2023-2024
PROGRAM YEAR
ANNUAL MINISTRY REPORT
“The Troop is so grateful for our Troop Coordinator, Amanda. She gives sacrificially to this Troop through her time, talent, and kindness. We weren’t sure how to best thank her, so we ‘flocked’ her yard with WOVEN signs. On the back of each was a note of gratitude from a leader or a Scripture verse.” – D.C. Metro Area Troop VA0428
Dear reader,
As we look back on this past Program Year, we see God’s faithful hand guiding every step of the journey for American Heritage Girls (AHG). Inspired by the WOVEN Program Theme, we’ve intentionally celebrated the beauty of how God intricately forms each girl’s identity in Christ. For each girl, every moment in AHG—whether learning a new skill, serving others, or experiencing the fellowship of authentic community—has been a thread in the greater tapestry of her life, woven together for His glory.
This year has been a particularly significant one for AHG as we entered a season of transition in leadership. After 28 years of devoted service, AHG Founder & Executive Director, Patti Garibay, announced her intent to step aside from her executive role in July of 2025, marking the beginning of a new chapter for AHG in its 30th year. In response, the Board of Trustees embarked on a prayerful and intentional process to discern God’s will for this important transition. By late summer of 2024, Rachael Culpepper, AHG Chief Strategy Officer, was named as Patti’s successor. Rachael brings a deep love for the ministry, a wealth of experience with the program, and a steadfast commitment to furthering its mission—ensuring AHG’s continued impact for generations to come.
In the midst of this anticipated leadership transition, AHG’s ministry work has continued to flourish. Here are just a few of the ways we’ve seen God move this year:
• Lives Transformed: 41,688 girls across the nation embraced the truth of their identity in Christ, growing in their faith and confidence as daughters of the King.
• Faithful Service: 684,260 hours of service were completed, demonstrating the love of Christ in communities nationwide.
• New Opportunities: AHG’s reach expanded with the addition of 152 new Troops, connecting more girls and families to this life-changing ministry
• The Impact of WOVEN: This year’s Program Year Theme fostered meaningful conversations and discipleship opportunities, helping girls see their unique place in God’s grand story.
Through it all, we’ve seen God faithfully weave together every part of this ministry—its mission, leadership, and impact—preparing it for a future of hope and promise in Christ. As Paul writes in Colossians 2:2-3, NIV: “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” This unity in Christ equips AHG girls, volunteers, and staff members to live boldly for Him.
To our AHG leaders, volunteers, families: thank you for investing your time, energy, and prayers into this ministry. To our donors and supporters: your generosity enables AHG to continue equipping volunteers and families as they empower their Godly girls who will shine as lights in a dark culture.
As we step into the next Program Year, we are filled with anticipation for what God will do through American Heritage Girls. Together, we remain committed to walking alongside girls as they grow in faith, service, and confidence in who they are in Christ.
In His Service,
Patti Garibay Founder & Executive Director
Rob Rye President, National Board of Trustees
AHG Mission
Building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country.
AHG Oath
I promise to love God, cherish my family, honor my country, and serve in my community.
AHG Creed
As an American Heritage Girl, I promise to be compassionate, helpful, honest, loyal, perseverant, pure, resourceful, respectful, responsible, and reverent.
Adeline (AL7361) and Amelia (NC1224) were awarded “Memory Verse Masters” at Camp Wannacombac this summer, having committed all the camp’s memory verses to heart in their short time at camp! Together, these Explorers enjoy what girls have proclaimed the best part of AHG for years—fun and friendship.
loneliness has reached epidemic levels,
with nearly of reported that americans experiencing measurable social disconnection.
50%
hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
This national loneliness crisis reveals a profound need for meaningful human connection. In a world where countless people feel unseen and unloved, God calls His people to foster intentional community.
American Heritage Girls (AHG) offers a Christ-centered ministry that combats isolation by being the space for girls (and Adult Members!) to cultivate authentic, caring relationships. In fact, according to research conducted by Masterworks Agency, AHG Members identified a “sense of belonging” as the primary emotion they experience within the organization. Through AHG, girls aged 5 to 18 are nurtured in faith, friendship, and service in a safe and Holy Spirit-filled space where they can flourish.
AHG welcomes all biological girls, regardless of race, nationality, or socioeconomic background, who agree to uphold the AHG Oath and Creed. Girls are invited to experience the joy of belonging in a safe and supportive environment where they can grow in leadership, discover new passions through badgework, and make a positive impact in their communities.
Together, AHG Members forge lasting bonds, standing as a testament to the power of authentic, Christ-centered community where girls can feel the richness of God’s love in the midst of a growing loneliness epidemic.
2023-2024
Program Year Membership
1,247 Troops
23,495 Adult Members
41,688 Girl Members
65,183 TOTAL MEMBERS
An 11.17% membership increase since the 2022-2023 Program Year
Even when joining a Troop isn’t an option—girls can find a sense of belonging in AHG as a Trailblazer Member. The AHG Trailblazer Membership extends the Ministry of AHG remotely to dedicated military service families, missionary families, and girls in isolated areas or girls who are unable to join a nearby AHG Troop.
Trailblazers in 6 Foreign Countries
Germany
Italy
Japan
Philippines
Sierra Leone
UK
212 Trailblazer Girl Members
135 Trailblazer Mentors
347
TOTAL Trailblazer Members
“American Heritage Girls has had one of the biggest impacts on my life. I started as a Pathfinder and have grown up to a Patriot in my Troop. I have met some of my best friends through my years in AHG and have made many lasting friendships with other Godly girls. […] Joining this Troop is one of the best decisions my mom made for me, and I am so grateful that I have been able to participate in it.”
– Sarah Salazar, FL0001
CROSS COUNTRY FRIENDSHIP
Registering as AHG Pen Pals gives girls a unique opportunity to meet other AHG girls across the nation, learn about their personalities, talents, and goals, and, in some instances, a chance to meet after learning so much about each other.
It was pure joy when 7-year-old Evelyn, a Tenderheart from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Troop WI5523, finally met her 2023-2024 Pen Pal, Sadie, from northern Idaho Troop ID2819! What started as a simple exchange of letters quickly grew into a beautiful friendship. During a family road trip, Evelyn’s family arranged a special stop in western Montana to meet Sadie in person, and the girls instantly hit it off—like they’d known each other forever. Their laughter and shared stories were a testament to the incredible connections AHG Pen Pals can create, turning longdistance friendships into lifelong memories!
americansurveycenter.org/newsletter/young-women-are-leaving-church-in-unprecedented-numbers
Every girl is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of her Creator, intentionally knitted together in her mother’s womb with a set of unique strengths, talents, and God-given purpose. American Heritage Girls treasures its great responsibility to come alongside parents, churches, and Christian schools to nurture a girl’s identity in Christ. Through intentional discipleship, AHG Troops nationwide are equipping girls with the self-confidence, resilience, and reliance on the Lord to enter adulthood as faithful women of integrity.
A girl’s Biblical Worldview is developed through her time in AHG thanks to: Christ-Centered Curriculum rooted in Scripture and Biblical truth. Affirmation of Her God-Given Identity as a uniquely designed daughter of the King. Service Opportunities that foster compassion and selflessness. Faithful Mentorship from trained volunteers guiding her through life’s challenges. Family Engagement to cultivate a resilient, lasting foundation of faith.
AHG Faith Awards give girls a structured way to commit to developing their faith in childhood. This Program Year, 7,957 girls were recognized for their dedication to nurturing their relationship with Jesus through the AHG Faith Award Program. 4 4 4 4 4
2023-2024 AHG FAITH AWARDS EARNED B.Y. Faith Awards: 7,901
AHG Catholic Faith Awards: 56
There are two different types of Faith Awards: The Catholic Faith Awards and the Build Your Faith Awards (B.Y. Faith Awards). The two tracks were created to fit all American Heritage Girls. The Catholic Faith Awards honor the AHG Creed, Oath, and Mission connecting what girls are learning in AHG with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. B.Y. Faith Awards allow girls and adults to choose from different options that will accelerate girls in learning to live by faith. The B.Y. Faith Awards offer Troops the opportunity to tailor the program as much as they and their Charter Organization deem necessary. Both Faith Award tracks give girls the opportunity to grow deeper in their faith and relationship with Christ.
During the 2023-2024 Program Year, GIRLS EARNED BADGES, fostering new skills, talents, and confidence.
206,202
The AHG Curriculum carefully weaves together age-appropriate learning with deep, Biblical principles. Each and every American Heritage Girl, from first year Tenderhearts to graduating Senior Patriots, is guided toward a Biblical Worldview while building her toolkit of life skills. It’s in discovering her life’s passions, unique talents, and the love God has for her despite difficulty or failure that an American Heritage Girl becomes a woman of integrity. Put plainly—through AHG, a girl learns who she is and Whose she is in Christ
During the 2023-2024 Program Year, the American Heritage Girls Staff set out to equip volunteers, honor girls, and above all, GLORIFY GOD. This year, the AHG Staff achieved the goals set forth in the Strategic Plan and so much more that God had in store for the ministry.
HOW GOD IS MOVING AT AHG, INC.
• Announced Patti Garibay’s transition to role as Founder & Executive Director Emeritus and named Rachael Culpepper, AHG Chief Strategy Officer, as Incoming Executive Director after a months-long search conducted by the National Board of Trustees.
• Launched the Raising Godly Girls Podcast and celebrated 100k downloads in the first six months of production.
• Developed two Raising Godly Girls Guides: Peace in Times of Global Conflict and Resilience, giving over 10,500 parents and ministry leaders girl-focused, Christcentered resources free of charge.
• Published the AHG Volunteer Handbook, a comprehensive training resource for all Adult Members that ensures healthy Troop dynamics and adherence to AHG policies and guidelines.
• Rolled out a more efficient Troop support system supporting 1,247 Troops and Trailblazer families across the globe allowing for increased staff capacity and decreased response time.
• Sustained a 96% retention rate on all Troops and celebrated a reported 68.9% Net Promotor Score, a measure of member loyalty and satisfaction, a score 4.5 times higher than the national average for businesses and non-profits.
• Grew the Stars & Stripes Award Program, celebrating 156 recipients and 218 candidates—the largest group in AHG’s history.
• Started 152 new Troops across the country.
• Grew the number of Area Team High Impact Volunteers, adding 29 new volunteers to the team serving in 16 major cities and 14 additional locales nationwide.
This year’s State of the Bible report showed that
THOSE WHO REGULARLY LIVE IN AND THROUGH GOD’S WORD
ARE CONQUERING THE DARKEST MENTAL HEALTH EPIDEMICS
of our time.
Living out God’s Word means stepping out in faith to care for and serve those around us, just as Christ loves us. Today’s youth are engaged and concerned for their communities, our nation, and our world. Young people sense a strong call to advocate and make change; and are ready to respond. AHG fosters this Godly desire to serve, guiding girls to God-honoring activism that upholds Truth and benefits God’s creation. Girls throughout America are answering God’s call to serve through their AHG Troop, allowing them an opportunity to build community, improve mental wellbeing, and live out their faith.
American Heritage Girls served a total of
684,260 HOURS
78.11 YEARS last year, which is equivalent to of service completed in just one year!
“AHG BECAME MORE THAN JUST A PROGRAM; IT BECAME A COMMUNITY WHERE MY FAITH AND PASSION FOR SERVICE FLOURISHED.”
“From a young age, I was drawn to serving others. It was not merely a desire, but a calling deeply rooted within me. It started with AHG. My journey through the American Heritage Girls Program, and especially my Stars & Stripes Award project with World Vision, has been instrumental in shaping my spiritual life, instilling in me a profound love for service, and guiding my aspirations towards a life dedicated to helping others.
AHG became more than just a program; it became a community where my faith and passion for service flourished. Through various activities and projects, I discovered the joy of selflessness and compassion. As a Tenderheart, I still remember the joy I felt coming together with my friends to do good in the community. It was through moments like this that the joy I felt snowballed into a passion and a decade long commitment to serving others any chance I got.”
—Madaleine McMahon Stars & Stripes Award Recipient, PA1301, Moon Township, Pennsylvania
FINANCIAL INFORMATION | INCOME AND EXPENSES for June 1, 2023—May 31, 2024
INCOME EXPENSES
Program Income:
Merchandise Sales:
Donations:
Miscellaneous:
Total Income:
Program: Management: Fundraising:
Total Expenses: NET ASSETS
Total Net Assets:
$4,665,138 $1,689,392 $3,573,480 $701,030 $328,270 $6,292,172
$682,678 $12,894
$5,360,710
$5,183,990
87 c PER DOLLAR
DIRECTLY SUPPORTS GIRLS & VOLUNTEERS
through program services
American Heritage Girls, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3). All contributions to AHG are tax-deductible. AHG as an organization is committed to financial transparency and accountability.
As a 501(c)(3) organization, American Heritage Girls receives the benefits of being an ECFA member. The ECFA provides accreditation to leading Christian nonprofit organizations that faithfully prove compliance with established standards for financial accountability, transparency, fundraising, and board governance.
Requests to view the current annual audit can be made in writing to the AHG National Headquarters, attn: Senior Director of Finance.
Form 990 is available for public inspection upon request. Annual audit performed by Barnes Dennig.
Captured during the recording of Raising Daughters with a Thriving Faith in Christ, this interview features Patti Garibay, Founder & Executive Director of American Heritage Girls, and Dr. Danny Huerta, Vice President of Parenting & Youth at Focus on the Family. Together, they share insights on how to nurture a vibrant, Christ-centered faith in the next generation of young women.
As protective stewards of American Heritage Girls resources, AHG continually seeks opportunities to share the Mission of AHG through media outlets without financial exchange. This exposure, which comes at no financial cost to the ministry, is known as earned media. Earned media is publicity or exposure gained from methods other than paid advertising. Through television news segments, podcast interviews, op-ed publishing, commentary placements, and more, the American Heritage Girls Ministry leveraged free publicity with an estimated value of $9.6 million during the 2023-2024 Program year. Earned media was instrumental in spreading awareness and increasing membership.
MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2023-2024 PROGRAM YEAR
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY PARENTING
Raising Daughters with a Thriving Faith in Christ
FOX NEWS
The ‘Girl Scouts have lost their way,’ asserts faith-based alternative for young women
THE CHRISTIAN POST
The Oath of the American Heritage Girl and abortion
In addition to the $9.6 million in traditional earned media, the Raising Godly Girls (RGG) Minute, a daily, one-minute radio feature broadcast on over 1,200 Christian radio stations nationwide has a placement value of over $1.71 million. The RGG Minute is heard on large networks like Bott Radio and CSN, as well as regional networks, all at no cost to AHG. Stations value this Biblically-based parenting advice on key issues girls face as an important teaching and public service to their listeners.
For more information on AHG in the media, visit americanheritagegirls.org/news-media/recent-news.
The American Heritage Girls Ministry is guided by a set of key performance indicators, benchmark goals, and vision set forth by the Staff and ultimately overseen by the Board of Trustees known as the Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan guides the plan of work for every staff member, the operating budget for the entire ministry, and ultimately, seeks Kingdom impact in its determination of success over a two-year span.
Over the course of the next year, American Heritage Girls is focused on epidemic growth. In 2023, the National Board of Trustees set the goal to double membership by 2025—two years to reach 100,000 members. This goal was not set as a financial incentive or a program awareness campaign; rather, it was established to bring the gospel to more girls and families in a time where Christ’s love, mercy, and compassion are so desperately needed. The coming years will bring much change to the ministry, allowing for Troop growth opportunities, robust staffing abilities, increased curriculum and resource creation, and more. But one key premise will always remain the same—
the American Heritage Girls Ministry exists for God, because of God. This ministry is His, and His alone.
IN THE 2024-2025 PROGRAM YEAR, AHG STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS INCLUDE:
• SUCCESSFULLY AND INTENTIONALLY TRANSITION Executive Director leadership from Patti Garibay to Rachael Culpepper, passing the sacred keys of the ministry.
• GROW MEMBERSHIP through new and existing Troops, resulting in 100,000 members by the end of the 2024-2025 Program Year.
• CELEBRATE 30 YEARS of American Heritage Girls and engage Girl Members and families from across the nation at the AHG 30th National Anniversary Convention.
• DEVELOP AN ENGAGING PROGRAM centered around a Biblical Worldview to equip leaders and girls with the resources they need to understand their faith and counter the culture.
• EXPLORE ALTERNATE CHARTERING METHODS to reach more girls.
• CONTINUE TO EXPAND THE AHGSTORE merchandise line, sourcing materials made in the USA as often as possible.
• LAUNCH A VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN specifically targeting women over the age of 55 to come alongside their local Troop to develop the next generation of female leaders.
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Patti Garibay, Founder & Executive Director
Rachael Culpepper, Chief Strategy Officer
Elizabeth Besade-Perez, Chief Operations Officer & Corporate Counsel
Kim Lingar, Senior Director of Finance
NATIONAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Executive Committee:
Rob Rye, President (Kalispell, MT)
Linda Grinalds, Vice President (Cincinnati, OH)
Nick Harshfield, Treasurer (Flower Mound, TX)
Marci Powell, Chairman (Frankston, TX)
MEMBERS AT LARGE:
Joseph Ashbrook (Cincinnati, OH)
Larry Cunningham (Cincinnati, OH)
Mark Deems (Central Point, OR)
Nancy Dendramis (Cincinnati, OH)
Pat Garibay (Cincinnati, OH)
Greg Schmidt (Anchorage, AK)
Philip Williamson (Cincinnati, OH)
John Wolterbeek (Duarte, CA)
EXPANDING THE KINGDOM, TOGETHER.
The Ministry of American Heritage Girls is fueled by the generosity of dedicated volunteers, families, Staff, Board Members, and supportive benefactors nationwide.
God is doing an incredible work through AHG.
If you give to AHG, THANK YOU .
If you pray for AHG, THANK YOU .
If you shop in the AHGstore, THANK YOU .
If you share about AHG, THANK YOU .
With your support, AHG can continue its mission to build women of integrity, introduce the ministry to more churches and schools across this great nation, and in turn, grow the Kingdom of God. There is a great need in our world for AHG in a time such as this.
Join in supporting AHG, the premier character and leadership development program for girls 5 to 18.
americanheritagegirls.org/donate
