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Girl Scouts Seal of Ohio Council Inc

EIN 31-4379475 · Columbus, OH

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood75 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • Raising each dollar of donations cost 51 cents.

These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.

What it says it does

TO BUILD GIRLS OF COURAGE, CONFIDENCE, AND CHARACTER WHO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE THROUGH INFORMAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO HELP GIRLS PUT INTO PRACTICE THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF THE GIRL SCOUT MOVEMENT.

Income
$10.0 million
Spending
$8.9 million
Spent on programs
86%
Reserves
17.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
other income, 68%
Employees
175
Volunteers
4,620
Highest pay
$226,225, president & ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 17.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 11% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 18% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    0 of 15

    86% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 51 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    19 of 19 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $6.3 million spent. PROGRAM AND BADGE PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED TO OUR MEMBERS, WHICH ARE SUPPLEMENTED BY THE FINANCIAL LITERACY AND ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAM PROVIDED FOR BY OUR COOKIE AND FALL PRODUCT PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION TO 43,000 BADGE PROGRAMS THAT GIRLS PARTICIPATED IN DURING THE YEAR, THERE ARE ANOTHER 20,000 PROGRAMMATIC EXPERIENCES RANGING FROM STEM, HEALTHY LIVING, OUTDOOR, COMMUNITY SERVICE, CREATIVE ARTS AND LIFE SKILLS PROVIDED TO OUR MEMBERS. STEM IS A GROWING AREA OF INTEREST AMONGST THE GIRLS, WITH THE ADDITION OF OUR STEM CENTER. PROGRAMS INCLUDE NATURE/WETLANDS, FARM TO TABLE, CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY, AND SPACE, TO NAME A FEW. THERE WERE OVER 3,500 PARTICIPATING IN OUR STEM PROGRAMS, NEARLY 7700 PARTICIPATING IN OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING AND ANOTHER 3800 IN CREATIVE AND FINE ARTS PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE TYPICALLY HELD IN PERSON, WITH MOST OF THE OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING HELD AT OUR CAMPS. AS FOR OUR PRODUCT PROGRAMS, 7,820 GIRL SCOUTS PARTICIPATED IN THE 2025 COOKIE PROGRAM, SELLING JUST OVER 1,737,245 PACKAGES OF COOKIES. 52,030 PACKAGES WERE DONATED TO OPERATION SALUTE, AND DELIVERED TO MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES. OVER 2,600 GIRL SCOUTS PARTICIPATED IN THE FALL PRODUCT PROGRAM, SELLING MORE THAN 64,578 NUTS AND CANDY ITEMS, AND 4,803 MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS. THROUGH THESE PRODUCT PROGRAMS, GIRL SCOUTS LEARNED FIVE SKILLS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS IN LIFE GOAL SEEKING, DECISION MAKING, MONEY MANAGEMENT, PEOPLE SKILLS AND BUSINESS ETHICS.
  2. $298,971 spent. GIRL SCOUTS OF OHIO'S HEARTLAND COUNCIL SERVED 1,464 GIRLS IN DIVERSE COMMUNITIES THROUGH A VARIETY OF TARGETED SERIES PATHWAYS WITH THE SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THAT INCLUDED COMMUNITY CENTERS, SCHOOLS, YOUTH CAMPS AND YOUTH-CENTERED ORGANIZATIONS. SERIES PATHWAYS PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GIRLS TO BE INTRODUCED TO THE GIRL SCOUT EXPERIENCE THROUGH FOCUSING ON THE AREAS OF LEADERSHIP, TEAM-BUILDING, GIRL EMPOWERMENT, HEALTHY FRIENDSHIPS, EXPOSURE TO THE FIELD OF STEM, OUTDOOR EXPLORATION AND WAYS TO MAKE AN IMPACT IN THE WORLD.
  3. $1.1 million spent. VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT DEVELOPMENT, ENRICHMENT, SUPPORT AND RECOGNITIONS FOR OVER 4,000 DIRECT SERVICE VOLUNTEER MEMBERS. VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATE IN CORE REQUIRED COURSES FROM GSUSA IN ADDITION TO LOCAL COURSES: SAFETY ESSENTIALS, LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS, CPR/FIRST AID AND TROOP CAMP CERTIFICATION, PRODUCT PROGRAM TRAINING, TRAVEL TRAINING AND HIGHEST AWARDS TRAINING. THESE ARE DELIVERED FACE TO FACE, ONLINE, AND ONLINE FACILITATED. COURSE ARE OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE COUNCIL JURISDICTION. THE COURSES ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE ORGANIZATIONAL KNOWLEDGE (BOTH NATIONAL AND LOCAL) AND EDUCATE ABOUT THE GIRL SCOUT LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE. VOLUNTEERS HAVE ACCESS TO AN ONLINE TROOP MANAGEMENT PLATFORM (VOLUNTEER TOOLKIT) AND AN ON DEMAND VIRTUAL LEARNING PLATFORM (GSLEARN). VOLUNTEERS HAVE ACCESS TO OVER 300 ENRICHMENT COURSES THROUGH GSLEARN.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since June 1965.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.