When you think of who benefits from Paycheck Protection Program funds, you probably think of small businesses: restaurants, independent retailers, and construction companies. But certain nonprofit organizations are eligible for the funds, too — including the Girl Scouts of Alaska.
While the rest of the country is worried about shortages of toilet paper, flour, and possibly meat, Alaska is dealing with a rather tasty glut of Girl Scout cookies. About 144,000 unsold boxes are piling high in family garages, storage sheds, or wherever else there’s extra space. But unsold boxes mean unrealized revenue, so the Girl Scouts of Alaska faced a funding shortfall. It’d either have to cut the wages of its 20 full-time employees or the camps and scholarships it provides to 3,500 scouts.
But the PPP program came to the rescue, saving the council from having to make cuts. Assuming the council keeps its employees on board for at least eight weeks, the loan will be fully forgiven by the government.
Now, the council is trying to adjust to the new reality, providing scouts with virtual training and classes to keep them engaged in scouting. The girls even have a new COVID-19 badge to work on that teaches them how to practice good hygiene.
Even though it may seem like the Girl Scouts of Alaska is unique, one Girl Scouts of the USA official says otherwise. He told VICE: “Many, many other councils have pursued [Small Business Administration] loans —this is why each council is a small business, consisting of far fewer than 500 employees, and this is why applying for a PPP loan is hardly unique to the Alaska council.”
In the meantime, people hoping to support the Girl Scouts can still buy cookies online and get them shipped to their doorstep. Some people are even making big purchases and donating them to essential workers and people in need.
But those cookies are delivered from the continental United States. So, if Alaska reopens before those 144,000 boxes of Thin Mints, Samoas, and Do-si-dos expire, the Alaskan Girl Scouts will have plenty of willing customers ready to get their fix.
