2023 Annual Report
Letter from the President and CEO
It is with immense pride and gratitude that we present to you our annual report for the year 2023, highlighting the remarkable achievements of our Girl Scouts across Kentucky's Wilderness Road.
Throughout the past year, our Girl Scouts have excelled in various areas, particularly in career exploration, confidence building, and leadership development. These accomplishments are a testament to the dedication, resilience, and passion of our girls, volunteers, and supporters.
Our commitment to providing girls with opportunities for career exploration and development was evident in the diverse range of programs and initiatives offered throughout the year. From workshops and mentorship programs to hands-on experiences and internships, our Girl Scouts had the chance to explore a wide array of career paths and gain valuable insights into their interests and aspirations. Whether they were discovering the wonders of STEM fields, exploring the arts, or delving into entrepreneurship, our girls embraced these opportunities with enthusiasm and determination, laying the foundation for their future success in the workforce.
One of the cornerstones of the Girl Scout experience is building confidence and self-esteem, and our girls demonstrated incredible resilience and courage in this regard. Through outdoor adventures, leadership activities, and community service projects, our Girl Scouts challenged themselves, pushed their boundaries, and discovered the strength and resilience within themselves. Whether they were conquering their fears on a high ropes course, speaking up for causes they believe in, or leading their peers with grace and confidence, our girls proved that they are capable of achieving anything they set their minds to.
Leadership is at the heart of everything we do at Girl Scouts, and our girls showcased their leadership skills and abilities in countless ways throughout the year. From serving as troop leaders and mentors to organizing and leading community service projects, our Girl Scouts demonstrated their commitment to making a positive difference in the world. Whether they were advocating for social justice, environmental conservation, or equality and inclusion, our girls showed that they are not just the leaders of tomorrow but the leaders of today, capable of effecting meaningful change in their communities and beyond.
As we look ahead to the future, We are filled with excitement and optimism for what lies ahead for our Girl Scout community. With your continued support and dedication, we will continue to empower girls to reach their full potential, pursue their passions, and make the world a better place.
Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our Girl Scout movement and for your role in shaping our Girl Scout leaders.
Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road serves communities in 66 counties in northern, central, and eastern Kentucky and 1 county in Ohio. We are fully dedicated to sharing the Girl Scout leadership experience with all girls – regardless of background, geography, or financial situation – so they may reach their fullest potential.
We believe that girls built with Girl Scouts’ guiding principles of courage, confidence, and character make the world a better place.
Board of Directors
October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2023
Spirit of Girl Scouting Award Recipient, Katy Chumbley receives her scholarship!
2023 Girl Scouts of the USA GoGold Scholarship Recipient, Kayla Hawkins
Every box of Girl Scout Cookies, tin of candy,and magazine supports both girl initiatives and our local communities – and helps the next generation of female leaders develop skills in goal setting, money management, and business ethics. Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road is incredibly proud of the dedication, hard work, and savvy skills of all the girls that participated in 2023 Girl Scout Product Programs.
Through the Fall Product and Cookie Programs, more than 3000 our girls were resourceful and fully committed to the entrepreneurial spirit Girl Scouts Financial Literacy programs. Thank you to everyone who supported the next generation of female leaders and the opportunities that Product earnings make possible.
- Over $713,000 earned in Troop Cookie Proceeds
- $354,418 total gross Fall Product Program proceeds - an 18% increase!
- 768,983 boxes of cookies sold with over $615,000 total troop proceeds
- 49,248 packages of cookies and fall product were sold through Direct Ship/Ecommerce
- 277 boxes sold per girl - an 8% increase!
Congratulations to the Cookie Entrepreneurs who sold more than 1,000 boxes!
CEO, Susan Douglas with 2023 Top Cookie Seller, Sophia Cruz
165 girls sold more than 1,000 boxes! 
Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road enjoyed a wonderful year in the out of doors at our Erlanger Property, Camp Judy Layne , and Camp Shawano hosting 427 curious campers.
Camp Judy Layne safely welcomed resident campers who hiked, swam, canoed, rappelled, and spelunked. Camp Shawano and Licking Valley Day Camp on the Erlanger Property hosted two weeks of day campers. Every day at camp was filled with adventure – creating confidence and capability for every camper.
For more than a century, Girl Scouts’ pillar programs have provided educational and exciting experiences for girls to explore, discover, create, experiment, and wonder - and have fun!
Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road responded to girls’ continued interests and utilized the assets of its camps and open spaces to provide outdoor as well as virtual programs, creating accessible spaces to bring Girl Scout programming to girls. GSKWR’s program team continued its patch-earning opportunities and badge workshops through 257 council-led programs and 113 partner-led programs.
The Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards are presented to Junior, Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador girls who display leadership while engaging in projects that benefit their communities. Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road is confident that these remarkable young women will continue to lead among their peers and throughout their lives with true courage, confidence, and character.
Seven remarkable Girl Scouts were recognized in March 2023 for their Gold Award projects. Our Gold Award Girl Scouts spent more than 1000 hours creating, renovating, developing programming and, most of all, implementing sustainable and lasting impacts in our communities. Our Girl Scouts changed the world.
2023 Bronze & Silver Award Girl Scouts
HIGHEST AWARDS
Thank you to our generous contributors who made an investment in girls in fiscal year 2023 by supporting Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road. We celebrate our partnership and thank you for giving Girl Scouts adventure opportunities and leadership experiences.
The gifts below were made between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023.
Gift Key: Board Member^ | Staff Member* | Troop1912+
$10,000+
$5,000-$9,999
$2.500-$4,999
$1,000-$2,499
$500-$999
$250-$499
$100-$249
Up to $100
Juliette Gordon Low Society
Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road gratefully acknowledges all donors who have invested in girls with their generous donations in our 2023 fiscal year. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information. Please contact the Fund Development Department at 859.293.2621 to bring any inaccuracies or omissions to our attention.
2022-2023 Financial Position
The condensed statements of financial position and activities have been summarized from the audited financial statements.
The audited financial statements are available for inspection upon request.
