We have successfully concluded our capital campaign launched in 2006 which
raised more than $620,000 in pledges. Your support has been unparalleled and has made it
possible to replace Nature Camp’s dated plumbing and electrical systems and make a number of other
improvements to our well-loved Camp. Your generosity is a testament to the impact this place has had
on its alumni and friends and will continue to play in the coming years.
The overwhelming number of people who have given to Camp not only through the campaign
but also through scholarship donations and volunteer events has allowed the Nature Camp
Foundation to grow from a dues-based definition of “membership” to a broader and
more inclusive system that better recognizes multiple supporters and means of
participation. For example, all individuals who make a financial gift at any level or volunteer for part
of a service weekend in a given year will continue to be gratefully acknowledged in NCF’s annual
Honor Roll of Donors and will be considered “members” for issues like voting for NCF offices. We
have graduated to a system that will ultimately allow us to reach out to more people in the Nature
Camp community and better recognize their gifts of time and money.
But why should we keep giving now that the campaign has ended?
Like the colleges and universities, churches, and civic organizations that send you financial
appeals, Nature Camp relies on your support to meet the needs – including camper scholarships,
educational and facilities enhancement, and maintenance – that are simply not covered by the campers’ tuition. Since 2007 (when Nature Camp ownership legally transferred from the Virginia
Federation of Garden Clubs), the Nature Camp community has become the primary
source for Nature Camp’s needs. While acknowledging that the economy may curtail your
philanthropic goals at this time, we ask you to keep Nature Camp in mind as you consider your
year-end donations. With your continued support, we can fulfill our vision that Nature Camp remains
a profoundly positive and formative experience for young people. Thank you for that support!
Gratefully,
Latham Schweitzer, Nature Camp Foundation Development Chair
If you would like to donate, please feel free to mail us the annual fund donation form found at
the end of the Afterglow and the enclosed return envelope.
You can also donate online here.