Important Changes to Troop Banking
Dear Girl Scouts San Diego Volunteers,
We hope all our volunteers and Girl Scouts are getting settled into the new membership year and back to their troops!
The start of a new year always brings new opportunities for improvement, doing things differently, and reimagining current processes and procedures. With an evolutionary mindset (one of Girl Scouts San Diego’s core values) at the forefront, and in partnership with volunteers who have provided input and perspective, we have decided to make changes to our troop banking based on the evaluation of our current financial institution and how they serve our members.
Wells Fargo (WF) will be shifting Girl Scout accounts to the business services side of their organization, impacting how accounts will be opened and managed. This institutional decision will also implement a fee structure on troop and service unit accounts that are opened or changed after Sept. 24, 2024. GSSD is committed to working with financial institutions that will not charge troops and service units to secure their girl-earned funds.
To continue best supporting our Girl Scouts, we will transition to Mission Fed Credit Union (MFCU) in San Diego as our preferred financial institution and move away from WF.
We look forward to expanding our partnership with MFCU, and they are excited to welcome our GSSD members. Accounts with MFCU will be no-fee checking accounts and will come with 20 free temporary checks, two free cashier’s checks per month (as needed), debit cards, and exceptional service.
Imperial Valley members: Since MFCU does not have branches in the valley, we are exploring alternatives and will announce more details soon. Please watch for more communication directly to you.
This transition will happen in incremental phases, beginning now for certain groups and continuing through April. Our intent is to minimize stress and increase our members’ satisfaction during this transition period.
Below is an outline of the transition and its phases, which consider various business priorities including new troop needs, our current Fall Product Program, upcoming cookie season, and more.
IMPORTANT: You will be notified as your phase begins. We will work with account holders individually if something different (not outlined below) needs to happen. At each phase, account holders will receive specific instructions for opening their accounts. We will be using processes already familiar to you, such as the Account Opening Request Authorization (AORA) and Change of Account (COA) form.
Thank you in advance for your patience and partnership and for helping our council yield the benefits of this move with minimal stressors.
Phases for Transition to MFCU
New troop accounts with MFCU are prioritized for new troops and based on product program participation needs as well as in the order they are received. We will be spending the next seven months transitioning troops to MFCU, with majority of accounts opening in spring 2025 following the Cookie Program.
Phase One: Open MFCU account by Friday, Nov. 8.
- New troop accounts that are currently on hold since September
- Existing troops who have already submitted a COA request in August/September
- Troops participating in Fall Product Program without an open bank account
Phase Two: Open MFCU account between Saturday, Nov. 9 and Wednesday, Dec. 11.
- Existing WF accounts that need a change of signer before the 2025 Girl Scout Cookie Program begins. To request a change of signer, complete the COA form; your request will be prioritized in the order it was received.
- All new troops
Phase Three: Open MFCU account between Thursday, Dec. 12 and Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025.
- Existing WF accounts that the GSSD Banking and/or Product Program teams identify as needing changes before the cookie program begins
- All new troops
Phases Four and Five: Open MFCU account after Wednesday, Jan. 15* (TBD)
- All service unit (SU) accounts
- All new troops
- Troops selected by GSSD Banking Team
*Exact dates are still TBD; will be announced soon.
Phase Six: Open MFCU account beginning April 1
- Following the conclusion of the 2025 Girl Scout Cookie Program, all troops who participated should now transition their accounts to MFCU
Note: We are prioritizing new troops and existing Wells Fargo accounts that require changes to be made to their accounts, as these groups fall under the new WF requirements for opening and managing accounts. As a result, they will be charged a monthly fee. Girl Scouts San Diego will not cover banking fees. We have negotiated a fee-free option with MFCU for troop and service unit accounts.
As you engage with Mission Fed Credit Union, you will experience their unwavering support for Girl Scouts. Since 2016, MFCU continues to be a trusted GSSD community partner, offering entrepreneurial programs like Money Madness, supporting our signature events and programs with sponsorship revenue, providing discounted account rates and promotions for our staff, adult and youth members, plus more.
If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact our Customer Care team, customercare@sdgirlscouts.org. We appreciate all your support and time with this change.
Yours in Girl Scouting,
Michelle Mullen
Chief Mission Delivery Officer
