Written By: Heather Hunter, Synergize, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Synergize’s monthly 4:30 Meetups are known for impacting a new nonprofit each month. For February, the group has partnered with Girl Scouts of Central Indiana. Synergize will be contributing the funds they raise to Girl Scouts’ financial assistance and upcoming programs.
Girl Scouts has been impacting girls and young women nationwide for over 100 years. The Central Indiana region alone serves over 19,000 girls each year. “Our goal is always to serve more of the population,” says Danielle Shockey, CEO. “There’s something in Girl Scouts for every girl.”
Despite school closures and gathering restrictions, Girl Scouts has continued to commit to that goal. By April of 2020, they were running virtual programs on a web platform called Girl Scouts at Home. The platform helped Girl Scouts earn badges and patches safely during the pandemic. It also brought them into online dialogue surrounding current events, like vaccine development.
“Because geography wasn’t a boundary, Girl Scouts in Indiana for example could sign up to learn how to hula dance from Girl Scouts in Hawai’i,” explained Shockey, a former Girl Scout herself. “There were some real bright spots in that pivot.”
Currently, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana is navigating a socially distanced cookie season. They’re offering cookie delivery through a Grubhub partnership that will run through the middle of March, with no fees until mid-February. By developing their own landing pages for cookie sales, individual Girl Scouts also get to work within digital platforms.
Although Girl Scouts’ programming looks different this year, volunteers can help in largely the same ways. The organization still needs financial assistance donations and camp volunteers. They also need subject matter experts to help provide content across their four pillars: STEM education, the outdoors, life skills, and entrepreneurship.
Even signing up for a small repeating donation can make an enormous impact on a Girl Scout. This year, given widespread job loss and school closures, the need is especially dire. “Five dollars a month – one less cup of coffee – will fund a girl’s year in Girl Scouts,” Shockey says. “The need isn’t new, but it has grown.”
“My favorite thing about partnering with Girl Scouts is the generational ripple that their impact makes,” said Arron Stanton, founder of Synergize. His relationship-building group hopes to provide as much financial aid as possible. “These girls will leave Girl Scouts determined to make their life impact the world, rather than believing life is determined by how the world impacts them.”
Synergize has themed February as their Month of Mentoring, inspired by the impact that Girl Scouts has on girls and young women. That impact is close to every employee and volunteer with Girl Scouts of Central Indiana. “We have a great opportunity to watch women grow up through this organization,” says Deana Potterf, Chief Membership and Marketing Officer. “And when they go off to college, we look at them and say, ‘This really does make a difference.’”
About Girl Scouts of Central Indiana
Girl Scouts is 2.5 million strong – 1.7 million girls and 750,000 adults who all believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ to change the world. Our extraordinary journey began more than 100 years ago with the original G.I.R.L., Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low. On March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, she organized the very first Girl Scout troop, and every year since, we’ve honored her vision and legacy, building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. We’re the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. And with programs from coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit girlscoutsindiana.org or call 317-924-6800.
About Synergize
Synergize is a Carmel-based group of business and community leaders who build lifelong friendships instead of business deals. Their members, who value authentic connection and community impact, live by the motto, “Relationships Over Everything.” Their only rule? No Jerks! To learn more about the Synergize movement, and their commitment to world-changing impacts, visit www.synergizeindy.com.