Volunteer Cookie Product Management

Mangaging your product inventory is the key to success!

Learn how to manage your cookie inventory with ease from your troops' initial order to distribution and everything in between.

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Before you begin to calculate your Initial Order, you will need to gather all pre-sales from Direct Order Cards and Girl Delivered requests in Digital Cookie. Girl Scouts should be including both of these areas in the numbers they present to be ordered.

Troops who miss the January 18 Initial Order deadline need to contact the council office.

Calculate your Initial Order by using the Troop Order Worksheet located in your print materials shipment. This worksheet provides you with:

Your troops specific sale information from the previous year.
Examples of a conservative or moderate level order based on your information.
Indicates a recommended percentage for each cookie variety based on the overall sales for your troop last year.

If you are a new troop, you have received a worksheet for estimating your Initial Order based on council averages for your troops age level. Variety percentages listed pertain to the overall sales for last year.

Troops place the Initial Order in Smart Cookies by the case. Troops will not enter the order by the girl, but as a total amount for the troop.

Remember, once you've signed for cookies, you cannot bring them back. So, always order what you are comfortable with financially. Do not let other troop leaders or caregivers influence your decision. You can always get more cookies from the cupboard by utilizing the Planned Order process.

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During the Initial Order, each troop is allowed up to three cases.

After the Initial Order, Gluten Free Caramel Chocolate Chip will be available two cases at a time, on a first-come, first-served; walk-in only basis, at Inventory Cupboards only. While supply lasts. No email, voicemail or phone call orders will be processed.

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After troops receive their initial cookie order, troops will need more cookies as participants sell out and need more to reach their personal goals. Troops participating in cookie booth and/or drive-thru sales may need more cookies to support the booth/drive-thru efforts.

In order to make sure that all cupboards are stocked each week with the needed cookie inventory, troops must enter a Planned Order for cookies to be picked up at a cupboard.

What is a Planned Order?

A Planned Order is when the Troop Cookie Manager has managed the troops inventory within itself and has determined that additional product is needed to fill the product requests from participants for the next week.

A Planned Order must be entered into Smart Cookies by midnight on Sunday. Planned Orders are usually ready for pick up by Friday. This is subject to change depending on truck delivery.
All Planned Orders must be picked up by end of cupboard business on Saturday each week. If an order is not picked up and there has been no communication from the Troop Cookie Manager, the Planned Order will be placed back into cupboard inventory and redistributed.
Troops need to contact the Cupboard Manager to arrange for a pick up time, confirm the order and give permission, if someone else is picking up the order. Other adults are not allowed to pick up cookies without the Troop Cookie Manager's permission. When entering a Planned Order in Smart Cookies, Troop Cookie Managers can enter the permission in the Order Reference Field (ex: Sally Smith — other adult pick up). This will serve as notification to the Cupboard Manager that another adult, other than the Troop Cookie Manager, will be picking up that particular order.
Troops will order cookies from an Inventory Cupboard by the package and from an Express Cupboard by the case. However, for the first two weeks of the sale, troops are strongly encouraged to order full cases and not make exchanges. This will help eliminate the need for troops to make multiple trips to a cupboard.
After the Planned Order has been picked up, the Cupboard Manager will confirm the order in Smart Cookies and the Planned Order will become a Cupboard to Troop Transfer.
Planned Orders and transfers can be viewed under Manage Orders in Smart Cookies.
Remember you must make a Troop to Girl Transfer in Smart Cookies to give Girl Scouts credit for each weekly pickup and any booth/drive-thru sales.

Managing Cookies

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What is a Cookie Cupboard?

Cookie Cupboards are locations managed by volunteers or council staff, where additional product may be picked up or exchanged. There are two types of cupboards troops can utilize throughout the council:

Inventory: Full service cupboard. Exchanges and extra product available.
Express: Planned Orders only by the case. No exchanges, no extra product and no walk-ins.

Who are Express Cupboard Managers?

Express Cupboard Managers are volunteers just like you that operate a council cupboard on their own schedule. Please be respectful of their time and follow their cupboard hours and procedures.

When are Cupboards Open?

Download the Heartland Activity Center Cookie Cupboard Map here.

The 2026 Council Cupboard List is available now.

When are Cupboards Closed?

Sunday through Thursday to allow for council-wide inventory management. Check the Cupboard List for contact information, days and hours of operation and how to make an appointment. All Express Cupboards will close March 7.

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There are multiple ways you can determine how many cookies to distribute to each Girl Scout if there were no pre-orders taken. Have a discussion with the Girl Scouts and caregivers to determine what works best for the troop and how many cookies each caregiver wants to be financially responsible for at one time.

Options:

Divide the cookies evenly between the troop participants.
Give a lower amount to each Girl Scout. When all cookies are sold and all money is turned in, more can be picked up.

When Girl Scouts Pick Up Cookies

Have a signed Participation Permission Form in-hand before distributing cookies to caregivers.
Schedule pick up times and sort all orders before distributing cookies. The key to a smooth distribution is to allow enough time for each pick up to double count and load.
Have each caregiver count out each variety and double check the amounts listed on the receipt.
Have caregivers sign the receipt along with the Troop Cookie Manager. The amount signed for is their financial responsibility. Keep a copy of the receipt. Let caregivers know that cookies may not be returned.
Provide any additional program supplies; extra money envelopes, Care & Share receipts, etc.

Cookie Pick Up at Delivery Site

With the combined Pre-Sale and Direct Sale formats, troops will order participant and any additional cookies needed to transition into the Direct Sale on their Initial Order. Pick ups can begin as soon as the troop has cookies in-hand. Some troops will be asked to schedule their pick up date and time in Smart Cookies when submitting the Initial Order. Others will be notified by the Delivery Site Manager when to pick up based on their own delivery date and time.

Be Prepared

Ask caregivers to help pick up the troop's cookie order.
Determine the appropriate sized vehicle (or vehicles) needed. All cookies should be picked up at the same time. The Delivery Site Manager cannot watch partial orders for later pick up, as they will be helping other troops with their orders.

At the Delivery Site

Arrive at the scheduled time. Orders are pulled based on these times. Arriving on time ensures everyone stays on schedule.

Take time to count the cookies with the Delivery Site Manager to verify the correct amount is being received.
Sign a receipt and keep a copy.

Recount the cookies as they are loaded into the vehicle. The troop is financially responsible for the cookies listed on the signed receipt when they leave the delivery site.

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The most important thing to remember is don't wait until the end of the sale to try to get rid of extra cookies. As soon as you identify that you have too many cookies, take the following action steps:

Contact others to help your troop:
- Service Unit Cookie Organizer
- Other troops in your community
Post a message on your SU Facebook group or the GSKH Cookie Swap Facebook group.
Let the caregivers in the troop know that the troop has extra cookies, so they can help sell the extras.
Schedule a Cookie Booth/drive-thru to sell the extras.
Schedule a Cookie Caravan with your troop to sell cookies in your neighborhood.

What if I just need a few packages of cookies?

Troops may pick up small orders at an Inventory Cupboard. Troops must place a Planned Order to ensure the cupboard has the cookies needed. Walk-in hours are available but do not ensure product availability.

Can Troops Swap or get Cookies from each other?

Yes! In fact, we encourage troops to swap cookies with each other. Write a receipt for the transaction and keep the receipt copies. The troop giving the cookies is responsible for entering the Troop to Troop Transfer in Smart Cookies.

May cookies be exchanged?

Yes. An even exchange can be made for different varieties only at an Inventory Cupboard. Troops must place a Planned Order for the cookies needed to ensure the Inventory Cupboard will have the correct variety; then just exchange the cookies when you go to the cupboard.

Who can pick up cookies from a cupboard?

Only the Troop Cookie Manager can pick up cookies from a cupboard. If someone other than the Troop Cookie Manager is picking up, written instructions must be provided to the cupboard on who is picking up in place of the Troop Cookie Manager. Other adults are not allowed to pickup directly from the cupboard for their Girl Scout.

Things to Note:

Packages not in good condition to be sold (writing on package, taped, smelling of smoke, pets, etc.) may not be exchanged.
Packages damaged during shipping (crushed or ripped) or cases missing packages or packages missing cookies must be exchanged at an Inventory Cupboard location.
Cookies ordered and received by troops and Girl Scouts may not be returned or refunded, only exchanged. Troops and Girl Scouts/caregivers are financially responsible for all the cookie packages they receive.