How to Earn the Girl Scout Brownie Give Back Badge

Updated April 2023

This badge has been discontinued. Your troop can still earn it and you may be able to find them on Girl Scout Facebook groups for buying, selling and trading badges.

So much of the Girl Scout Promise and Law is about giving back to others. 

Earning the Give Back Try It badge ties in perfectly with cookie selling. Because you will be raising money for your troop activities, it also makes sense to donate a portion of your sales to a cause that your girls vote upon.

At the start of cookie selling season, you need devote a part of your meeting to brainstorming ideas on what organization in your community can use a donation. Maybe it is an animal shelter, a food bank, or a place that helps new mothers with diapers and formula.  Write all ideas on a large piece of paper or a whiteboard is you have on in your meeting room.

Once list has been generated, hand out a piece of paper to each girl and have them write which organization/idea they like best. Collect them in a bowl or brown bag and have your co-leader count the votes.

After all have been counted, share the results with the girls. In the event of a tie, then both organizations can receive half of the goal money or you vote again so you can focus on one organization.

*Steps 1 and 3 are work to be done outside the meeting.

By US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3^rd Class Geoffrey Lewis (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons

Step 1 Find Out What Businesses Give Back

With the help and permission of a parent, have the girls look online for businesses that give back. Just about every business website has a “Community”,”Philanthropy” or “Giving Back” section at the footer of the site. This will tell the girl how the organization helps to make the world a better place.  Have them write two or three sentences down about what they discovered to share at the meeting.

At your meeting, have the girls share what they found out.

Step 2 Set a Giving Goal

With the girls, help them set a realistic goal for their donation. Will it be a straight up amount like $100 or will it be a percentage of the profits?

By United States Office of War Information (USGOV) (Public domain),via Wikimedia Commons

Step 3 Ask Your Customers

This step can be difficult to do while at a busy cookie booth, so I suggest the girls do this as they sell door to door with an adult or ask family and friends to buy cookies. Have them share their answers at the meeting.

Step 4 Practice Giving Back

Once the goal has been established, the girls can make signs for their cookie booth to let customers know what their donation in lieu of cookies is going for. They can decorate signs that reads “Donate cookies for________” and they can decorate a can for donations as well. A logo of the organization can be printed for the can so customers know exactly where their spare change is going.

Step 5 Tell Your Customers How They Helped

At the meeting, girls can design a label that can be run off and taped to each box of cookies sold. On the label, the girls can share the organization that will be receiving part of the cookie money and also what the troop plans on doing with some of the funds for themselves. These can be run off at a copy store and taped to the boxes before cookies are sold.

You can also download and print these free Girl Scout box wrap thank yous and have the girls sign their first name and troop number.