2025 Girl Scout Cookie Program Extension

In case you missed it, our CEO Beth Shelton announced a three-week season extension of the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa (GSGI) Cookie Program. Both online and in-person cookie program sales will now end on Sunday, April 13, 2025. This is a full season extension and troops will have access to Smart Cookies and Digital Cookie through the new end date of April 13. (Watch a recording of Beth sharing the program updates online.)

This decision was made based on feedback from our members via survey and taking into consideration weather, resources, and support. These program changes were not made lightly – and for each decision, we did our best to put Girl Scouts and volunteers first. On this page, you will find a roundup of information related to the program extension, including key dates and what our team is still finalizing. The information and dates listed on this page are from the February 27 Shout Out! and take precedence over any previous communication.

GSGI Cupboard locations 

Rolling Cupboards, Super Cupboards, and Volunteer Cupboards will remain open through the season extension. GSGI, just like you all, are working to manage our inventory down to zero. With that, there is a potential that we will be low on varieties. We will communicate any inventory shortages to volunteers in the Shout Out! Newsletters as well as any changes to cupboard collapse schedules that could occur with inventory needs throughout the rest of the council. 

As a reminder, Rolling Cupboard Planned Orders must be placed in cases. All other cupboard (Super and Volunteer) orders will be placed in packages. Be sure to check the 2025 Cupboard Listing for the days/hours of the cupboards near you. You can view all cupboard information on the Cookie Cupboards page on The Bridge.   

The Risk-Free Cookie Checkout program 

The originally planned Risk-Free Cookie Checkout program as outlined on page 13 of the Volunteer Guide will run as scheduled – you place your order on Sunday, March 16, for pick up the following week, and returns for that order can be brought back to Super Cupboards on Monday, March 24.  

For the rest of the season’s extension, we will be offering an adjusted Risk-Free Cookie Checkout program. Troops and Juliettes who put in a weekly Planned Order from March 23 through April 6 will be able to return up to 10 cases total the following week. The returns are not cumulative – they must be made weekly in order for us to manage inventory and get the cookies to those who want them. These 10 cases can be mixed variety of any cookies, except the gluten-free Caramel Chocolate Chips.  

Risk-free only works well when we have excess inventory towards the end of the program. In a normal year, we have the extra inventory sitting in a cupboard so it would not be an issue. This year, we are working on a limited inventory as we manage down to zero and we are hoping everyone will continue to utilize our exchange program to get cookies that are selling and return back to us ones that aren’t moving as quickly. This was our best solution to extending the program for those who want the additional sales and still providing risk-free and balancing mitigating risk to both the troops’ and council’s remnant inventory.  

To easily see order dates for this extension, please reference the following chart:

Please note Rolling Cupboards will continue with their regularly scheduled weekdays, not necessarily the exact dates listed above.  

Added cookie booths  

Council-Secured Booths will be added throughout the extension. In the coming weeks our team will continue to line up more, adding them to the weekly Shout Out! Newsletter and making them active in Smart Cookies Cookies at 10:00 a.m. the following Friday morning.

ACH payment adjustments 

Due to the change in the program, we are moving the final ACH payment from April 3 to April 24 to align with the new program end date. 

  • April 17: Emails with final ACH info sent to volunteers 

  • April 22: Payment Adjustment Forms and Girl Shortage Forms due by volunteers to GSGI   

  • April 24: Final payment withdrawn 

  • May: Program Credit emails sent to families (this remains unchanged) 

Volunteers, for more information about cookie payments, including how to handle shortages or your bank account, please read page 11 of the 2025 Cookie Program Volunteer Guide and check out the Money Matters page on The Bridge.