Girl Scouts turn down $100,000 gift after donor insists money cannot be used to help transgender girls
Group has launched fund-raising effort to make up for loss of cash
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It was a donation that startled the Girl Scouts of Western Washington.
But once they read the provision that was subsequently attached to it, officials realised they could not accept the $100,000 gift. Not a cent of it.
The donor had insisted that the money not be used to support transgender girls, so officials returned the donation.
“Girl Scouts is for every girl, and that is every girl regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion. Every girl is every girl,” Megan Ferland, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, told the Associated Press.
“It was a sad decision, but it was not a difficult decision. There was no way I would be put in a situation of refusing a girl participating because of a gift. It was really that quick.”
Ms Ferland said the donor gave the money a few months back. But in the middle of a a national discussion about gender rights and the Girl Scouts in the aftermath of the story of Caitlyn Jenner’s transgender journey, the donor wrote back.
To make up for the $100,000 they turned down – a quarter of what the group raises each year to help pay for the girls to go to camp and other take part in other activities, leaders launched a new fund-raising campaign.
“Help us raise back the $100,000 a donor asked us to return because we welcome transgender girls,” it said on its fundraising page on Indiegogo.com. By Tuesday afternoon, the campaign had already given more than $185,000.
“We are astounded,” Kate Dabe, the council’s vice president, told the news agency. “We were prepared for a 30-day campaign. We raised our goal in a day.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments