Executive Compensation at the Girl Scouts (2023)

The Girl Scouts of the United States of America (Girl Scouts) is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501 (c) (3) based in New York, NY. With more than 2.5 million members (an estimated 1.8 million girl members and about 700,000 member volunteers) the Girl Scouts works to build “courage, confidence, and character” in young girls.

There are 30 independent voting members (board members) of the governing body (board), although 43 are listed on the Form 990 (2022 for the year ending September 30, 2023) due to timing differences – 35 of the 43 (81%) listed are female while 8 of the 29 (19%) are male.

In 2023, the Girl Scouts reported total revenue of $116 million most of which came from membership dues ($39 million), contributions, gifts, and grants ($25 million), and sale of inventory ($22 million).

Expenses totaled $124 million (including $10 million in depreciation) with the largest expenses reported to be compensation ($46 million), office-related expenses ($25 million), and fees for services ($25 million of which $5 million is to Salesforce).

512  employees received $46 million  in compensation – or an average of $90,000 each (although the organization also spent $5 million with Salesforce in 2023).  166 employees received more than $100,000.  The most highly compensate employee was Sofia Chang, the former CEO (who was with the organization for just over a year) who received $805,541 in compensation.

The 12 most highly compensated employees were reported to be:

• $805,541:  Sofia Chang, CEO (thru 2/2023)
• $482,494:  Angela Olden, Chief Financial Officer
• $400,935:  Jocelyn Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer
• $389,411:  Wendy Lou, Chief Revenue Officer
• $384,157:  Maureen McNerney, Chief HR Officer
• $325,325:  Thomas Hassett, VP, GSM E-Commerce (thru 9/2022)
• $287,260:  Brian Crawford, VP, Licensing (thru 9/2022)
• $283,265:  Kenneth Distefano, Deputy Chief Financial Officer
• $258,254:  Philip Kagan, Executive, Former IT and Security Officer (thru 9/2022)
• $250,413:  Dianne Rieger, VP, Foundational Services
• $184,673:  Brandt Haynes, COO, Head of Transformation
• $178,519:  Amy Bodin, Former Chief Admin Officer (thru 6/2022)

Sylvia Acevedo, a former CEO who received $1.6 million in 2021 although she departed in August, 2020, received $330,000 in 2022.  From 2018-2022, Sylvia Acevedo received more than $3 million in compensation:

• 2022:  $  330,000
• 2021:  $1,576,925
• 2020:  $  732,132
• 2019:  $  598,527

The 10 most highly compensated employees received more than $9 million from 2018-2022:

Sofia Chang:  Total Compensation 2023:  $0.8 million

• 2023:  $805,541

Angela Olden:  Total Compensation 2018-2023:  $2.6 million

• 2023:  $482,494
• 2022:  $398,298
• 2021:  $452,193
• 2020:  $442,422
• 2019:  $428,006
• 2018:  $406,917

Jocelyn Johnson:  Total Compensation 2023:  $0.4 million

• 2023:  $400,935

Wendy Lou:  Total Compensation 2021-2023:  $0.9 million

• 2023:  $389,411
• 2022:  $293,249
• 2021:  $223,237

Maureen McNerney:  Total Compensation 2020-2023:  $1.3 million

• 2023:  $384,157
• 2022:  $318,094
• 2021:  $346,573
• 2020:  $279,922

Thomas Hassett:  Total Compensation 2023:  $0.3 million

• 2023:  $325,325

Brian Crawford:  Total Compensation 2018-2023:  $0.8 million

• 2023:  $287,260
• 2022:  Not Reported
• 2021:   Not Reported
• 2020:  Not Reported
• 2019: $263,828
• 2018:  $260,837

Kenneth DiStefano:  Total Compensation 2022-2023:  $0.6 million

• 2023:  $283,265
• 2022:  $265,893

Philip Kagan:  Total Compensation 2021-2023:  $0.8 million

• 2023:  $258,254
• 2022:  $246,198
• 2021:  $259,673

Dianne Rieger:  Total Compensation 2019-2023:  $0.7 million

• 2023:  $250,4113
• 2022:  Not Reported
• 2021:  Not Reported
• 2020:  $231,974
• 2019:  $235,702

As illustrated above, many of the most highly compensated employees are former employees who were employed by the organization in previous years or worked just part of the most recent year, which means there has been significant staff turnover.   7 of the 12 most highly compensated employees are female while 5 of the 12 are male (note: Gender is not disclosed on the Form 990; determinations were made based on name and google searches).

It is important to note the Girl Scouts had $188 million in net assets at the beginning of 2020.  In April, 2020 the Girl Scouts received $7.3 million as a payroll protection program (PPP) loan, which was accounted for as deferred revenue but was reclassified as grant revenue when the conditions for the loan were met and the loan forgiven by the Small Business Loan Administration in July, 2021.  In May, 2021, the Girl Scouts received a second PPP loan in the amount of $2 million which was treated as deferred revenue (and forgiven in 2022). By the end of 2021, net assets were $219 million – more than $30 million higher than before the pandemic.

In 2021-2022, the Girl Scouts experienced a different crisis that resulted from their investments.  In 2022, the Girl Scouts posted a $39 million deterioration in net assets due to unrealized losses on investments and pension losses, resulting in a decrease from $219 million at the beginning of the year to $181 million at the end of the year that was partially offset by $2 million in unspent revenue in 2022. It is important to note the Girl Scouts had $39 million in investments in Central America and the Caribbean at year-end.

In 2022-2023, there was a modest improvement in net assets which grew from $181 million to $187 million:  not because the organization spent less (expenses actually exceeded revenue by $8 million) but because the organization reported $13 million in unrealized gains and made a $2 million adjustment (a pension gain) to net assets.

The question begs:  Why  does a non-profit with more than $200 million in net assets get loans of $9 million loan from the government that will be forgiven? The organization could clearly absorb the costs of keeping their employees (as they were also able to pay for first class or charter travel and make gross up payments and provide tax indemnifications in 2020; note these expenses were discontinued in 2021). And, it is important to note the Girl Scouts had 80 less employees in 2021 than in 2020.

84  independent contractors received more than $100,000 in compensation with the five (5) highest reported to be:

• $5 million:  Salesforce, of San Francisco, CA for technical services (staffing)
• $3 million:  Venables Bell and Partners, of San Francisco, CA for marketing\
• $3 million:  UPS Mailing Innovations, of Atlanta, GA for mailing services
• $3 million:  Vision Integration Technologies, of Detroit, MI for IT development
• $2 million:  SAP Public Services, of Newton Square PA for technical services

To read the IRS Form 990 (2022 for the year ending September 30, 2023), click here.