A Thousand Summers changes kids’ lives through transformative summer camp experiences. That stated mission resonates deeply with many who believe in the power of camp.
We have benefitted from an incredibly generous and loyal base of supporters throughout our 37-year history. In that time, we have been able to deliver on our mission with increasing impact, growing from a fledgling organization that in 1990 provided the funds for one young girl to attend Cheley Colorado Camps to one that provided over $1 million worth of transformational summer camp and related experiences this year alone.
Investing in our Mission
As we evolve it becomes increasingly important to invest in our capacity to deliver on the mission that means so much to so many. We are charged with finding ways to secure a future that not only guarantees what we are doing to change the lives of youth today, but to expand upon that in deeper, broader, and more sustainable ways tomorrow.
That involves:
- Developing highly regarded and relevant youth development programming
- Ensuring we have enough spaces for increasing numbers of campers
- Building a more expansive network of dedicated camp, community, and corporate partners who believe in what we do, can support the increasing demand in our programs, and are willing to share the financial responsibility
- Developing our internal capacity through increased staffing to secure the necessary resources, help facilitate expanded programming options, and manage the partner relationships that are so critical to our organizational impact and success
Responding to Rising Costs
While we continue to do all we can to leverage relationships with our camp and community partners, raise funds, and effectively control expenses, just like everyone else, we are experiencing challenging cost increases:
- In 2010 the average cost of a campership was $5,000
- Today that cost has increased by around 60% and is now closer to $8,000
- The costs of travel and equipment have also increased significantly, making it more difficult to support the young people we send to camp
We have been able to deliver the camp experience at a below-market price due in large part to the contributions of our partners, and we have not increased our Giving Levels for over 10 years. We will continue to deliver the camp experience at a below-market price, but as our costs rise, we must balance those increased costs without sacrificing our commitment to service and quality.
As a result, we will be increasing our Giving Levels on July 1 for our 2027 program year.
“Effective cost management is not about simple budget cutting but rather aligning every dollar with the organization’s mission to ensure high-value outcomes. The goal of ATS is to provide as many children as possible with the camp experience. ATS is positioned to achieve this goal for years to come.”—Mike Brower, ATS Board Chair
Delivering on our Commitment
We are committed to offering the highest quality youth development experiences for the young people we serve. We are also confident that we will continue to offer you incredible value on the investment you make in our organization.
It is our belief that the decisions we’ve made, coupled with your continued support, will ultimately allow us to deliver on the dream that Jack Cheley had all those years ago to make camp more accessible…the dream that launched a thousand summers.
We hope you will continue to support us with renewed dedication!