Fall Product Program

Through the Fall Product Program girls practice entrepreneurship through the sale of quality nuts, candies, chocolates, magazines (digital, print, and renewals), organic vegetable kits, gift cards, donation opportunities, and new this season: Tervis tumblers and specialty candles! Girls also develop key life skills including goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics.

By participating in this program, girls are able to earn funds and plan the adventures of their dreams early in the membership year! Please note that participation in both the Fall Product and Cookie Programs is necessary for troops wanting to conduct additional fundraising throughout the year.

Service Unit and Troop Volunteer Incentives

Service Unit

Support the Fall Product Program by volunteering as a Service Unit Fall Product Program Mentor (SUFPPM). Volunteers in this role will provide troops with support and materials throughout the program. Email your troop number to customercare@gsema.org if you need to be introduced to your SUFPPM.

Service units that have a SUFPPM by Sunday, July 29, have the opportunity to earn $20 for each participating troop that generates $750 or more in total sales. Checks will be mailed to the SUFPPM in December 2018 to be used for troop participation in service unit programs and events!

Troop

Troop Fall Product Program Coordinators (TFPPC) can earn a customizable patch via MyPatchCreation, just like girls! When a troop sells $350 in online sales, the TFPPC will receive an email from Unify to customize a patch. Completed patches will be shipped to TFPPCs.

New this year, TFPPC’s can earn a personalized T-shirt, just like girls! When the troop reaches $1,000 in sales, the TFPPC will receive an email from Unify with a certificate to redeem their T-shirt.

Key Dates

Sept 21	Online selling begins
Sept 28	In-person selling begins
Oct 22	Last day to register girls as Girl Scouts for Fall Product Program participation. Opt-Out Forms due for troops opting out of the recognition program. Troops that opt-out troops earn an additional 2% in proceeds for a total of 17% of each dollar.
Oct 25	Fall Product Program ends
Oct 26, 10 PM	Deadline for troops to enter orders into Unify
Nov 5	Deadline to provide magazine order forms (white copy) to Service Unit Fall Product Program Mentors (SUFPPM) Balance due to the council will be debited from troop bank accounts
Nov 12 (week of)	Nuts and candy delivered to SUFPPMs Recognitions delivered to SUFPPMs
Nov 17-18	SUFPPMs contact troops to pick up nut and candy orders and distribute recognitions. Please pick up and deliver orders to customers before Thanksgiving on Nov 22.

Troop Participation

1. Designate one adult Girl Scout member as the troop’s Fall Product Program Coordinator. They will facilitate the program for the troop and support the girls in their sales. They must accept this role by submitting an online Volunteer Agreement Form, and will then receive the login credentials for the Fall Product Program database, Unify.

2. The troop treasurer (or an adult Girl Scout member authorized to do so) must complete the online Troop Bank Account Form. This form must be completed annually, and when you complete the form the Fall Product Program, is will also be valid for the Cookie Program.

3. Retrieve program materials from the Service Unit Fall Product Program Mentor (SUFPPM). Please email your troop number to Customer Care if you need to be introduced to your SUFPPM.

4. Support girls throughout the program:

Discuss plans and goals for earning and investing troop proceeds. Setting goals is one of the most important steps!
Review online and in-person selling opportunities, and important dates.
Keep parents informed on why participation is so beneficial for girls and what troop proceeds will be used toward.

Check out the Entrepreneurship and Life Skills badges in the Volunteer Toolkit! Both can be earned through Fall Product Program participation.

Fall Product Program Online

Troop Fall Product Program Coordinators (TFPPC) will have access to Unify, the program database, once they’ve completed and submitted the TFPPC Volunteer Agreement Form and Troop Bank Account Form. Unify login information will be emailed directly from GirlScout-sale@qspgao.com.

Troops log in to Unify to place orders and choose recognitions. Girl Scouts and caregivers will receive an email to get started with selling online from GirlScout-sale@qspgao.com. (If you didn’t receive this email, enter your email address into Unify.)

Support and Training Webinars

The What, Why, and How of the Fall Product Program (6 mins)
Getting Started in the Fall Product Program (6 mins)
Girl, Troop, and Service Unit Recognitions (4 mins)
Final Steps for the Fall Product Program (7 mins)

Unify Database Guides:

Finances

Fall Product Program payments are made online through troop bank accounts. This season there will be a single debit to your troop bank account on November 5, 2018. If you are establishing a new troop, you will need to set up account and submit a Troop Bank Account Form.

In the event that someone doesn’t pay for the products they have picked up, you can submit a Delinquent Payment Form. Your troop will not be responsible for the debt once you have submitted this form.

Volunteers can reference the Money Handling and Financial Procedures for gathering customer payments and managing troop payments.

Troops that sell exclusively online will receive proceeds at the close of the program. Payment to troops will be made by check. Troop net proceed calculations for both online and in-person sales are available in Unify.

Resources and Forms

For Selling:
Fall Product Program Caregiver Information
Troop Envelope
Product Order Sheet

Volunteer Information:
Troop Fall Product Program Coordinator Description and Agreement
Service Unit Fall Product Program Mentors List
Fall Product Program Rally Guide
Team App Download Instructions
Unify Database Guide for SUFPPMs
Unify Database Guide for TCCs
Unify Database Guide for Caregivers/Girls

Product Information:
Organic Veggies FAQ
Tervis Tumbler FAQ
Scented Candles FAQ

Finances:
Troop Bank Account Form
Delinquent Payment Form
GSEMA Money Handling and Financial Procedures

Recognitions:
Girl Recognitions
Recognitions Opt-Out Form
All About Guide Dogs Patch Program Guide
Crossover Program Patch

Community Caring Program:
Community Caring Program Information
Community Caring Receipts

For Individually Registered Members (IRMs):
Welcome Letter

Troop Proceeds and Incentives

Troops earn 15% of every dollar of product sold. When troops choose to opt-out of participation in the recognition program, they will earn an additional 2% per item sold for total earnings of 17% of each dollar sold. Daisies and Brownies are not eligible to opt-out.

In order to opt-out of the recognitions program, all of the girls in the troop must agree and sign and submit the Opt-out Form by October 22, 2018.

Girl Recognitions

Each season we invite girls to participate in selecting the items in the recognitions program. This season’s recognitions include patches and the returning favorites: T-shirts and plushes!

When girls register and create their own online shopping sites within Unify, they will begin the process of building their personalized Service Dog patch via MyPatchCreation. As girls make progress and complete more program activities, they will unlock personalization features for their dog. They earn their personalized patch when they reach $150 in online sales. This patch will be mailed directly to the girl’s address on file with the council. Girls can also earn the NEW exciting personalized T-shirt once they reach $250 in online sales.

Girls earn a Super Seller patch and a Lucy the Service Dog charm by:

Selling 18+ QSP items (magazines/vegetable kits/tumblers/candles)
Selling 50+ nuts and candy items
Receiving 5+ Community Caring donations

Girls can also qualify for the 2018-19 Crossover Program patch by selling five items in the Fall Product Program and 25 packages in the Cookie Program. Girls who earn this patch will receive it in the spring of 2019, at the end of the Cookie Program.

Nut Donation Program (Community Caring)

The Fall Product Program incorporates a way for customers to support Girl Scouts by making donations of honey roasted peanuts ($6) to local charitable organizations. Girls can collect Community Caring orders on the order card and online. Girls also earn a special patch for collecting three or more Community Caring orders. Girls may provide customers with receipts.

Last year, GSEMA Girl Scouts donated 1,720 cans of honey roasted peanuts to local charitable organizations!