Brownie Give Back and Philanthropist Badges Activity Plan

Badge Purpose: When girls have earned these badges, they’ll know how businesses help others in need and how they can help others, too.

Planning Guides Link: Financial Literacy

Fun Patch Link: Helping Out

Activity Plan Length: 1.5 hours Resources

•   This activity plan has been adapted from the Brownie Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting Give Back and Philanthropist Badges, which can be used for additional information and activities.

Activity #1: Giving Back Looks Like… Badge Connection: Give Back Step 1 – Find out about businesses that give back and Philanthropist Step 1 – Learn what every person needs Time Allotment: 25 minutes Materials Needed:

•   “Giving Back Looks Like” cards

•   Poster board

•   Markers

•   Tape Steps:

1.   Ask girls if they know the definition of philanthropist.

•   Philanthropist is a big word for someone who makes sure that people have what they need.

2.   Philanthropists can be individuals or businesses. List some examples you know of business that give back to their communities.

3.   Ask girls to call out things that people need. Write them on the poster board. Discuss whether the girls are calling out are needs or wants.

4.   Tell girls that there are several different ways people and businesses/organizations can give back. For example, the United Way has many volunteers within the community. Other companies may donate items such as food or school supplies to people in need.

5.   Distribute cards to girls. One at a time, ask each girl to describe how her card shows giving back and to match it to one of the needs written on the board and tape it next to it. If she can’t match it to a need, tape it in a separate area. If it matches more than one need, she can choose one to tape it by.

6.   Once girls have used up all of the cards, ask if they have done any of the things represented on the poster. Ask girls to share their experiences giving back and how it felt. Remind them that every girl can be a philanthropist!

Activity #2: Which Organizations Help People in Need? Badge Connection: Philanthropist Steps 2-4 – Find out how to help people who are hungry, who need clothing, and who are in emergencies Time Allotment: 15 minutes Materials Needed:

•   Items to distribute to the girls to represent donations, 1 per girl. Examples include: o   Canned food item o   Boxed food item o   Shirt o   Coat o   Blanket o   Bottle of water o   Flashlight

•   3 bags such as grocery bags Steps:

1.   Distribute items to girls and ask them what they are used for. 2.   Ask if there is something else they can do with their item. Can they donate it? 3.   Explain that there are organizations which directly help people in need. Philanthropists can give

to these organizations. Ask girls if they know which organizations in their community could use their items.

4.   Tell the girls about how the Red Cross organization helps people in emergencies. 5.   Tell them about two nonprofits you know about (research if necessary) and what they do. 6.   Ask girls to get into groups according to which organization they’d donate their item to. 7.   Have each group place their items in a bag, then role play bringing their donations to the

community organization. Activity #3: Community Improvement Survey and Snack Chat Badge Connection: Give Back Steps 2-4 – Set a goal, Involve your customers and Practice giving back and Philanthropist Step 5 – Think and act! like a philanthropist Time Allotment: 20 minutes Materials Needed:

•   Community Improvement Survey

•   Poster board or whiteboard

•   Markers

•   Healthy snack Steps:

1.   Now that the girls have learned about giving back, it’s time to think about their own community. While eating snack, ask the girls about how they think their community could be improved and write their ideas on the poster or whiteboard.

2.   Once the girls have generated a few ideas, have them narrow it down to the top five. This can be done through process of elimination, focusing on what’s realistic or doable, or voting.

3.   Have the girls write the top five ideas on their surveys under the Community Improvement Ideas column. For each idea, discuss whether the troop will give money from their cookie proceeds,

give their time, or give items that are needed. 4.   Explain that they will take this sheet with them when they sell cookies in the community. They will

ask customers what they think is the most important community improvement idea. They may also ask their family, friends, neighbors and teachers. Show girls how to make tally marks in the voting column of the survey. Girls can make their first tally mark by choosing for themselves which project they like best.

5.   Ask girls to bring back their surveys to the next meeting and share what their customers said. Tally the votes as a whole to decide what should be the troop’s way to give back to the community.

Activity #4: Thank You Cards Badge Connection: Give Back Step 5 – Tell your cookie customers how they helped Time Allotment: 15 minutes Materials Needed:

•   Copies of Cookie Thank You cards

•   Cardstock

•   Markers or pens

•   Stickers Steps:

1.   Have girls decorate thank-you cards to give to their customers when they sell cookies. 2.   Inside of each card, ask girls to write a brief note.

More to Explore

•   Field Trip Ideas o   Practice giving back by volunteering in your local community. o   Visit a local non-profit organization and learn how they work to make a difference in

the community. o   Participate in a cookie booth as a troop and involve customers in your giving back plans.

•   Speaker Ideas o   Invite an older Girl Scout troop to share how they have used their troop cookie money to

help their community. o   Invite a representative of a non-profit organization to tell the troop how they help people

in the community

Customize It!: If your group wants to expand work on these badges or simply try different activities, go for it! There are many ways to earn this award, including: Completing the activities as listed in the Brownie Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting, completing two of these activity plans, attending a council-sponsored event or customizing activities. Pick the one(s) that work best for your group. Girls will know they have earned the award if:

•   They have learned about businesses that give back

•   They have learned about how they can give back

•   They have discovered ways to give back using cookie money Family Follow-Up Email Use the email below as a template to let families know what girls did at the meeting today. Feel free to add additional information, including:

•   When and where you will be meeting next

•   What activities you will do at the next meeting

•   Family help or assistance that is needed

•   Supplies or materials that girls will need to bring to the next meeting

•   Reminders about important dates and upcoming activities

Hello Girl Scout Families:

We had a wonderful time today learning about different ways to help others, including how we can use our cookie money to help others. We have earned our Give Back and Philanthropist badges. We had fun:

•   Learning various ways to give back to the community

•   Deciding ways we might want to use our cookie money to help others

•   Preparing a customer survey to use during our cookie sales

•   Preparing cards to thank our customers Continue the fun at home:

•   Discuss how you can help others together and how your Girl Scout can help out at home.

•   Look through the Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting with your Brownie to find other activities you can try at home.

Thank you for bringing your Brownie to Girl Scouts!

This activity plan was adapted from Girl Scouts River Valleys.

Giving Back Looks Like…

-Community Improvement Survey-

Community Improvement Ideas Votes

©2013 Girl Scouts River Valleys 1313