Trends Affecting Nonprofit Camps

Camping Magazine, March, 2000 by Deborah Bialeschki, Karla Henderson

Issues and recommendations for the millennium

Over the past century, nonprofit camps have served thousands of children, adults, and families in addressing social issues and have often provided the only opportunities that some young people have had to attend camp. These nonprofit agencies, however, are under increased pressures to scrutinize the scope of their services concerning appropriateness, commitment, and economic viability. The traditions of camping remain strong, but issues must be addressed if camping programs in the nonprofit sector are to flourish in the coming years. As organized camping becomes more market conscious, questions arise as to who will be able to go to camp, at what cost, under what external controls, and within what expectations for services and outcomes.

The American Camping Association Not-for-Profit Forum and Council recently funded a project to identify trends, issues, and possible strategies for addressing the issues that may confront camping programs in the short- to medium-term future (ten to fifteen years). Trends were defined as tendencies, drifts, or changes. Issues were problems due to the changing trends. Data collection involved three stages:

* A literature review and interviews with selected experts in nonprofit camping agencies.

* A questionnaire to acquire information directly from camping professionals and their agency executives about potential trends and issues.

* Focus group sessions conducted at the 1999 ACA National Conference in Chicago.

The data were analyzed and the results organized into three categories: mission, strategic managment, and critical issues. Recommendations developed from the conclusions provide a starting point for identifying some continuing education activities that camp directors and staff might pursue, as well as some management issues that might be considered by local agencies and camps. Specific strategies will need to be addressed by individual agencies and camps.

Mission

Trend: All successful nonprofit organizations acknowledge 11w importance of mission statements.

Issues for camps include:

* Using the camp mission as a roadmap for addressing today's societal needs.

* Fitting the camp mission with the agency's mission and the national agency's (if applicable).

* Making camp programs mission driven.

* Determining how the type of nonprofit organization (e.g., nationally affiliated or local) influences the way issues related to mission, strategic management, and prioritization of critical issues are addressed.

Trend: Camps have contributions to make in addressing societal problems.

Issues for camps include:

* Showing how integral camps are to nonprofit organizations, even though some camp leaders feel less supported by the agency, the national office, parents, and campers than in the past.

* Helping the public understand the value of camping programs.

* Determining how and why camping programs make a difference in people's lives and how to articulate the results and outcomes of camping programs.

Recommendations

* Camp staff should articulate early and often the role they play. This role may be traditionally central (e.g., Girl Scouts) but must be continually articulated to agency executives, staff, parents, campers, funders, and the community at large.

* The camp mission and need for an adequate budget cannot be separated. Also, the mission must be applied to the facility operations and the camp priorities. The evaluation plan should also relate to the mission.

* Camp organizations need to determine the percentage of costs that will be covered by fees and what costs will be covered from other sources.

* Many potential funding sources exist for nonprofit camps (grants, government assistance, endowment funds). It takes time energy, and a concerted plan to procure these funds.

* Fund-raising for camping programs must be done for an intended, articulated purpose.

* Staff training will be critical. A well-conceived training plan that addresses social and technical skills will be necessary. Money invested in training will likely have long-term benefits.

* Volunteers working in nonprofit camps require applied personnel management strategies. They should be treated similarly to paid staff except without the salary compensation.

* A potential shortage of full-time staff can be addressed by assuring that quality staff do not burn out or are unable to have a desired quality of life when they are working at camps.

* Year-around school is not an issue for most nonprofit camps but the use and upkeep of facilities year-round is an issue.

* A long-range maintenance plan should be developed at each camp facility.

* A marketing plan should be based on responsiveness to community needs and be realistic in terms of what camps can provide.

* Camps must market to both campers and funders.

* Camps must monitor state and national legislation that affects regulatory issues as well as nonprofit status issues.

* Camps must seek partnerships within their local communities for program development as well as funding possibilities.