Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas launches $50M 'Fight For Her' campaign for camps and careers

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas launched a $50 million capital fundraising campaign on Friday. Its aim is to give more North Texas girls a path from the campfire to the corner office.

The campaign is called Fight For Her. It is meant to pay for camp upgrades, more Girl Scout DreamLabs, scholarships, an endowment and other needs. Leaders want to reach girls in underrepresented communities across North Texas. The council describes the investment as a way to strengthen Dallas-Fort Worth's future workforce and its pipeline of executives.

CEO Jennifer Bartkowski, who has led the council for years, told The Dallas Morning News that the region ranks "41st in the country for girls' well-being." She noted that Dallas and North Texas are prosperous and flourishing, but "everything is thriving except for our girls."

The council cites its 2026 State of the Texas Girl Report, which found that women make up 46% of the region's workforce and earn more than $42 billion in wages each year. "Women add a lot of value to the workplace, and I think we've been overlooked," Bartkowski said. Building leadership skills and exploring STEM fields, she added, are things girls need to start young.

The Dallas nonprofit was founded in 1956 and serves 32 Texas counties. Its programs help girls build leadership skills and explore STEM and other careers. Bartkowski said the region actually needs about $200 million to invest in its girls. That's why the nonprofit is raising the money in phases, starting with this $50 million campaign.

This story is based on original reporting by The Dallas Morning News.