Create Your Camp’s Roadmap to the Future with JCamp 180’s Camp GPS (“Generating Purposeful Strategy")
JCamp 180 is excited to offer a fast-paced option for strategic planning -
Camp GPS. Now your
Overnight or Day camp can map out a strategic direction and goals for the coming years while saving you time and building team clarity. Camps will assemble GPS Teams to participate in a high energy, short duration, hybrid planning process to determine your camp’s strategic priorities and set the organization’s course for the next 1-3 years.
Is Camp GPS Right for You?
Camp GPS is best suited for Day or Overnight camps that have a good sense of their future vision for the organization. Camps that wish to refresh their prior strategic plan created with JCamp 180 are especially encouraged to consider this program. Camps seeking to return to their pre-pandemic plans might also benefit from Camp GPS’s accelerated process.
If your camp lacks a shared vision for the future, or is anticipating a major transition, crisis, or business opportunity in the near future that may fundamentally alter your organization’s plans, Camp GPS is NOT the recommended approach to determining your strategic goals for the next 1 to 3 years. Instead, please consult with your JCamp 180 Relationship Manager to discuss alternative options that best address the needs for your camp. Both affiliated and non affiliated nonprofit day or overnight Jewish camps are encouraged to apply. All applications will be reviewed by JCamp 180 staff and our team will reach out to applicants to determine feasibility before being accepted into the program.
"Our professional team runs both a day camp in the summer and an after school program during the school year. Since we are consistently running programs, it is often difficult to take the time to stop and strategize for the future. Participating in the GPS course gave us the unique opportunity to sit around the table with members of our senior leadership team and discuss how we envision the future of our camp together. The program was concise and intentional, with each meeting giving us a platform to have crucial conversations about our camp’s future, and ultimately finish the course with a written out strategic plan."
- Anat Litwok, Director, Camp Achva (JCC of No. Virginia)
Program Highlights
- Proven Popular Process: Camp GPS was developed by nationally renowned consultant, Jay Vogt. Jay has guided over 100 nonprofits through this essential planning experience - and they recommend it to colleagues. JCamp 180 has worked with Jay to adapt it for Jewish day and overnight camps.
- Convenience: Camp GPS combines real-time facilitated teamwork on highly focused tasks with offline guidance that includes customized coaching that ensures your team’s success.
- Time: 3 months start to finish. Eight focused working team meetings that are approximately 90 minutes from November through January will develop your strategic plan.
- Choice: Your team can choose to attend these eight working meetings either on-line or in-person at a location that you specify.
- Thorough: Includes all essential elements of a comprehensive strategic plan: values, mission, vision, assessment, critical strategic issues, goals, objectives, success metrics, and business model.
- Data Driven Decision Making: Provides you with industry wide metrics and comparative data to make meaning of your critical issues and set purposeful strategy.
- Support: Each meeting is structured with customizedresources and your team leader is provided one-on-one coaching to ensure your team’s success in creating a strategic plan.
- Useful Results: No dusty binders! A one-page strategic plan that professionals and lay leaders will use as a roadmap to guide your work and decisions for the next 1 to 3 years.
Program Requirements
- Team: We recommend a strategic planning team of between 5 to 8 members, comprised of a diverse mix of senior staff and volunteers all of whom are committed to the long-range vision of camp. Teams must include the camp director and at least one board or committee member.
- Team Meetings: The following meeting times are required for your strategic planning team:
| Wednesday, Nov 8 |
4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST |
Task #1: Values |
| Wednesday, Nov 15 |
4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST |
Task #2: Mission |
| Wednesday, Nov 29 |
4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST |
Task #3: SWOT |
| Wednesday, Dec 13 |
4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST |
Task #4: Critical Issues |
| Wednesday, Jan 10 |
4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST |
Task #5: Vision & Goals |
| Wednesday, Jan 17 |
4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST |
Task #6: Objectives |
| Wednesday, Jan 24 |
4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST |
Task #7: Success Metrics |
| Wednesday, Jan 31 |
4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST |
Task #8: Business Model |
- Team Leader: The Team Leader is responsible for keeping your team informed, engaged, and on track. These are the chief responsibilities of the Team Leader:
- Coordinator – coordinates schedules and logistics and prepares materials for team sessions; shares key information and updates with the team; and guides the team through the planning process.
- Accountability Overseer – makes sure work gets done on time by all members by sending reminders, gathering input, and finalizing documents among the team.
- Champion – brings energy and enthusiasm to the process, maintaining engagement and spirit among the team members.
- Facilitator – Helps move your team through step-by-step exercises in breakouts during each workshop.
- Other work: Watching three recorded webinars at your convenience, reading through on-line resources, one-on-one coaching sessions for the team’s leader, and designing and conducting outreach with your camp’s stakeholder groups complete the requirements of this program.
Current Participants (2023/2024 Cohort)
Camps participating in the third cohort of Camp GPS:
- B'nai B'rith Camp Oregon
- B'nai Brith of Ottawa
- Camp Centerland (JCC of Greater Buffalo)
- Camp Daisy and Harry Stein
- Camp Ramah in the Poconos
- Habonim Dror Camp Moshava
- Hashomer Hatzair - Camp Shomria Canada
- JCC Day Camps of Metro Detroit
- J Day Camps at the JCC of Greater Baltimore
Previous Participants
Camps that participated in the first and second cohorts of Camp GPS:
- Apachi J Camps (JCC Chicago)
- BB Riback
- Camp Achva (JCC of Northern Virginia)
- Camp Gan Israel Northeast
- Camp Moshava Wild Rose
- Camp Young Judaea Midwest
- Camp Yachad (JCC of Central New Jersey)
- Camp Zeke
- JCC Ranch Camp
- JEA Camp Savannah
- Kings Bay YM-YMWHA - JCC Brooklyn
- URJ Camp Coleman
Applying to Camp GPS
Applications for the November 2023 Cohort of Camp GPS are now closed. If you are interested in taking part in a future cohort of the program, please
let us know.
Need More Information?
Please email gps@hgf.org if you have any additional questions about Camp GPS.
"Our team really enjoyed the Camp GPS program. The structure helped keep us on task and the format allowed for all our team members to contribute. It was very helpful to do a deep dive in a variety of areas on an accelerated timeline. I highly recommend the program."
- Brad Finkel, COO, JCC Chicago (Apachi J Camps)