Why is Commit To A Girl important?
Today’s young girls face a far more complex, more challenging world and Girl Scouts keeps pace with the times. On issues ranging from teen suicide to drugs, eating disorders to physical abuse, Girl Scouts guides girls at a turning point in their lives with programs that promote physical activity, health and fitness, civic responsibility and community involvement.
Girl Scouts’ cutting-edge program initiatives give girls the skills they need to avoid unhealthy behaviors and make responsible decisions that will help them overcome challenges throughout their lives. In fact, 64% of today's women leaders in the United States (civic, corporate, political, etc.) were Girl Scouts and 82% of high-achieving alumnae believe Girl Scouts influenced their success. In study after study, it’s clear that girls involved in Girl Scouts are more likely to lead healthy successful lives.
Girl Scouts Develops Girls
- Self competence
- Social skills
- Respect for others
- Feelings of belonging
- Strong values
- Concern for community
- Teamwork
- Leadership
When caring adults contribute to Commit To A Girl, they help fulfill the dream of making Girl Scouting available to every girl who wants to join. A gift of $282 will scholarship one girl for one year with a complete Girl Scout experience. This gift will cover everything from registration, sashes & badges to programs & camp fees.
Commit To A Girl. And make a difference in the lives of girls today.
Are you aware of all the challenges facing girls today? Did you know that the Girl Scouts offers programs and activities to help girls overcome these challenges and become tomorrow’s leaders?
How Does Your Gift Help?
When you give a gift to Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons your gift fulfills the dream of making Girl Scouting available to every girl who wants to join. In order to provide these high-quality programs, a strong base of financial strength is needed. In the new Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons Council your money
will still stay in your local area. Your money will be used in your communities, supporting your local troops and their leaders, just as it has in the past.
How to Give a Gift
Giving a gift is easy with the giving options we provide. All monies raised, earned and assets received by Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons will be used to support programs and services for Girl Scouts within the Dakota Horizons Council.
All charitable contributions, regardless of value, form, or designated use, shall be made only to the Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons. Incorporated in the state and designated as a 501 C3 organization, the Council is the only tax exempt entity. Gifts may be received on behalf of projects, programs, geographic units, troops or groups as designated donations or restricted donations.
Besides monetary gifts in the form of cash, checks, money orders, and charges to approved credit cards, non-monetary gifts may be accepted, such as: bonds and securities, real property, tangible personal property, gifts-in-kind to be used in the form in which they are given, royalties, copyrights, trademark rights and insurance policies naming this Council as a beneficiary in whole or in part.
Individual and Family Gifts
Individuals and families are encouraged to support the Dakota Horizons Council in any way they feel comfortable. Individuals can donate cash or in-kind gifts. In-kind donations should be made by contacting Tami Haug-Davis, Chief Executive Officer.
Family Giving Program
The Dakota Horizons Council has implemented a Family Giving Program encouraged by GSUSA to be used council-wide. Participation by the girls and families is voluntary and only requires completing the giving box at the bottom of the Girl Scout registration form. Donations may be included and paid with the registration fee.
Each Dakota Horizons Girl Scout participant is able to earn badge recognition through the Family Giving Program through their donation. A Family Giving patch is earned the first year monies are donated, and a dated chevron is earned for each of subsequent yearly donations. Families have the opportunity to earn the WOW chevron through a donation of $50 or more.
Twenty-percent of each donation will be gifted back to the troop of registration. Family Giving earnings will be given to the troops quarterly. Dakota Horizons Family Giving program encourages Girl Scouts and their families to build a future for Girl Scouting.
Leave a Legacy
What are the Girl Scout Endowment Funds?
Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons holds endowment funds gifted by generous supporters with a vision of securing the future of scouting in our Council. The creation of these endowments seeks to establish a more permanent base from which to receive income. The endowments hold invested funds permanently for the purposes of producing a source of support for Girl Scouts. The Girl Scout Endowment Funds are commitment to providing long-term financial stability for our program.
With the growth of Girl Scout Endowment Funds comes the opportunity to stabilize and diversify our financial resources. Endowment income can be harvested for innovation and growth in good times and help buffer us against inflation and dramatic changes in revenue when times are tough.
Annual earnings from the Girl Scout Endowment Funds will furnish a steady income source forever. That source will translate into more opportunities for girls in the Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons Council. With your contribution, girls throughout the council will have increased opportunities and experiences for years to come. With the income provided each year from endowment fund earnings, the Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons Council can serve “every girl, every where.”
Consider your contribution to building futures…
- Individuals can support the Girl Scout—Dakota Horizons endowment as a way to prepare for the future of Girl Scouts. Gifts in any amount are appreciated and can be made directly to the Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons Council.
- Current gifts can be cash, marketable securities, real estate, life insurance policies and other assets.
- Planned gifts may also be donated. A donor may designate Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons as a beneficiary in a will or living trust to receive a direct gift from an estate. Unless otherwise specified by the donor, legacy and bequest income are received in the board-designated fund or the Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons Endowment Fund.
All money raised, or earned and other assets received by Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons will be used to support programs and services for Girl Scouts within the Dakota Horizons Council.
Besides monetary gifts in the form of cash, checks, money orders, and charges to approved credit cards, non-monetary gifts may be accepted, such as: bonds and securities, real property, tangible personal property , gifts-in-kind to be used in the form in which they are given, royalties, copyrights, and trademark rights, and insurance policies naming this Council as a beneficiary in whole or in part.
To learn more about how a gift can have greater impact for Girl Scouts, please contact Tami Haug-Davis at 605-336-2978.
Corporate Collaboration and Support
Gifts from corporations or businesses throughout our Council are an important form of community support for our girls and programming. There are four types of Corporate Giving that often occur within our Council:
- Corporate Donations: Corporations and businesses throughout the communities in our Council provide generous gifts of monetary donations. The Corporation may choose to give their gift to Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons, or may chose to specify that their gift be used to support Girl Scouting in their local district or community.
- Corporate Employer Volunteerism Match Contributions: Corporate programs that provide contributions to 501c3 organizations based on the volunteerism of its employees can be used to support the Dakota Horizons Council. Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons will allow the employee to select an area to designate those funds to within the Council, (e.g.: camp or program scholarships, destinations, camp development).
- Corporate Troop/Service Unit Contributions: Corporate donations are typically designed to support the agency and the services it provides. There are instances when a troop, service unit or Gold/Silver/Bronze Award project may apply to corporations for specific funding. In such cases, the applicant must request pre-approval by the fund development department in addition to the usual process for “Troop Money Earning Projects” submitted to Field Directors/Finance Committee. If a corporation has a limited amount of funds they will give annually to Girl Scouting, single troops or single girls will not be allowed or approved to become the sole beneficiaries of those funds. Rather, they will be spread through additional troops or used to fund Council program benefiting many girls.
- Gifts In Kind: Corporations may chose to use a gifts-in-kind form of contribution when supporting the Dakota Horizons Council. Gifts of material or products may be accepted when the form of the gift can be used immediately by Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons. Gifts-in-kind for which donors are eligible for a charitable gift deduction in accordance with current IRS regulations should be reported at the fair value. Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons reserves the right to reject any gifts-in-kind.
Scholarships
Many Girl Scouts each year participate in programs because of the support of people like you. A certain portion of each gift given to Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons is used to support scholarships for girls on a variety of levels. It costs $282 to fully sponsor one Girl Scout for one year.
This is a real commitment
Give the gift of Girl Scouting to someone in your community this year.
It will change her life forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does my gift go now that the Council is so large?
Gifts given to Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons are used to support girls and programming throughout the Council. Gifts given by individuals, businesses and corporations within a local community or district will remain allocated to funding the programs of that district. Your gift may travel to our Headquarters in Sioux Falls for acknowledgement, but your gift benefits the girls and Girl Scout programs in your local community. Gifts may also be designated to the Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons Endowment Fund or scholarship funds to support the girls in the Council into the future.
Don’t the cookies that I buy fund the Girl Scout programs?
Everyone loves Girl Scout cookies. The annual cookie sale showcases the Girl Scouts’ strength and capacity to implement a highly successful program in thousands of communities nationwide.
Girls also gain tremendous benefits through the Girl Scout cookie program. It’s truly the world’s largest financial literacy program, teaching young girls important life and leadership skills. Girls learn valuable business and entrepreneurial skills, such as how to set goals and achieve them and how to manage money. It builds self confidence as most people respond favorably when asked by a Girl Scout to buy cookies. It also gives girls an opportunity to be successful and it provides positive reinforcement.
Nut and cookie sales are an important part of funding some of our programming, but they are only a portion of the funding needed to support a Council of 16,000 members. The Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons Council relies on the donations and gifts of United Ways, Community Funds, grantors and foundations, as well as individual and corporate donors working together in the name of Girl Scouts. Without the gifts and donations of supporters, the Council would not survive.
Special Events
Come support the development of young leaders in your community. Attend a Special Event and contribute to girls in local troops. Girl Scouts empowers every girl to create a better life for herself, her family and her community, both now and in the future. Come have fun and enjoy one of our Special Events while supporting girls in your area become girls of Courage, Character and Confidence. Click on the Locations below to get more information on each event.
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Join us for an evening of tantalizing chocolate treats, wine tasting and a silent auction. Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons is building girls of courage, confidence and character, who are making the world a better place. Be a part of this signature event in your area and show your support for building tomorrow’s leaders. |
Can one ever have too many purses? Enjoy an evening after work with your friends by joining us at Purses with a Purpose. Designer purses will be on a silent auction and filled with fabulous incentives for your enjoyment. Come and unwind with Girl Scouts and show your commitment to building tomorrow’s leaders. |
Our Women of Distinction highlights the accomplishments of girls and women nominated by their peers. A breakfast with awards handed out is attended by over 150 individuals with great media and sponsors present. |
Bismarck, North Dakota
6:00PM-8:30PM
Tickets: $40
Dessert sampling & Competition
Silent Auction, heavy hors d'oeuvres
& Wine tasting
Click here to purchase pictures from the
Sioux Falls Death by Chocolate Event.
If you forgot the password to view the photos click here. |
Rapid City, South Dakota
November 3rd, 2011
Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn
6:00PM-8:30PM
Tickets: $20 ($25 at the door)
Wine tasting, Appetizers and Silent Auction
Grand Forks, North Dakota
April 24th, 2012
Hilton Garden Inn
6:00PM-8:30PM
Tickets: $20 ($25 at the door)
Wine tasting, Appetizers and Silent Auction
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
May 3rd, 2012
Hilton Garden Inn
6:00PM-8:30PM
Tickets: $20 ($25 at the door)
Wine tasting, Appetizers and Silent Auction
GSDH Purse Event
Summer 2012 - TBD |
Rapid City, South Dakota
May 15th, 2012
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Ballroom
7:00 AM
Tickets: $25
Breakfast served and awards handed out. |
Locations and dates are subject to change
