The Weekend of Giving
The Weekend of Giving
by Ann Higgins, Director of Development
“What is the Weekend of Giving and why does camp do this?” you may be asking. It’s a good question! Many people may not realize that Camp Brookwoods, Deer Run, and Moose River Outpost are incorporated as a non-profit organization called Christian Camps and Conferences, Inc. That basically means that we are not in operation to produce profits which go to shareholders or owners, but that camp tuition and conference fees go back into running the organization. In our case, back into a ministry of creating communities where lives are transformed for Christ! What a mission! And we’ve been at it for 75 years!
Camp staff helping to promote the Weekend of Giving
With that in mind, Camp, as a non-profit, is allowed to accept tax-deductible donations from folks who love what we are doing and want to be a part of it. That is why we regularly try to communicate the needs of the organization and invite our Camp family to join the mission, or “join the journey” with us through giving financially to the ministry. Hence, a Weekend of Giving!
Instead of sending you zillions of emails on Giving Tuesday, (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving) like other organizations, we decided to try a concentrated fundraising effort for our Scholarship Fund over Changeover weekend (the mid-point of Camp). Approximately 20% of our campers require financial assistance to attend each summer, and this year, we plan to gift $300,000 in assistance. We look to our Camp family to substantially provide for this need, and how the families appreciate it:
“My daughter has attended and loved this amazing camp for several years, which was made possible by the camp scholarship opportunity—and I can’t thank Camp Brookwoods and Deer Run and its donors enough for that!… [She] now knows and loves God because she wants to, because of her meaningful experiences at camp—from the love, devotion, and friendships she experienced at this special place.” –Camp Mom
And there are many, many more testimonies like this one!
Last summer, on our first Weekend of Giving, our generous donors gave over $50,000! This year, we have set an ambitious goal for the weekend. We are hoping to boost the Scholarship Fund by $75,000 in honor of our 75thyear of ministry. It’s a big goal, we know(!), but we had to do it! We’re gonna need a LOT of help to get there! What can you do? Please give, any amount is helpful–and, you can help us promote the weekend on your social media by sharing posts and hashtags, which is also vital to the weekend’s success.
Camp is life-changing. We are praying for lots of “Changemakers over Changeover” to help us bring more kids to experience our gospel-centered communities, hear about the love of Jesus, encounter God in His creation, and be encouraged along their own faith journeys.
Ann Higgins is the Director of Development for Camp Brookwoods, Deer Run, and Moose River Outpost where the best part of her job is interacting with the thankful and generous camp family that supports our mission. You can reach her at ann@christiancamps.net
