MACEDONIA, Ohio -- In that $4 box of Girl Scout cookies, how much of the money do you think the girls get to keep?
About $0.70 on average. So where is your money really going?
We found Girl Scouts at the Southpark Mall selling thin mints, samoas and dosidos.
"We are selling a lot over here," said scout Lindsey Ruda.
Their goal is 2,000 boxes. Once they hit it, the troops pick from several different prizes.
"We're trying to raise money to go to the Amish country and hang out at the hotel and have breakfast," said Ruda.
The going rate is $4 a box, but only $.64 stays with the girls at first.
"It depends on how many cookies you initially sell," said Ruda. "The more you sell in the first order, the more you make off each box."
$1.20 goes toward the cost of the cookie.
$1 goes toward membership and troop support.
$.70 on average will go toward the actual troops.
$.58 will go toward the programs and camps.
$.37 will go toward administration.
$.15 will go for the volunteers.
"There's 112 councils in the United States and our council is one of the ones that gives the most back," said Kim Graves, director of marketing communications and recruitment of Girl Scouts North East Ohio.
Graves says the other $3.30 still serves our communities.
"All of the money that we earn from Girl Scout cookie sales stay here in Northeast Ohio. Some of the money will go to the camps and financial aid," said Graves. "We want to make sure that everyone who wants to go, it is affordable for them. They learn important skills that will help them throughout life.They learn decision-making, money management, people skills, business ethics, goal-setting."
"It's a lot of fun for the girls," said Ruda. "They enjoy it. You get to do a lot of camping, and a lot of fun things, a lot of friendships."
If you still want to support the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio, you have until March 20 when the troops stop selling.
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