In 2000, Bonnie Barczykowski left a comfortable job and predictable paycheck to launch her own Curves franchise. Over 12 years, she honed her business knowledge as the franchise thrived. That experience set the groundwork for her eventual rise to chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, growing the organization’s endowment exponentially, driving participation, launching new programs and accelerating growth across all facets of the nonprofit.
“When there is a complex problem to solve, I start with the end in mind: What’s the ultimate goal (from the customer lens)?” she said. “Then I work backward, engaging others, soliciting various views and ideas, creating a plan and process, carrying out the plan and establishing intentional pause points along the way that provide the opportunity to pause, tweak, accelerate, et cetera — all as needed!”
The Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri has been serving the region for 104 years, and Barczykowski has helped modernize its programming — like teaching about robots and cybersecurity basics — while maintaining the foundational tenets of the organization, such as leaving a place better than you found it.
“There is no other place where girls get the variety of experiences they get with Girl Scouts,” Barczykowski said. “So, whether it is today or five years from now, when you ask a young girl what she’s going to be when she grows up, it may very well be something that doesn’t even exist yet. And don’t worry — we’re there for her every step of the way.”
Since joining Girl Scouts in 2012, Barczykowski has helped expand membership opportunities for girls across the region, transform programs and engage community partners, helping girls with the resources they need to be successful. Under Barczykowski’s leadership, Girl Scouts raised $50 million in support of the “Her Future is Our Future” campaign, which will fund capital projects, scholarships, programs and the organization’s endowment.
Barczykowski drove an endowment increase from $750,000 in 2014 to $39 million in 2022 and launched a program called Daisy Drop Box to increase kindergarten and first grade registration. She also led a 100% increase in camp attendance, from 1,026 members in 2015 to more than 2,200 members in 2021.
During the height of the pandemic, Barczykowski launched “Live from Girl Scouts,” a series of programs broadcast from the Girl Scout Program Center with materials sent to the homes of each registered Girl Scout. The programs gave girls the opportunity to be with fellow Girl Scouts through Zoom. Over two seasons, more than 10,000 girls participated.
“Without a doubt, Bonnie Barczykowski demonstrates exceptional leadership, vision, passion and influence in her field, and Girl Scouts has reaped the benefits today and for generations to come,” her team said.
