Sun Camp for the next forty years, and the forty after that..
For over forty years, Sun Camp has helped young people make friends with themselves and grow into confident, caring young adults.
We're building a $1 million endowment so it can keep making that possible for generations to come.
Since 1984, Sun Camp has given thousands of young people, ages 10-16, a week of living close to the earth, under the vast sky above. They live in an open field in community with one another, sit quietly, march in step, sing loudly, and discover their inherent and ever-present goodness.
Camp is organized and run entirely by volunteers, most of whom were once campers themselves, working year-round to make each summer happen. That lets us keep tuition exceptionally affordable, a third to a half less than a typical week of sleepaway camp. And we never turn away a camper for financial reasons. Substantial scholarships are available to any family upon request.
Even so, camp roughly pays for itself each summer. We come out even, but that leaves little room for anything beyond the week itself. Tents wear thin. Volunteers pay their own way across oceans. Improvements get put off year after year.
There are now second- and even third-generation Sun Campers, who carry the gentleness, confidence, discipline, and kindness they practice at camp out into the world. We want Sun Camp to remain, and keep evolving, to serve our campers' grandchildren and beyond.
How the endowment works
The fund is invested and left to grow. Each year a small portion, around 4%, comes out to support camp, and the rest keeps working. A gift made today shows up every summer, long after any of us are around to see it. Friends of camp have already committed about $125,000 to get us started.
The Vast Sky Above Is the Limit
At camp we practice connecting heaven and earth, feeling the solid ground below and the vast sky above. Beyond simply stabilizing basic camp operations, this endowment will make it possible for us to accomplish much more:
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A place for every young person
Beyond the financial assistance we already offer every year, we want to reach families and communities who may not know camp is open to them.
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Facilities that stay
Every summer we rent portable toilets and haul them away again. Composting toilets or a proper leach field would give us permanent, low-impact facilities that serve camp for decades.
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Far less waste
Compostable supplies, plus the dishwashing and sanitizing setup that makes reusable dishes practical. With better sorting and handling, we could dramatically cut our unnecessary waste.
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Lighter on the road
Electric trucks, so we can stop renting gas-powered vehicles every summer, and carbon offsets for the miles campers and staff travel to reach us.
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Ready for the climate change
Shelter from heat and storms, and gear like propane fire pits so we can still gather around a fire when bans shut down open flames.
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Tents that keep out the rain
New and repaired canvas after forty years of mountain storms and Atlantic fog.
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Full enrollment
Currently, each year we welcome about 70 participants in Colorado and 45 in Nova Scotia, roughly half of what our camps can hold. We'd can double that and bring new life to Sun Camp in France, with the means to tell our story well and dedicated resources to spread the word.
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Coming from far away
Travel scholarships and carbon offsets so campers can join us from around the world, and so staff can train together across all our camps.
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Wearing the forms well
A uniform fund, along with pins and awards, so every camper and staff member is properly outfitted.
Ways to give
Gifts are tax-deductible in both the US and Canada. Many people find it easier to give over several years, and pledges are warmly welcome. If you're thinking about a larger gift, a matching gift to inspire others, or another creative way to help, Ben Williams would love to talk with you. [EMAIL]
“Sun Camp has taught me how to have a strong back and an open heart. It has taught me leadership, assertiveness, so much gentleness, and kindness for the human beings around me. It wakes me up while simultaneously grounding me.”
