2025 was a year of resilience and clarity for Girl Scouts San Diego. Through organizational challenges and a rapidly changing world, we gained a sharper understanding of how we must move forward, and we took decisive steps to transform to meet the evolving needs of girls and their families.
In year two of our strategic plan, we streamlined our structure and strengthened how we serve volunteers, girls, members, and the broader community. We deepened our commitment to reimagining partnerships with schools, community organizations, and industry leaders to ensure our programs are accessible, culturally responsive, and better aligned with the needs of girls and families. Through it all, we have been guided by our focus on maintaining business ethics, diversifying revenue, and increasing access to the Girl Scout experience for all girls.
Grounded in our core pillars—STEM, Life Skills, Outdoors, and Entrepreneurship—we saw meaningful progress in this evolution through membership retention, new revenue sources, and program participation. As we emerge from this period of change, our direction is clear, our values are steadfast, and the role and power of Girl Scouts San Diego in our region remain firm.
This report highlights the collective experiences made possible for nearly 24,000 Girl Scout members and 1,200 troops across San Diego and Imperial counties during the 2025 membership year. To our incredible volunteers, staff, donors, and partners: thank you for your collaboration, generosity, and dedication to this mission.
Yours in Girl Scouting,
Carol M Dedrich
Girl Scouts San Diego CEO
Emily Rex
Girl Scouts San Diego Board Chair
Lifetime memberships continued to trend upward, increasing by 6.5%, reflecting strong and growing engagement among our community of alums. While total girl membership saw a slight decline of 2.86% in 2025 compared to the previous year, this shift is accompanied by encouraging momentum. Many graduating seniors are continuing their journey as Girl Scout alums and demonstrating lasting connection with the Girl Scout experience.
This momentum also presented an opportunity for innovation and growth. As families navigated economic uncertainty and competing priorities, and as we continued to address a limited pool of adult volunteers, Girl Scouts San Diego responded with strategies to expand access and participation. We deepened engagement in communities where we have been historically underrepresented by building meaningful relationships with families and community partners to ensure that our programming reflects and supports local needs.
These efforts created new pathways to participation. Through strong partnerships with the McGrath Family YMCA and the Jackie Robinson YMCA, we have launched community troops that are making Girl Scouts more accessible to girls and families. We also laid plans in 2025 to partner with local school districts to further reduce barriers to entry and make joining and participating in Girl Scouts easier than ever before.
23,839 | Total Membership
14,514 | Girl Scouts in K-12
9,325 | Adults and Lifetime Members
1,269 | Girl Scout Troops
Girl Scouts San Diego's summer camp programming continued to serve as a cornerstone of the Girl Scout outdoor experience. In 2025, we welcomed 1,899 campers to our four camp properties across 135 sessions. Campers built independence, resilience, and life-long memories!
Outdoor experiences continued throughout the year and included troop camping, family camp, and backpacking adventures; more than 3,200 girls and adults deepened their connection to nature while developing both teamwork and independence. Family camp strengthened bonds and introduced new participants to the Girl Scout community, while backpacking programs empowered older girls to push their limits and grow as leaders.
We also laid the groundwork to launch our Every 6th Grader Goes to Camp program, which is designed to engage rising Cadette Girl Scouts—especially Latinas—in outdoor and camp experiences that expand access and opportunities for girls across underserved communities.
Thanks to generous supporters, we were able to provide $127,856 in camperships, which removed financial barriers and opened the doors to camp for every girl in our community who wanted to participate.
1,899 | Total Summer Campers
135 Summer Camp Sessions
50 Non-Summer Outdoor Programs for 2,290 Girls, 913 Adults
$127,856 Awarded in Camperships
By participating in the world’s largest girl-led entrepreneurial program, Girl Scouts step into the role of young business leaders by building confidence and mastering five essential life skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics. Throughout the 2025 cookie program, Girl Scouts challenged themselves to reach new milestones, strengthen their communication skills, and gain hands-on experience to prepare for their futures.
The impact extends well beyond the program. Because 100 percent of Girl Scout Cookie Program proceeds stay local, every purchase directly supports leadership opportunities for nearly 24,000 youth and adult members across San Diego and Imperial counties. These funds make it possible for Girl Scouts to participate in year-round programming, receive volunteer mentorship, and explore the outdoors at camp.
Giving back is also at the heart of the program. Through Operation Thin Mint℠ (OTM), the community comes together to support military service members and veterans. Since the program’s inception in 2002, Girl Scouts and their generous cookie customers have donated more than 4.4 million packages through OTM. This longstanding tradition highlights the power of collective impact and the Girl Scout commitment to making a difference.
2.09M Packages Marketed
130,788 Operation Thin Mint Packages Marketed
9,006 Girl Scout Participants
Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award Girl Scouts have a vision for a better world and the courage to bring it to life. To earn the highest awards as Juniors, Cadettes, and Seniors/Ambassadors, Girl Scouts created lasting change by researching an issue they care about, developing a plan to address it, and making a difference in their communities and beyond.
On Friday, March 14, Girl Scouts San Diego hosted the 2025 Cool Women Celebration to recognize five Cool Women honorees and our largest-ever class of 53 Emerging Leader Girl Scouts . The event brought together nearly 600 attendees to celebrate Women’s History Month, honor trailblazing women in the community, and support the next generation of leaders.
During a special mentoring session, Emerging Leader Girl Scouts met with the Cool Women honorees and 26 other accomplished female professionals across industries including STEM, business, media, law, education, and the arts.
The Cool Women of 2025:
More than 30 Cool Women Alumnae also gathered at the event. Through community support and by forging powerful connections between volunteers, staff, donors, executive mentors, partner organizations, and Girl Scouts of all ages, Girl Scouts San Diego is advancing female leadership in San Diego and Imperial counties.
Sponsors that made the 2025 Cool Women Celebration possible include SDG&E, Mission Fed Credit Union, Qualcomm, Academy of Our Lady of Peace, KPBS, University of San Diego, Julia R. Brown, and Southwest Airlines.
Volunteers are the cornerstone of Girl Scouts San Diego and the impact we have across the region. More than 8,000 fantastic adult members, including 5,961 volunteers, provided mentoring, support, and guidance in their commitment to helping more girls in San Diego and Imperial counties experience the limitless power of Girl Scouting. Through meaningful and inspiring contributions from adults, Girl Scouts are growing into the leaders and change-makers the world needs.
In August, 400 adults attended the annual Volunteer Conference to network among peers, participate learning courses, engage with community partners, and prepare for the new membership year.
We hosted nearly 70 in-person trainings and expanded our online offerings. With over 25 hours of available online training content and 77 unique courses, we prepared adults to tackle new experiences with their Girl Scouts. Highlights included online courses like Field Trips and Travel, El Curso de Prevención del Abuso y Negligencia Infantil de Girl Scouts, Leading Multi Level Troops, Ceremonies in Girl Scouting, Conflict Resolution and Prevention, and more. And, 1,005 members completed training via gsLearn for the first time.
We also helped 340 adults become certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) to recognize the signs of mental health challenges in youth and recommend helpful resources.
1,107 donors generously gave more than $1.5 million to make Girl Scouting possible in San Diego and Imperial counties.
Our partners are amazing! You show your belief in our mission through generous sponsorship and philanthropic gifts. You make it possible for Girl Scouts to explore their interests and make the world a better place. We appreciate you!
We are so grateful for our donors! You are ensuring that Girl Scouting is available and affordable for all girls, regardless of their ability to pay. You empower girls to find their unique voices and become leaders for our future. The Promise Circle recognizes those who donate $1,000 or more per year. Thank you!
Daisy’s Circle is Girl Scouts San Diego’s monthly giving program named after Girl Scouts founder, Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low. Monthly recurring gifts make a BIG impact! Your sustained giving ensures that girls and volunteers can fully engage in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Your commitment helps us keep Daisy’s promise alive, ensuring that more girls can develop the skills they need for a lifetime of leadership. We are so grateful for our sustaining partners!
Juliette Gordon Low Society members – you represent such hope! Your commitment to girls is demonstrated by naming Girl Scouts San Diego in your will, trust, IRA or through your life-income gifts. You ensure future generations of girls can experience the unique leadership opportunities available only through Girl Scouts. Thank you for your faithful generosity!
Generations of Girl Scouts in San Diego and Imperial Valey have benefitted from the generosity of our benefactors. We thank you for your faithful support and generous parentship of the GSSD mission.