Hey Nonprofit Leader, What’s Keeping You Awake at Night?

This past Saturday, my alarm went off at an hour usually reserved for bakers and airport shuttle drivers. Why? Because it was Mega Cookie Drop day. Full disclosure: I was a Girl Scout as a child, a leader for thirteen years (shout out to Troop 1574!) and proudly serve on the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council's Board of Directors.

If you’ve never experienced Mega Cookie Drop, imagine a cross between a NASCAR pit stop, a military supply operation, and Willy Wonka’s loading dock—minus the chaos. Every Girl Scout troop in the region shows up to pick up cases upon cases of cookies their girls have pre-ordered. And when I say cases, I mean U-Haul-level commitment. One trip. No do-overs.

Here’s the part that made my nonprofit-nerd heart flutter: the logistics were flawless.

Each troop had a tightly scheduled 10-minute window. They pulled up, cookies already palletized and waiting. Dozens of volunteers—mostly girls, plus a few good-natured boys who clearly lost a bet with their moms—formed a fire-brigade-style line, moving boxes from pallet to vehicle with impressive speed. One person clicked an old-school metal counter to ensure every box was accounted for. No guesswork. No drama. No “we’ll figure it out later.”

My role was less glamorous but equally essential: confirming the number of registered girls per troop and handing the correct paperwork to each troop’s Cookie Coordinator. I got my steps in, my arms worked, and my faith in volunteer-powered systems was fully restored before 10 a.m.

And yes—this is all for cookies. But it’s also so much more than that.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program (and the Fall Product Program) is the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world. Through it, girls learn how to set goals, manage money, work as a team, talk to customers, and bounce back when someone says, “No thanks, I already bought six boxes.” These aren’t just sales skills; they’re life skills—wrapped in Thin Mints.

People often ask, “Where does the cookie money actually go?” Here’s the short version: it funds programs, camps, training, troop activities, and leadership development all year long. Every box sold is doing real work long after cookie season ends.

Standing there that morning, surrounded by efficiency, enthusiasm, and a whole lot of Carmel deLites it got me thinking (as you knew it would):What can nonprofits learn from Girl Scouts?

Here’s my takeaway: Girl Scouts don’t wait for perfect volunteers—they grow them.

Girl Scouting is more than 100 years old, and part of its genius is this: it takes adult women—many with no prior leadership experience—and trains them to lead. Not just to help. To lead. With support, structure, and clear expectations.

Nonprofit leaders, this one’s for you.

Yes, skills matter. But commitment matters more. When someone raises their hand and says, “I care about this mission,” don’t dismiss them because they don’t already know Roberts Rules or Salesforce. Train them. Mentor them. Show them how to serve—on your board, with your clients, behind the scenes, and beyond.

When you invest in volunteers the way Girl Scouts invest in leaders, you build capacity, confidence, and sustainability.

And that, dear nonprofit leader, just might help you sleep a little better at night.

PS#1: Feeling inspired—and craving cookies? 🍪Click here to find a Girl Scout cookie booth near you this weekend and support the next generation of leaders: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/cookies/how-to-buy-cookies/cookie-finder-results.html

PS#2: And fair warning—if you have a meeting scheduled with me during cookie season, I may arrive bearing gifts. (Thin Mints are my love language.)