side menu icon

Online Support for Volunteers

We’ve got you, Girl Scout volunteers!

Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) is a digital resource that supports troop leaders and co-leaders, making the process of running a troop easier and more efficient.

My GS


My GS is your Girl Scout home base and how you access other great tools to manage the Girl Scout experience for your family and troop! By logging into My GS in the upper right-hand corner you can:

  • Manage your Girl Scout membership and all the memberships in your household and troop(s).
  • Find exciting in-person and virtual events for your Girl Scout, your family, or your troop to attend.
  • Maintain your contact information, preferences and manage any changes within your troop.
  • Access essential tools like the Volunteer Toolkit and gsLearn to make your Girl Scout volunteer experience a breeze!

 

Volunteer Toolkit


The Volunteer Toolkit is your official source for delivering easy, fun troop meetings year-round! This fully customizable digital planning tool is accessible on any computer, tablet, or mobile device and provides you with Girl Scout program content, award requirements, and other resources.

Through the Volunteer Toolkit, troop leaders can:

  • Plan the troop’s calendar year.
  • View the troop roster and email families with one click.
  • View badges, Journeys and awards for all program levels including prepopulated tracks for younger and older Multi-Level troop groups (K–5 and 6–12).
  • Explore meeting plans that show a breakdown of every meeting, including a list of materials needed and editable time allotments for each activity within a meeting.
  • Record girls’ attendance at meetings and their badge and Journey achievements.
  • Add council or custom troop events to the troop’s calendar.
  • Enter the troop’s finances (depending on the council’s process).
  • Easily locate resources both national and local council resources, such as Safety Activity Checkpoints.

The Volunteer Toolkit isn’t just for troop leaders!
Caregivers and administrative volunteers can have access too.

  • Caregivers of Girl Scouts in a troop can see troop financial reports, download their attendance and achievement record and stay up-to-date on the great things the troop is doing throughout the year.
  • Individually registered Girl Scouts and their caregivers can access badges, Journeys and awards to take charge of their experience individually.
  • Administrative volunteers can see a demo version of the Volunteer Tookit to see all the programming available to troops and families, as well as provide support and training to their local volunteers.

Ready to learn more?
Check out the Volunteer Toolkit trainings in gsLearn before you start. Click on My GS in the upper right-hand corner to login and access gsLearn and the Volunteer Toolkit.

Caregivers
Check out our easy-access trainings available on YouTube!


gsLearn


gsLearn is Girl Scouts’ official online and on demand training platform. Confident leaders are prepared leaders, and these online learnings will give you all the info you need to be a great troop leader.

gsLearn isn’t just for volunteers! All members have access to this great tool. Click on myGS in the upper right-hand corner to login and check it out.

gsZoom


Zoom is an easy, reliable video conferencing and messaging platform with powerful security, that works across mobile and desktop devices. Safely meet with your Girl Scouts and families through virtual meetings to stay in-touch when meeting in-person is difficult. GsZoom is our unique partnership with Zoom organization to provide this essential product at a vastly reduced price point for our volunteers.

Think virtual meetings are for you? Contact us to get started!
 
Troop Leader Checklist - Logging into MyGS

Haven't logged into MyGS yet? Troop leaders, follow these steps!

1.       Log into MyGS.

2.       Check your troop info.

  • In MyGS, on the Troops tab, select “Next Year,” and renew girls & adults.
  • Scroll to “View/edit troop information” & add/modify as needed (meeting info, level, desired number of girls: 12 for grades K–5; 10 for grades 6–12).
  • Add/register any new members not listed.

3.       Get your free Journeys (and plan your first troop meeting) in Volunteer Toolkit!

Parent Checklist - Logging into MyGS

Here's what current registered adult members and parents/guardians of registered girl members must do to ensure a smooth onboarding experience as we shift from eBiz to MyGS:

1. Did you get your unique login credentials for MyGS? In early August, an email from gsusacustomercare@girlscouts.org was sent to all existing Girl Scout members and it included your log-in and password for the Member Community (where you can manage your membership and renewals) and also grants you access to the free Volunteer Toolkit - both available under the MyGS tab on our homepage. Can't find the email? Check your Spam folder. Still can’t find it? Call Customer Care, 213-213-0123.

2. Using your new unique log-in information, log in to the Member Community (MyGS tab) to verify that all of your account information is correct -- this includes troop leaders, who must verify that their troop information is correct. Note: When accessing the community, we recommend using Firefox or Google Chrome.

3. Renew your membership for the new Girl Scout Year (started Oct. 1). If you haven't already done so, make sure to renew your membership in our new Member Community (MyGS tab). 

Check out our Resources tab below for more detailed instructions, support, and tips related to MyGS.

What is the Volunteer Toolkit?

The Girl Scout Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) is a comprehensive digital tool accessible on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. Affectionately called the “Administrative Assistant” to the troop leader, this addition to Girl Scouting will make it easier to help girls put their plans into action!

Who can access the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK)?
All troop leaders and parents can access VTK beginning Aug. 1, 2017 (simply click on the MyGS tab on our website). Leaders can use VTK for troop management and meeting planning. Parents can view their child’s information and meeting plans only. If you need assistance accessing VTK, please contact Customer Care. 

Accessing the VTK 
As an approved troop volunteer, you can visit our website and click on the yellow MyGS tab where you will enter your log-in to gain access. The VTK can be used from any computer or mobile electronic device with internet capability. You can print meeting plans or download them to your personal computer using remote internet access.

Using the VTK to Manage Your Troop 
Daisy through Junior-level leaders will have access to three full-year plans, including one year of Girl Scout badges and a choice of two Girl Scout Journeys for free. These pre-made plans provide everything you need to get started. You can set your meeting calendar to include locations, dates, and times. You can customize activities, delete ones that your girls don’t want to do, and replace them with new ones. The VTK also allows leaders to keep attendance and track the badges each girl earns. Although the Cadette through Ambassador-level badge and Journey program resources are not currently loaded in the VTK, girls and their advisors can use the “Create Your Own Year Plan” function to plan meetings. Older girl badge and Journey program resources will be available soon. Stay tuned for details.

Using the VTK to communicate with troop families
Since it's connected to the GSGLA member registration system (Member Community), the VTK allows all leaders to manage troop contacts and communicate with families. You can easily generate customized emails that tell families what to expect at each meeting.

Volunteer Toolkit Tips, Resources & Help

Troop Online Payments with Cheddar Up (New!)

What is Cheddar Up?
Cheddar Up is a digital payment and tracking tool that will help your troop or service unit easily collect money online for Girl Scout activities or events. Through our partnership with Cheddar Up, your troop or service unit bank account will be linked with your Cheddar Up account so you can quickly accept online payments for expenses such as uniforms, supplies, badges, activities, outings, camp, Camporees, or event registration. Learn how to get started with Cheddar Up by watching a short video.

Why should I use Cheddar Up?
Cheddar Up simplifies collecting for organizers. Its payment and tracking toolset helps volunteers streamline the task of collecting funds and forms from numerous people. Cheddar Up tracks payments, provides reports and stores forms electronically - all easily accessible on your laptop or from the Cheddar Up app. To learn more about how Cheddar Up is different from other popular payment platforms, please click here.

How much will it cost my troop or service unit to use Cheddar Up?
Collecting on Cheddar Up is always free. There are no setup/hidden fees or out-of-pocket expenses. GSGLA troops and service units will have free access to all the features of Cheddar Up’s Pro and Team plans.

What do I need to do to start using Cheddar Up?
Get started by creating your FREE Cheddar Up account. Just follow the instructions you receive in your Welcome email from Cheddar Up. Didn’t receive the Welcome email? Contact Cheddar Up Support at friendlysupport@cheddarup.com. Once your account set up is complete, you’re ready to dig in and set up your collections.

How do I share my collection page after I create it?
From the “My Collections” page, you’ll want to click on your collection. Then, simply click on “Share” in the top gray bar. There you’ll see your unique URL for your collection. You can copy this link and begin sharing it with your parents and other potential payers via all your communication channels—email, text, Facebook...or even a paper handout or event registration form. You can also use our “invite” feature, which allows you to enter (or copy and paste) your parent emails so Cheddar Up can send them a friendly invitation to view the collection.

Can I share one link that lists all my troop’s active collections?
Yes. If you have several collections on Cheddar Up, the “Collections Home Page” is what you need! It allows you to share ONE link that lists all your troop’s active collections. Now your Girl Scout troop families will always know where to find the latest options for payment. No more finding the right link or messing with passwords. It’s all in one spot and at their fingertips. Check out this short video to see it in action.

How can I learn more?
Read our comprehensive list of Cheddar Up FAQs. If you don't see the information you are looking for or need help, contact Cheddar Up Support.

What is the Opportunity Catalog?

The Opportunity Catalog is an online listing of all troops in GSGLA. It provides the opportunity to grow your troop and engage parent volunteers in key roles in the troop. While all troops are listed in the catalog, only troops with open spaces will display publicly in the catalog. 

It will allow parents and volunteers to search for troops, general locations (e.g. North Pomona), and meeting days that work for them. Adults can also find volunteer positions that need to be filled to get new troop off the ground or help with their existing troop.

This new feature will help us ensure that every girl who wants to be a Girl Scout has the opportunity to be one! Plus, troop volunteers will be able to sign up for specific roles faster and easier. 

People interested in joining Girl Scouts will be able to access the Opportunity Catalog via the Join and Volunteer buttons on the Join and Volunteer web pages.

Opportunity Catalog FAQs

Resources - Fliers, Webinars, and More

MyGS Overview:

Leaders Meetings - Get a hands-on tutorial of Volunteer Toolkit at your service unit monthly leaders meeting. Check with your service unit manager for dates.

Customer Care Phone Hours - See Contact Us for days/times.

Let's Chat Webinars & Leader Skill Builders - See our Adult Training Events List to find upcoming help sessions with staff and fellow troop leaders. 

Let's Chat Webinars Recordings - Recorded in May 2017, these webinars will help you learn about MyGS and all related features, including your Member Community, Volunteer Toolkit, and the Opportunity Catalog. 

Volunteer Toolkit:

Annual Troop Year-End Report

GSGLA’s annual troop year-end report will provide your Service Unit and Council staff an overview of the past year for your troop.

Within the report, each troop will share on the following for the year:

1. What your troop has accomplished (8 questions)
2. What the troop leader has experienced & observed (11 questions)
3. Troop finances (financial summary with some clarifying questions when applicable and uploading of two bank statements)

The information reported by your troop will provide insight that will assist GSGLA (volunteers and staff) in ensuring that troops have the information and access of resources needed to successfully facilitate the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, while also meeting the troop financial reporting requirements.

Please note, the Annual Troop Year-End Report must be submitted via the Troop Year-End eForm by June 30 of each year, and troops are required to submit annually to participate in any money earning activities.

To preview questions asked and to assist in gathering information prior to the troops submission, please see the Annual Troop Year-End Report.

FAQs

Questions? Contact Customer Care via email at customercare@girlscoutsla.org or by phone at 213-213-0123.