Around this time of year, Girl Scouts start setting up in front of markets to pressure patrons into buying their overpriced cookies. Have you ever wondered where the profits go? Did you ever think about the amount of money the CEO of Girl Scouts is making?

According to the Girl Scout’s website, about 40% of the profits go towards programming, 25% go to the production of cookies, 10% go towards rewards for selling, 15% go to the properties, and 10% go to the troop. Less than half of the cookies’ profits go directly back to the troops that sold them, and the rest is received by the national program. However, all those categories seem very vague and nondescript. Where is the money really going?

About 65% of girls actually sell the cookies. The other 35% do not participate, but still receive the benefits of the fundraiser. Due to most of the profit being put back into the national program, all the girls get some reward even if they did not spend countless hours selling cookies.

Although the Girl Scout’s website states that none of the cookie profits provide salaries for the National Girl Scout program employees, the CEO somehow makes a large salary. The New York Post reported that the CEO, Anna Maria Chavez, earned around $400,000 in 2010. It is easy to infer that a portion of the profit from cookie sales is going towards the CEO’s salary and not towards the troops.

Unpaid child labor is another issue with the cookie sales. The Washington Times quoted a Girl Scout mom who stated, “They do use unpaid child labor to make their sales, and the troop only gets 10 percent of the revenues anyway.” It is a bad sign when a mother involved in the program explains to customers the flaws of the sales. She also confirms that for all the work the young girls put into the program they only get 10% back.

The Girl Scout website claims that parents are to sell cookies with the girls for safety reasons. However, this is not evident when buying a box of cookies. When you pass by their table, the Girl Scout asks if you want to buy a box, but the mom is the one handling the money and giving you the box. The girls provide the irresistible, cute face, but they do not contribute anything else to the selling process. Business ethics is one of the benefits the Girl Scouts program claims selling cookies promotes, but the mothers are the ones who really sell them.

As you can see, Girl Scout cookie sales are a scam. The troops receive a small portion of the revenue. The moms are the ones selling the cookies, and the girls are used for unpaid child labor. You can now decide for yourself whether these cookies are worth it.