Entrepreneurship is one of the 4 Pillars of Girl Scouting, and Girl Scouts of Western Ohio has always focused on these skills because we know girls need and want them.

According to research conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI), Having It All: Girls & Financial Literacy, most girls expect to be independent and financially empowered. They see few gender barriers in their way and have high expectations for their future financial lives. And this is awesome! However, there are still important gaps in their financial building blocks — only 12% of girls feel “very confident” in making financial decisions.

So what can you do to help prepare your girl for financial success?

Talk to her about money and finances.

Schools don’t often have financial literacy curriculum to help girls build these skills. But girls want them! In the research from GSRI, 94% of girls would rather make their own money than rely on their parents, and 96% of girls expect to be able to provide for their families.

So, if she gets an allowance (she should!), talk to her about how to decide what to spend it on. Help her set up Spend / Give / Save jars for her money and help her determine her financial goals.

When she gets older, talk to her about the family budget! How did you determine your grocery budget? What are some big things your family is saving for, and what does that mean for her? The more she sees the day-to-day impact of financial planning, the better off she’ll be in the future.

Sign her up for Girl Scout Product Program.

Girls know they want bright futures, but they don’t quite know how to get there. So, what are we at Girl Scouts of Western Ohio doing about that? Well, the Girl Scout Cookie Program and Fall Product Program are key!

Girls can begin making financial decisions with their troop and help manage their troop budget. What trips do they want to take? What badges are they hoping to earn? Once they’ve figured out the exciting questions, walk them through the other side of the equation —raising the money. What should the troop’s per-girl goal be for each sale?

Once girls can see where the money is going and why they should be selling a certain amount of products, they’ll have a clearer view of their financial impact in the troop! This is great practice for when they graduate high school and have to start planning their finances on their own.

We know girls want to be financially literate, but they’re not confident about how to get there. Whether you’re helping her at home or she’s learning with her Girl Scout troop, the more she practices now, the more confident she’ll be in the future!

To sign your girl up for the Fall Product Program or Girl Scout Cookie Program, talk to your troop leader or contact the Customer Care Team at 888.350.5090 or customercare@gswo.org!