Respondents were asked to share any additional comments or thoughts about camp economics. Responses ranged from optimism in the strength and future of the Jewish camping sector to a number of challenges, primarily financial - rising costs and ever escalating fundraising demands. These final comments also included a variety of strategies to face these challenges, including taking a big tent approach, increased collaboration, and enhanced use of data. Representative quotes about the challenges - and potential strategies to face those challenges - shared in response to this question are listed here.
Representative Challenges
- “It can be so difficult when we are asked to maximize our revenue. The values we hold direct us to maximize our impact. Sometimes those two goals do not align.”
- “Continuing pressures of rising costs for goods, staffing, and insurance, coupled with the struggle to keep camp affordable for families.”
- “It’s hard to compete with all the Jewish causes that our Jewish world is funding.“
- “It is very challenging in our small community from a fundraising point of view…Everyone relies on the same few donors.“
- “Lay Leadership is burnt out and it's hard to get the next level of volunteers to step up.”
Representative Responses to those Challenges
Take a Big Tent Approach
- “I believe that just as Judaism isn’t a one-size-fits-all practice, neither should Jewish summer camps be one-size-fits-all… We all share a common goal...that our children have a fun, meaningful, and formative Jewish summer camp experience...regardless of their individual temple affiliation.”
- “Create camp experiences that embrace diverse Jewish practices and reflect the varied needs of Jewish families, transcending denominational divides.”
Collaborate
- “Strengthen peer to peer communication platforms for sharing ideas, challenges, and best practices, and brainstorming solutions.”
- “Collaborate with other organizations and camps to brainstorm solutions and learn from each other’s experiences.”
Enhance Data and Systems
- “Develop and obtain data and insights on peer benchmarking, enrollment trends, staff pay rates, and best practices to inform decision-making and strategic planning.”
- “We should better understand and address contributing factors such as costs, facilities, program quality, and external perceptions.”
- “I would like to understand how to build a better scholarship system in terms of allocations and policies.”
Strategic Approach to Property
- “Many camps have significant deferred maintenance; however, a broader and more strategic approach to see how best to leverage the most significant financial asset (the site itself) should be encouraged. I think we should be working to create a master planning 2.0 protocol if at all possible.”
Advocate for 3rd Party Support for General Operating Expenses
- “We need more institutional support for general operating expenses.“
- “Too many grants are purpose-specific, and end up being something more that we do while we're still struggling to meet underlying costs.”
About the JCamp 180 Camp Insights Societal Trends Survey
Since 2019, JCamp 180 has conducted an annual survey of Jewish camp leaders to understand the implications of a wide range of economic, demographic, technological, cultural and other societal trends on Jewish camps. The goal of this work is to support effective future planning by Jewish camp professionals and boards so that camps can navigate the myriad issues coming their way. 230 individuals from 100+ camps responded to the November 2024 Trends survey, which included a number of qualitative questions relating to financial sustainability.