Welcome to the tenth edition of The Cookie Press for the 2024 Cookie Season! |
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Read on for a message from GSRV CEO Marisa Williams and information about Cookie and Booth Go Day, the National Girl Scout Cookie Finder, Cookie Swap Information, Digital Cookie Office Hours, Digital Cookie Shipped Orders Support and Credit Card Refunds, Cookie Cupboards and Planned Orders, and more!
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- A Message from CEO Marisa Williams
- Cookie & Booth Go Day tomorrow!
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The National Girl Scout Cookie Finder
- Cookie Swap Information and Invitation Code
- Digital Cookie Office Hours Tonight
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- Digital Cookie Shipped Orders Support
- Digital Cookie Credit Card Refunds
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“Smells Like Cookie Spirit” Volunteer Award Nomination
- New Report Available in Smart Cookies
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- Cookie Cupboards & Planned Orders
- Forward to Families
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For Service Unit Cookie Managers:
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- Supporting Troops at the Start of the Sale
- Cookie Booth Reminders to Share with Troops
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A Message from River Valleys CEO, Marisa Williams |
Greetings and welcome to the 2024 Cookie Season! I am thrilled to kick off my 2nd season of the Cookie Program alongside all of you – our courageous and devoted Cookie Volunteers.
We embark on this new season following a relatively smooth journey in 2023! I eagerly anticipate witnessing countless Girl Scouts at their booths, immersing themselves in business knowledge, and enjoying memorable moments with friends! Amidst the various challenges and opportunities of recent years, the Cookie Program remains the unwavering force driving the Girl Scout movement forward, offering our Girl Scouts invaluable chances to cultivate skills and confidence while raising funds for camp, travel, service endeavors, and other transformative experiences that shape their futures.
It is through your dedication, Cookie Volunteers, that such opportunities become a reality for our Girl Scouts. Your encouragement, goal-setting assistance, and family engagement are truly appreciated beyond measure. 💚
A heartfelt thank you for your indispensable role in making the Girl Scout Cookie Program a success!
Marisa
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Cookie & Booth Go Day begins tomorrow! |
After all the planning, preparation, and cookie deliveries, it’s finally here! Cookie and Cookie Booth Go Day is tomorrow! Thank you for all you have done to get your Girl Scouts ready for this season’s cookie adventures. We’d love to see your troops and Girl Scouts in action this weekend! Flood our Girl Scouts River Valleys Facebook
page with your photos of Girl Scouts participating in cookie booths and delivering those eagerly awaited cookies to our Girl Scout Cookie fans.
Don’t forget, it’s 1-2-3 to get your troop ready to take credit cards at booths using Digital Cookie:
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- Set up your Digital Cookie troop site in a web browser, then approve and publish
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Download the Digital Cookie Mobile app from the Google Play or App Store
- Login to your app with your email and password and you’re set!
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Check out this video that outlines the steps: Troop Site Set up video
. Girl Scouts also need to follow these steps to set up their Digital Cookie site before they can take credit cards with the Mobile app.
Use our Digital Cookie Mobile App Booth Payments tip sheet for step-by-step instructions on accepting credit cards at booths.
You can view booth credit card transactions in Smart Cookies in the Booth tab>View Booth Credit Card Payments:
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Booth credit card payments can also be found by running the Booth Sales Credit Card Transactions Export Report in Smart Cookies. Plus, troop users can view them in the Digital Cookie Mobile App under All Orders.
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The National Girl Scout Cookie Finder |
Returning this season, customers looking for Girl Scout cookies can use the National Girl Scout Cookie Finder
. Customers type in their zip code in the Find Cookies feature to be directed to cookie booths near their location or to have cookies shipped directly to their homes. For shipped cookie orders placed through the Cookie Finder, the proceeds will benefit a troop from that zip code. A troop is randomly chosen based on the zip code. Remember, to be included in the National Cookie Finder, you must set up your troop cookie link in Digital Cookie. You can view any shipped cookie sales from the Cookie Finder (or from sharing your Troop Ship-Only Cookie Link) in
Smart Cookies. Go to Orders>Troop Direct Ship Orders. No action is needed for these sales in Smart Cookies until it’s time to order rewards. We’ll provide you with more details on how to distribute those sales in a future post.
Remember, customers are using this resource to find cookies. If your troop is unable to attend a booth, please make sure you remove the booth reservation in Smart Cookies as soon as possible. Another troop may be able to pick it up. Review the instructions in The Smart Cookies Guide.
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Cookie Swap Information and Invitation Code |
Connect with other cookie volunteers to exchange cookies or pick up cookies when cupboards aren’t open with the River Valleys Cookie Swap. You can use the website link and invitation code below to log in to the swap site. Users can create and browse two types of posts in the cookie swap: troops with extra cookies, and troops in need of cookies. Visit Cookie Central to see full instructions on how to use the site. You may share this information, but only with other registered volunteers.
Cookie Swap Link
Invitation Code: Cookies24
| Digital Cookie Office Hours Tonight |
Join us tonight at 6:30 PM for our next
Digital Cookie Office Hours. We’ll talk about getting your sale started with the Digital Cookie Mobile App, approving your cookie orders as they come in, and a look at where all your Digital Cookie resources are as you start the sale!
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Digital Cookie Shipped Cookie Orders Support |
Families may connect with you when their customers have questions about their shipped cookie order. Here’s the scoop on what happens after a customer completes a direct-ship order:
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- Once the order is placed, the customer will receive an email confirmation.
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The customer can track their order using the tracking information in their emails.
- Cookies arrive generally within 10-14 days.
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Families can direct customers to the Help
section in Digital Cookie where they can report any issues. This link is also in the cookie customers order confirmation email.
Note: Direct-ship orders cannot be canceled or changed to girl cookie delivery orders.
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Digital Cookie Credit Card Refunds |
If a family mistakenly approves an order for girl delivery in Digital Cookie that they are unable to deliver, as a troop volunteer, you can refund the order. Watch this quick video to walk you through the steps.
Note: Once an order has been refunded, the transaction cannot be reversed.
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“Smells Like Cookie Spirit” Volunteer Award Nominations |
It's no secret Girl Scouts River Valleys cookie volunteers are amazing and now it's time to share those stories with us and have a little ‘90s-inspired fun! We want to celebrate the cookie volunteers who exemplify the Girl Scout spirit during the cookie season with our “Smells Like Cookie Spirit” Awards. Complete our
Smells Like Cookie Spirit Nomination form to tell us about a fellow cookie volunteer who has been friendly, helpful, considerate, caring, and shines with that unique Girl Scout Cookie spirit.
Starting the week of February 26, we'll announce two weekly winners throughout the cookie season. Each winner will receive a prize pack of Girl Scout cookie-scented products from Native! Winners will be contacted by River Valleys and recognized right here in The Cookie Press. Submissions will carry over each week.
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New Report in Smart Cookies: Girl Cookie Order Details |
The ABC Smart Cookies Team has developed a new report that will give you more visibility into the Digital Cookie orders for Girl Scouts in your troop in Smart Cookies. This report is the “Girl Cookie Order Details” which lists all girl delivery and shipped cookie orders that have been imported into Smart Cookies
. You will notice an “N” in the initial order column and that is okay—our council does not use the initial order function in Digital Cookie.
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Cookie Cupboards and Planned Orders |
The Council On-Demand Cookie Cupboards
open for the season tomorrow, February 16, at 12:00 PM (CST). The seven locations include Apple Valley, Blaine, Columbia Heights, Eden Prairie, Mankato, Oakdale, and Rochester. Visit Cookie Central
to view the most current cupboard information, including any cookie inventory alerts. Each of these locations will have a supply of gluten-free Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies in stock, along with all other varieties. To help prepare for your visit:
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- Check out the Council Cupboard Drive-Up Instructions on Cookie Central so you know where to go.
- Cookie Cupboard Inventory will be updated on Cookie Central at 12:00 PM & 3:00 PM weekdays and 8:30 AM & 10:30 AM on weekends.
- Our Cookie Cupboard Reference Sheet
features a view of the locations and schedule. Here’s a quick look at this weekend’s schedule:
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For troops that use a Council Express, Regional, or Regional Express Cupboard, planned orders opened today and will close at 8:00 AM on Monday. Regional and Regional Express Cupboards are stocked with inventory. Connect with your Regional Cupboard Manager in case you need cookies this weekend. Check out the Planned Order FAQs on our Cookie Cupboard FAQs
page to get the scoop on using these cupboards.
No matter which type of cupboard you visit, it’s important to ensure your cookie transfers are accurate in Smart Cookies. Review the transfers using the Transfer Order Report or using the Manage Orders screen and filtering for Cupboard to Troop transfers. If any errors occur with your cupboard transaction in Smart Cookies, complete the online Cookie Cupboard Error Report Form and a member of our staff will follow up with you.
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Here’s the latest information to copy & paste, then forward to the families in your troop:
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- We know there’s a lot of excitement around Cookie Go Day, but please wait to deliver cookies until this Friday to be honest and fair to all Girl Scouts.
- It’s not too late to participate! You can still opt-in to any of the options in the Cookie Program, including the online-only option where you can share your Girl Scout’s Digital Cookie site link for shipped cookie orders and you won’t have to touch a single package of cookies or collect any money! Check out our
Family Cookie Guide for the details.
- Adding your QR code from Digital Cookie and placing it on door hangers and business cards can be a fun project to complete now! Follow the steps in the
Digital Cookie Guide for Girl Scouts and Families
to learn more about how to find your QR code and use it for cookie orders and payment.
- If you couldn’t attend Girl Scouts River Valley’s Virtual Cookie Rally, you can still join in the fun! Check out the video and try out the activities to start your sale.
- Don’t forget to set up, approve, and publish your Digital Cookie site then download the Mobile App so you can accept credit cards for in-person and booth sales. Review the instructions for booth payments here: Digital Cookie Mobile App Booth Payments tip sheet.
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Looking for ideas on how to track any cash/check payments while you are selling cookies on the go? Check out the available options on the Tracking Cash-Check Sales Tip Sheet, or utilize this easy
Offline Sales Tally Spreadsheet.
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Supporting Troops at the Start of the Sale |
The first weekend of the sale is an exciting time! Here are some tips for supporting your troops:
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- Remind troops of the importance for families to wait until Cookie Go Day to deliver cookies and begin Cookie Booth sales.
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Make sure troops are familiar with cookie cupboard options
. Remember that Council Express, Regional, and Regional Express Cupboards require a planned order through Smart Cookies.
- Remind troops that no exchanges will be allowed at any cupboard location. Troops may only exchange damaged cookies for non-damaged cookies of the same variety at cookie cupboards.
- At Council Express Cupboards, damaged cookies cannot be exchanged.
- Once the families have received their initial cookie order, remind troops to make sure Girl Scouts have turned in payment for 50% of their current inventory before releasing more inventory. Troops must provide families with a receipt any time cookie inventory or money is exchanged.
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Cookie Booth Reminders to Share with Troops |
You can view the Booked Booth Sale Summary Report in Smart Cookies
to review all locations where troops in your Service Unit will be engaging in cookie booth sales. Direct troops to the resources on how to manage their cookie booth sales in Smart Cookies, including how to use the Smart Booth Divider. Plus, it’s also important to remind troops if they are unable to attend a booth at any time, they will need to remove the reservation in Smart Cookies so another troop could potentially fill the time slot. The booth time slots entered in Smart Cookies feed directly into the National Girl Scout Cookie Finder. We want to make sure that customers searching for cookies are not disappointed if they visit a booth location and troops are not present. Thanks for helping us spread the word to keep our cookie customers happy!
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