Through the years many people have asked a very simple question. How much money from the cookie sales goes to the girls?

The answer seems to be illusive.

On one hand the National organization says 1/4 of each sale goes to the producer. The rest goes to the "girls".

One source says the "cost" paid to the producer ranges from $1.75 to $2.25 a box.

Many of the mothers from the "troops" selling the cookies say their troop gets 56 cents a box.

The National organization says the producer pays a "fee" for using the Girl Scout logo. Why do they do that? They are under contract TO the National organization after all.

The boxes sell for $4 apiece.

Let's do some math.

4 - 1.75 = 2.25   2.25 -.56 = $1.69     $1.69/.56 = 3.02     1.75/4 = .43 or 43%

4- 2.25 = 1.75    1.75 -.56 = $1.19      $1.19/.56 = 2.12     2.25/4 = .56 or 56%

The first numbers are the difference between sales and "costs". The second number is what does NOT go the local troop. The third number is the ratio between what goes "somewhere else" and what goes to the troop. The last number is the percentage of the cost to price.

The claim that 75% "goes" to the girls is blatantly false. In order for the 25% claim to be met, only $1 could be paid to the producer. Is the claim that the license fees are $0.75 to $1.25 a box? 

Most of us get "approached" at work to buy from the "girl". There are sales of everything from cookies to wrapping paper done by the "kids" for "good causes".

When you buy the cookies, you cannot claim a tax deduction for your "contribution". If you GIVE them the $4 the entire thing is deductible.

Are we teaching our children the art of "gentle fraud" with all of these sales "they" do (by proxy)?