2023 Girl Scout Impact Report

FY23 Board of Directors Executive Officers Dawn L. Kotva, Board Chair Kimberly Hodge-Bell, 1st Vice Chair Jenny M. Bartlow, 2nd Vice Chair Vicki Dawkins, Secretary Mike Kiefer, Treasurer

Dear Girl Scouts, Supporters & Friends, Welcome to the 2023 Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Impact Report. 2023 was a monumental year for our organization and we are grateful for the determination and commitment of our staff and volunteers, appreciate the investment of our donors and community supporters and commend the many accomplishments of our more than 30,000 eastern Missouri members. In 2023, we began embarking on a journey towards significantly increasing the intentional and relevant support that the organization was providing our Girl Scout members throughout the span of their lives. Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri (GSEM) has become laser-focused on providing a well-rounded curriculum that not only focuses on traditional Girl Scouting activities, but also addresses the evolving and relevant needs of today’s girl. Through working collaboratively with our members, education, and community partners, we are building a stronger foundation to holistically support all Girl Scouts and their families in the areas of education, mentorship, professional skill building and socio-emotional support. GSEM was nationally recognized for their work in this area with the Bank of America Neighborhood Builders ® award for advancing economic mobility in St. Louis. The Neighborhood Builders ® program is one of the largest philanthropic investments into nonprofit leadership development in the nation and we are proud to be a part of this esteemed community. This commitment to our Girl Scouts today will equip them with skills needed to courageously navigate their future workplaces, academic, or military endeavors tomorrow. The organization is also making significant strides on providing promising students with the academic enrichment, social support and life skills needed to succeed in college and careers. As an example of this work, GSEM recently announced a new and historical collaboration with Missouri State University to make postsecondary education more accessible to the organization’s more than 25,000 girl members from rural, urban, and suburban communities across eastern Missouri. The new Missouri State University/Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri freshman scholarship is an annual renewable award of $2,000. We are honored by your continued support of the Girl Scout mission—our successes would not be possible without these community investments of time, talent and treasure. Thank you for helping us develop girls of courage, confidence, and character, who will make our world a better place.

Members-At-Large Laurel “Buff” Burkel Lisa Bell-Reim Michael Dozier Eric Eoloff Kalen Fumagalli Meghana Hebbar* Christine Iovaldi Julie Leverenz Keith Marty Sonni Nolan Thuy Vi Quach-Braig Jeff Steiner Anastasia Stevenson Mikayla Woods*

*Girl board members

Soar Higher,

Dr. Natissia Small, Ed.D. CEO, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

Dawn L. Kotva Board Chair, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

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