angle:
Philanthropy is a fancy word that means that you promote and support the welfare of others through money and/or supply donations, donations of your help and time, and giving of your knowledge and expertise in an area that helps another.
Think of Tom's Shoes. Around 2006 Blake Mycoskie began selling his canvas shoe line using a one-for-one business model or philanthropic edge model. The idea was that for every pair of shoes sold, another pair would be sent to a person in need. By 2012 over 2 million shoes were donated and sent to needy people in Argentina, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Rwanda, South Africa, and the United States. The company has now expanded to helping with eye-wear and eye health services to those in need as well as safe drinking water. Why does this model work for businesses?
Well, consumers like to that extra "feel good" feeling they get when they are buying something for themselves ,but also doing something good or helpful for others- especially children. Even if they are spending money on themselves they are still helping others. It's a win-win feeling in most cases. |
II. What Can a Cookie Do?
Girl Scouts is a non-profit philanthropic organization helping girls build "courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place." (Girl Scout Mission)
What can a cookie do? * The Girl Scout Cookie Program helps support the funds needed to run all of the great programs, camps, trips, and other resources needed to help the girls involved. * 100% of the profits from the cookie sales (after the cost of making the cookies) is returned to the local council and troop of the specific girls who sold the cookies to the consumer. * No money is funneled through the national level of Girl Scouts. * Customers should know that the money your troop and council gets goes towards paying for council-run programs in your community, to run summer camps, maintain Girl Scout properties, and help under-privileged youth as well as pay for troop meeting supplies, activities, Take-Action projects, and travel. * While amounts vary by area, when one buys a $4 box of Girl Scout cookies, typically $.85 goes to pay the baker and the rest (almost 80%) goes to local girl scouts! ($.50- $.57 goes to the girl's troop specifically, $.01 goes to the girl's community Service Unit and the rest goes to her regional Council.) * Girl Scouts don't just help themselves. In some councils there is a specific option to help our U.S. troops through donations of cookies and cookie money; it is called Operation Cookie Drop. Think of it as a philanthropy inside a philanthropy. * There are rumors that the money earned goes towards supporting special interest groups outside of Girl Scouts and this is simply not true. This statement was released at blog.girlscouts.org: Girl Scouts does not advocate one way or another with regard to what we perceive as private issues best handled by families. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in America and helps girls develop:
--> Can you use anything you learned in this station to use in your marketing strategy to sell Girl Scout cookies? Just think about it and share with someone.--> Learn more at : http://www.girlscouts.org/en/cookies/all-about-cookies.html |