Engaging Parents in Camp Fundraising: 6 Tips to Earn Support
Camp communities include staff, campers, and parents alike. While your camp is a fun and enriching environment for campers, don’t forget about the parents who make it possible. Remind parents they’re a large part of making your camp great by involving them in your fundraising process.
This guide will highlight tips and tricks to engage parents in your camp fundraising:
Emphasize new camp opportunities
Make fundraising accessible
Host family events
Reach out during the offseason
Offer peer-to-peer discounts
Sell practical merchandise
From online fundraisers to activities that take place right at camp, there are plenty of ways for parents to support your organization throughout the entire year. Use these engagement strategies to help the families in your community make your camp an even better experience for their children.
1. Emphasize new camp opportunities
Camp fundraisers require community support and can fall flat if your campers’ families aren’t engaging with them. Many factors can cause a lack of interest, but a common one is that you haven’t made a strong connection between raising funds and how it’ll improve your camp. Spark interest in your fundraisers by informing parents how their support will directly impact your camp.
According to Getting Attention’s guide to nonprofit advertising, securing trust and being authentic are major obstacles most organizations face when it comes to marketing, stating, “Many donors want to see their contributions go directly to your nonprofit’s mission, as opposed to the marketing needed to achieve that mission.”
Rally parents behind your fundraising goals by promoting what your camp hopes to accomplish with raised funds, whether it’s building a new facility, updating equipment, or just keeping your camp running. When possible, connect specific donation amounts to potential outcomes. For instance, you might share that a $50 donation buys arts and crafts supplies for 10 campers, while $100 can help you update kayaking equipment.
2. Make fundraising accessible
Your campers’ families lead busy lives, and parents and guardians might not always be able to make time to help out at traditional fundraisers, like bake sales and auctions.
Fortunately, accessible fundraisers, like ones hosted online, can be just as lucrative. Try creating online giving pages for parents to access on their own time. Alert them to your online offerings via email or text message to keep them in the loop about all of your fundraising activities. Here are a few ways to stay in touch with your campers’ parents and guardians:
Email newsletters showcase what your campers are doing at camp and how your fundraisers will enhance facilities to improve their experience.
Text messages can remind busy parents and guardians to donate to your fundraiser or make time to volunteer.
Online fundraisers hosted on social media can inspire engagement with photos of campers having fun and tactful prompts asking for families’ input about your camp. For example, you might host a poll asking what activity to add to this year’s programming and encourage donations so the winning choice can happen.
Outside of donating, make volunteering accessible by promoting online opportunities. This way, busy supporters and those with mobility issues can help out your camp without needing to commute. Additionally, encourage adult supporters to look into volunteer time off. Some of your supporters might be able to take paid time off to help out at your fundraisers.
3. Host family events
Invite the whole family for a family day to showcase the incredible experiences you curate for campers. Frame these events as opportunities for families to spend time together and learn something new, all while supporting your camp.
You can charge small fees for entrance, extra activities, and food and drinks. Have your counselors teach groups new skills like rock climbing or kayaking that create memorable experiences for the whole family. Campers will be excited to return to camp, and families will enjoy the chance to make lasting memories.
Participating in these activities shows families how your fundraising events benefit your camp. Parents and guardians will feel more inspired to donate when they understand more about their campers’ day-to-day activities and why the camp brings them so much joy.
4. Reach out during the offseason
During the offseason, reach out to parents and guardians to remind them that your camp is active year-round with fundraisers and camp prep. Send newsletters about how you're improving the facilities or what positions you’re hiring for.
Think of holidays when campers and their families have breaks from school and work. These holidays could be the perfect time to partner with your local PTA for a fundraising day to meet new families and make connections with schools in your community. Families who still have to work will be happy to have a safe place to send their children, and the relationships you build with schools can direct more students and their families to your camp.
Don’t overthink the activities for these off-season days. Have your counselors work with the PTA to host an indoor camp day at the school or invite groups of students out to your camp. If you’re looking for educational fundraisers, Read-A-Thon’s elementary school fundraiser guide shares many popular options, such as:
Field days or sports tournaments
Read-A-Thons
Board game tournaments
Craft days
Book clubs
Talent shows
Partnering with a local school to host events during the school year allows you to reach new campers and families, increasing your support base. Plan engaging activities to intrigue families with a small taste of your camp’s experiences and get them excited for the summer camp season.
5. Offer peer-to-peer discounts
Many parents and guardians share the products and services they love with their network of friends and family, especially when it comes to experiences that bring their children joy. In fact, marketing research finds that 78% of people share their favorite recent experiences with others at least once a week.
To incentivize word-of-mouth marketing and reward those who spread the word about your camp, consider offering a registration discount for individuals who recommend your camps to other families.
Registration fees are a tried-and-true camp fundraising method, and a small discount can motivate your camp families to invite fresh faces. This can expand your camp community and give families the opportunity to support your camp through personal recommendations.
6. Sell practical merchandise
Branded, functional merchandise is likely to get bought and earn your camp funding. Make merchandise that supporters will want to buy not just to support your camp but because they want it.
Sell practical and camp-inspired merchandise, like:
Water bottles for campers to use at outdoor or adventure camps
Stickers for water bottles, lunch boxes, and laptops
T-shirts that show camp spirit and can become a collectible item
Carabiner keychains for adventure camps that have a lot of rock climbing
Framed group photos, which are an incredible memento that families can hang on the fridge or place on the mantel
Although camp merchandise comes with upfront manufacturing costs, your camp will benefit from the enthusiasm for your practical offerings. To spark even more interest, try aligning your merchandise with activities in your camp program to drive home your brand identity and get campers excited about the experiences your camp provides.
Cultivating long-lasting relationships with your camp community (and especially parents) can be difficult, but the effort will always be worth it in the end. Maintain open communication with tools like parent portals to stoke interest in your camp. Reaching out to parents and offering new activities to engage the entire family will help you form deeper connections and inspire more meaningful camp contributions.
