Girl Scouts of West Central Florida Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
- Income
- $9.8 million
- Spending
- $10.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 81%
- Reserves
- 14.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- other income, 70%
- Employees
- 189
- Volunteers
- 4,711
- Highest pay
- $192,895, chief executive officer
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: 88 out of 100.
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 14.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1581% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 31 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.
Independent board
25 of 2521 of 21 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports 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)
- $5.0 million spent. In fiscal year 2025 (ending September 30, 2025), Girl Scouts of West Central Florida (GSWCF) served 19,028 members (11,551 girls in grades K-12; 7517 adults/volunteers) across Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sumter counties. Our reach was impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which occurred at the peak of our membership recruitment season in Fall 2024. We estimated a loss of 1,000+ girls in Girl Scouts as a result of the timing of these storms and the impact within our communities preventing our school- and community-based recruitment strategies. This loss impacted our program revenue to include our entrepreneur programs (i.e., Fall Sweets & Treats Product Program and Cookies), our retail revenue and camp programs. Through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience-delivered in small, supportive troops and reinforced by council-wide programs-girls build confidence, character, and lifelong skills in an environment designed specifically for them. Girl Scout troops provide a powerful foundation for belonging, mentorship, and girl-led decision-making, while access to broader council programs expands each girl's opportunities to explore, lead, and achieve. Across four core program pillars-STEM, outdoors, life skills, and entrepreneurship-girls engage in hands-on experiences such as coding and robotics, environmental stewardship and camping, civic engagement and community service, and financial literacy through the Girl Scout Cookie Program. These experiences help girls develop a strong sense of self, seek challenges, build healthy relationships, and solve real-world problems. The need for Girl Scouts' programming remains significant in Florida. Data from the 2024 Florida Girl Scout Report highlights persistent gaps in access to leadership development, particularly for girls in under-resourced communities, as well as continued underrepresentation of women in STEM careers statewide. At the same time, girls report rising levels of stress, anxiety, and social pressure-underscoring the importance of safe, supportive environments like Girl Scouts. We train our volunteers (adult members) to be equipped to address girls' unique needs and support their passions. The impact is clear. Research from the Girl Scout Research Institute shows that Girl Scouts are more likely than their peers to demonstrate leadership, achieve strong academic outcomes, and aspire to higher education and careers in high-demand fields such as STEM and business. In West Central Florida, Girl Scouts are not only building skills-they are building resilience, expanding their vision for the future, and contributing meaningfully to their communities. Through accessible, high-quality programming and a strong network of volunteers and supporters, GSWCF continues to meet a critical need-ensuring that every girl has the opportunity to discover her strengths, realize her potential, and make the world a better place.
- $840,491 spent. Grant-funded Community Troops ensure that Girl Scouting is accessible to girls who could otherwise be left out. In fiscal year 2025, 2,289 girls-20% of GSWCF's membership-participated at no cost through troops intentionally placed in schools, community centers, parks and recreation centers, Boys & Girls Clubs, places of worship, and other centers in underserved areas. Philanthropic support removes financial barriers and provides consistent access to the full Girl Scout Leadership Experience, including badge work, the Cookie Program, and targeted social-emotional skill building. The return on this investment is measurable and meaningful. Girls in Community Troops demonstrate increased confidence, stronger communication and relationship skills, improved academic engagement, and fewer disciplinary incidents. Just as importantly, they gain trusted GSWCF staff mentors and a vision for their future. Funder support makes this life-changing access possible-ensuring that every girl, regardless of circumstance, can build the skills and support system she needs to thrive.
- $2.3 million spent. Outdoor education is a cornerstone of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience at Girl Scouts of West Central Florida (GSWCF), where girls build confidence, resilience, and real-world skills across four camp properties-Camp Dorothy Thomas (Riverview), Camp Wildwood (Wildwood), Camp Wai Lani (Palm Harbor), and Camp Indian Echo (New Port Richey). Each year, Girl Scouts and volunteers deliver nearly 50,000 unique outdoor experiences, and GSWCF camps welcome more than 10,000 visitors through troop camping, council-led programs, community partnerships, and summer resident camps. In Summer 2025 alone, more than 750 Girl Scouts participated in summer camp experiences.Each camp offers distinctive, skill-building opportunities. Camp Indian Echo and Camp Wai Lani feature marine labs and water-based education, including environmental education and open water experiences such as paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing. Camp Wildwood offers an equestrian program and a homestead program that teaches responsibility, animal care, and sustainable living. Camp Indian Echo also features immersive adventure elements including treehouses, a ropes course, and a big swing, while Camp Wai Lani and Camp Dorothy Thomas offer challenge courses that build confidence, teamwork, safety and risk management skills. Across all properties, girls engage in archery and ax-throwing, as well as arts and STEM learning in nature, connecting creativity and critical thinking with hands-on environmental experiences.Through these programs, girls develop essential soft skills such as teamwork, communication, adaptability, and problem-solving, alongside employable skills including leadership, decision-making, goal setting, and independence. At the same time, they build environmental literacy and stewardship through direct interaction with Florida's diverse ecosystems.In fall 2024, all four camp properties sustained significant impacts from hurricanes, resulting in approximately $1.2 million in damage and forcing a three-month closure. Thanks to extraordinary community support and the dedication of staff and volunteers, camps safely reopened in early 2025-despite substantial revenue loss and recovery costs-ensuring girls could once again access these transformative outdoor experiences.
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
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.
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 November 6, 2026.
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.
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.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1979.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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 November 4, 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.