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Tips for creating a great Gold Award proposal |
Start with something that YOU care about
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Resist the urge to "shop" for projects. The first step to a great Gold Award is identifying what it is that YOU care about the most. Not what other people tell you is a good idea.
Not what another Girl Scout in your troop did. Choose something that matters to YOU. Your Gold Award will take a lot of effort. If it isn't something you care about it will become a tedious chore. If it is something that ignites your passion, it still take effort, but it will be empowering. Click the button for self reflection questions to get you started. |
Make sure that you understand the difference between
Community Service and Take Action Projects
Community Service VS
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From Good to Gold
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Think you understand ?
Learn how to use smart planning (click for resources)
Avoid these common mistakes
Issue not clearly indentified
A Gold Award Project solves an issue in the community. This is why the first question in all the Gold Award Materials is "What is your issue?" not "What is your project?" You are on the right track if you can state your what your issue is in about five words without mentioning your project. Issue not clearly indentified
A Gold Award Project solves an issue in the community. This is why the first question in all the Gold Award Materials is "What is your issue?" not "What is your project?" You are on the right track if you can state your what your issue is in about five words without mentioning your project. No measurable goals 
Measurable goals have tangible results. How much, how many, how often – use numbers ! My team will educate 150 high school students about distracted driving. My team and I will conduct a city wide campaign to increase driving safety. My goal is to decrease the number of texting while driving accidents in my city by 20 percent. |
Too small in scope/impact
This is the most common. Think big ! Try to impact a large number of people in your community. Have multiple events or approaches. Involve more than one agency. Address the issue deeply in a lasting way. Do you think it will take at least 80 hours to accomplish your goals ? If not, how could you do more ? One Day Events
Setting up a single event. A Gold is meant to be solving a community problem. It is hard to have an impact with a one day event. Projects that pass with one day events are BIG events. Usually a series of events or monthly workshops will have greater impact & measurability. 
No Team or weak team It is not a solo venture, it is a leadership project. You are the boss ! Recruit a team to lead. A good team is a combination of adults from the agency you are partnered with and peers beyond your troop. |
Vague answers
Be as detailed as possible in the application. The reader should have a clear picture of everything you are planning. Fundraising
Girl Scouts are not allowed to raise money for other organizations. Weak plan for sustainability
Your project must keep going and it’s up to you to train someone to take over for you and they have to agree to do it. Starting a website or blog or handing off a notebook of instructions & relying on that for sustainability don't meet the sustainability requirement in GSOC. Websites, blogs, Instagram & Facebook & instruction manuals can be great tools to be used as part of a project, but a Gold Award Take action project is meant to be passed on train someone to take over for you and they have to agree to do it. |
Community Service
Collections are a onetime fix (no matter how many times done and considered community service. A collection can be part of your Gold, but not the whole award.
Fix /Build /Beautify It projects
A Gold Award is required to educate & inspire. Just fixing things up or planting a garden is community service. Nice, but not addressing an issue.
Using a garden you planted as a tool to be used as part of a program to train about planting drought resistant gardens or as a permanent food source for a shelter would give it Gold potential.
Fix /Build /Beautify It projects
A Gold Award is required to educate & inspire. Just fixing things up or planting a garden is community service. Nice, but not addressing an issue.
Using a garden you planted as a tool to be used as part of a program to train about planting drought resistant gardens or as a permanent food source for a shelter would give it Gold potential.
What does a great Gold Award proposal look like ?
Sample Project Proposal from Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
Some of the standards may vary by council, but overall this is a good example.
Some of the standards may vary by council, but overall this is a good example.
