Girl Scout council launches crowdfunding effort ‘ForEVERYGirl’
The Washington nonprofit group recently returned a donation of $100,000 after being told not to use it to support transgender girls. The campaign launched in its stead has now raised more than $250,000.
The council was given a $100,000 anonymous donation this spring, but in May, Girl Scouts cleared up its policy on transgender participants. The policy now states that “if the child is recognized by the family and school/community as a girl and lives culturally as a girl, then Girl Scouts is an organization that can serve her in a setting that is both emotionally and physically safe.”
The change prompted the benefactors to follow up with the Girl Scouts with a note saying, “Please guarantee that our gift will not be used to support transgender girls. If you can’t, please return the money.”
Queen Anne Girl Scouts of Western Washington CEO Megan Ferland told Seattle Met that she was “very sad” to receive the letter, and decided to return the $100,000 gift. “Girl Scouts is for every girl,” she told the Met. “And every girl should have the opportunity to be a Girl Scout if she wants to.”
Ferland decided to start an IndieGoGo campaign to replace the money that was lost, using the hashtag #ForEVERYgirl along with this inspiring video:
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