Up to 20 grant recipients will receive up to $18,000 per year for three years to support creating, improving, or expanding counselor-in-training or similar leadership development programs at camp. Grantees will work with a peer cohort to design, implement, and improve a counselor-in-training (CIT)-related initiative to increase access to camp leadership pathways for young people of diverse backgrounds, abilities, and identities.  

All nonprofit camps and government agency organizations (i.e. parks & rec) that run camps were invited to apply during the application window that closed on April 11. They did not need to have a grant writer to submit, nor did the camp need to be ACA accredited. Applying to (or receiving) this grant does not disqualify camps from future grant opportunities through ACA.

The application deadline was April 11, 2024. 

Phase 2 Awarded Grantees

We are pleased to announce our awarded grantees for Phase 2 (2024-2027)! 

  • Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project - Camp ANV (California)
  • B'nai B'rith Camp, LLC / B'nai B'rith Men's Camp Association - BB Camp (Oregon)
  • Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco - Camp Mendocino (California)
  • Butler Community Arts School - Butler Community Arts School (Indiana)
  • Camp Fire Alaska - Camp K on Kenai Lake (Alaska)
  • Camp for All Kids - Four Star Fellowship Program (Wisconsin)
  • Camp Hazen YMCA (Connecticut)
  • Easterseals Central Illinois - Timber Pointe Outdoor Center (Illinois)
  • Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta - Camp Meriwether and Camp Misty Mountain (Georgia)
  • Happiness Is Camping (New Jersey)
  • Live Oak Wilderness Camp (Mississippi, serving New Orleans youth)
  • Maven Youth - LGBT+ Youth Summer Tech Camp (Texas)
  • No Limits Foundation - Camp No Limits (Maine)
  • Piers Park Sailing Center - Future Leaders Summer Camp (Massachusetts)
  • The Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center (New Hampshire)
  • The Fresh Air Fund (New York)
  • The H.E.A.R.T. Center (Arizona)
  • The TVRC Education Foundation, Inc - Teton Valley Ranch Camp (Wyoming)
  • University of Montana spectrUM Discovery Area - spectrUM Science Camps (Montana)
  • Wa-Ya Outdoor Institute - Camp Wa-Ya (Washington)
  • YWCA VT Camp Hochelaga (Vermont)

Read the press release.

Previous Phase 1 Awarded Grantees

Here are the awarded grantees from Phase 1 (2021-2024)

  • Camp Common Ground
  • Big Sur Land Trust Youth Outdoor Programs
  • Tampa YMCA
  • Camp Blodgett
  • Aspire
  • Trail Blazers
  • Camp Santa Maria
  • Montgomery County Recreation
  • NatureBridge
  • YMCA of Greater Seattle
  • Camp Bovey
  • Camp Mendocino
  • Easterseals Colorado
  • 4-H Primitive Pursuits
  • Sherwood Forest
  • Timber Pointe Outdoor Center
  • Camp Kaufmann
  • Camp Mokule’ia
  • Lexington Recreation and Community Programs
  • Acta Non Verba
  • PARI Summer Space Camps

This project is made possible through the generous support of Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.