by Davia Temin, First Vice Chair of the Board of Girl Scouts of the USA, and Chair of Fund Development
Originally posted on Forbes.com

How much is a girl worth? Soon we will be able to say, “it starts at a billion dollars, and goes up from there!” This Saturday, November 12th, Girl Scouts of the USA launched our $1 Billion 100th Anniversary Campaign for girls, designed to help every girl in America who wants to be a Girl Scout afford to do so.

Here is an excerpt from my remarks at the formal launch at Girl Scouts’ 100th Anniversary Convention in Houston, following a discussion among thousands of girls and adult volunteers about their dreams for how funding the Girl Scout movement could help the world become a better place.

“Good morning Girl Scouts! So, this is what our 100th Anniversary Campaign is all about: making our — making YOUR — dreams come alive. It is about helping every girl in America who wants to be a Girl Scout afford to join, regardless of her family’s ability to pay a fee. It is about thinking big, and embracing our power to fund the movement. It is about taking the culture of philanthropy for girls and women to a new level in this country, with Girl Scouts leading the way.

t is about building a base of funding upon which to anchor our aspirations, our dreams for what Girl Scouting can be in our next century.

And it is about showing the world just how much a girl is worth!  And that starts at a billion dollars, and goes up from there!

We have been working on, envisioning this breakthrough campaign for the last three years — privately, at Fund Development meetings and National Board Meetings, and with Council Board Chairs and CEOs …and now it is our delight to talk with all of you.

When I first brought up the 100th Anniversary Campaign goal upon being named Vice Chair of the National Board and Fund Development Committee Chair three years ago, some people were saying that we wouldn’t even be able to raise $10 million!

Well, that was just not acceptable!  So we went back to the drawing board, hired some terrific strategic consultants, and came up with a breakthrough stretch strategy to count all funds raised country-wide over the course of the campaign, and therefore raise $1billion in total for Girl Scouting!  Not a bad ramp up, is it? Because, this IS our perfect time to make the case for Girl Scouts, for girls, and to set the standard for investing in girls and funding the movement! Our goal is nothing less than to transform the philanthropic landscape and create a lasting impact for girls — and for the world — through the collective power of the Girl Scout movement!

Our 100th Anniversary Campaign will give us the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to:

• Raise the much-needed funds to help Girl Scouts reach more and more girls across this country.
• Build the philanthropic capacity of the movement, at every level.
• Transform the funding environment for girls and women countrywide, and worldwide.
• Reconnect with our over 50 million alumnae.

Unlike capital campaigns that aim to raise significant dollars for a specific project, our 100th Anniversary Campaign is a comprehensive campaign. That means it will count all philanthropic revenue across the movement — to Councils and GSUSA alike, over the course of the campaign — towards raising and surpassing our goal of $1 billion for the movement.

This is NOT a traditional campaign.  It is not just an annual funding drive.  It is not just a multi-year capital campaign. It is not just a corporate or foundation campaign, it is all of these things…and more.

During this campaign we will call on everyone — individuals, families, corporations, foundations, governments — everyone — to make girls a philanthropic priority, both with significant, aspirational gifts and grants, and with grassroots participation.

With our “count everything” approach, we will be able to count all funds raised from every source over the period of the campaign, as part of our CAMPAIGN FOR GIRLS.

Our specific goals include:

1. Expanding leadership opportunities for girls in areas that fill critical talent gaps, including finance, science, technology, and the environment;
2. Reaching more girls – especially in underserved communities;
3. Developing volunteers to ensure high-quality program delivery; and
4. Transforming our spaces and facilities to enhance the leadership learning experience.

So, how does this sound to you?

Can we show the world how much girls, and Girl Scouting, are worth?   YES!

Can we raise money to bring our dreams to life?  YES!

Can we lead the transformation of philanthropy for girls? YES!

Can we fund our next century?  YES!

Are you on board?  YES!!

Fabulous…it will be an epic journey! And I look forward to joining you all on it!”