Make Your Gift to Keep Keewaydin’s Programs Strong Now and In The Future!
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The Paddling Forward Campaign…
is a comprehensive capital campaign which seeks to address four key priorities: Expanding scholarships, enhancing staff leadership, building cash reserves, and upgrading facilities. The positive impact of the funds raised during the campaign will be felt by all of Keewaydin Foundation’s programs now and well into the future. This campaign is about the careful stewardship of Keewaydin and all that it encompasses; and it is about looking forward to ensure that future generations have access to the deeply meaningful and formative experiences that so many generations of campers have cherished for over a century! With a goal of $20M , please join us in our commitment to keep our beloved programs strong and to keep Keewaydin Paddling Forward!
Why Now?
The Keewaydin Foundation and its programs are fortunate to be thriving. For over 130 years of history, Keewaydin has been providing exceptional programs that provide young people the opportunity to develop self-confidence, character, leadership, and sense of adventure. The success of our programs today is a testament to a legacy of offering formative experiences that have fostered personal growth, deep friendships, and an appreciation of the natural world. The Keewaydin camps are thriving and continue to deliver the highest quality experience to our campers and KEEC students. In an ever-changing world, however, it is critical to look ahead strategically, to ensure kids continue to have access to the experiences that the Keewaydin programs provide and to ensure that Keewaydin continues to have the ability to deliver them. Prior to initiating this campaign, the Keewaydin Foundation was fortunate to be in a position of strength, which allowed the Board of Trustees to work with leadership staff to develop a strategic plan that is rooted in immediate needs and anticipated challenges in the future. In doing so, several forward-looking priorities emerged that are vital to the continued success of our programs.
Four Priorities
Expanding Scholarships: Middle-Income Scholarships
GOAL: $4.5M
Keewaydin camper families largely fall into two distinct groups: high-income, full-paying families and low-income scholarship families. The Paddling Forward Campaign seeks to eliminate this demographic “barbell effect” by providing access to more campers from middle-income families, while maintaining support for low-income families. Broadening access to scholarships will make camp attainable for the kids of more of our alumni, as well as allow the camps to welcome more new families.
• Broaden access to camp for kids from families who otherwise cannot afford tuition
• Enhance socio-economic diversity to enrich the camp experience for all campers
• Expand the pool of potential campers to help the camps maintain strong enrollment
IMPACT: Provide 50% tuition assistance to approximately 25-30 middle-income, full-season summer campers and tuition discounts to 200 one-week KEEC students.
Enhancing Leadership: Staff Excellence Fund
GOAL: $6M
Nothing is more important to our programs than having outstanding staff at all levels. Our campers must be surrounded by mature, caring, talented, and confident staff who serve as role models, wilderness guides, mentors, and teachers. It is imperative that Keewaydin compensate and care for its staff in a way that is commensurate with their high quality and
consistent with the work they do. Being able to attract, hire, and retain the right people, in all positions, ensures the excellence of the camper experience and the stewardship of the legacy of the camps themselves.
- Attract, hire, and train the best staff in the camping industry
- Build experience and institutional knowledge among staff by supporting and retaining them
- Ensure continuity of leadership by preparing for succession
IMPACT: Provide Keewaydin with the resources to hire highly skilled and “best-fit” candidates, and cover salary overlaps, training costs, and other costs associated with developing the next leaders of Keewaydin.
Building Cash Reserves: The Preservation Fund
GOAL: $4M
At the start of the Paddling Forward Campaign, the Keewaydin Foundation had cash reserves equivalent to approximately 4% of the overall annual budget. Building Keewaydin’s operating reserves will provide a financial buffer from economic challenges and unforeseen expenses (such as the Covid-19 pandemic and 2018 forest fires in the Temagami region). The Preservation Fund will also allow Keewaydin to respond to opportunities as they arise, including purchasing land adjacent to our camps or in important tripping territories. The Preservation Fund will serve as a bedrock of unrestricted funds which will provide stable ground for the Keewaydin Foundation in a uncertain world.
- Build cash reserves to protect Keewaydin’s future against major
unforeseen threats and financial challenges - Provide the ability to respond to timely opportunities
- Ensure affordability across Keewaydin’s programs by restraining year-to-year
tuition increases
IMPACT: Build cash reserves equivalent to at least 60% of the total annual operating budget to protect Keewaydin’s programs from unexpected expenses and income disruptions, and to capitalize on timely strategic opportunities.
Upgrading Facilities: Capital Improvements
GOAL: $3.5M
Proper maintenance of our facilities signals a proactive safety mindset that addresses risk and capacity issues before they happen. Buildings make up just a fraction of our campuses, but the spirit of the camps emanate from them, they are endowed with decades of memories, and they are critical to our programs’ success. Investing in long-term assets, like buildings, infrastructure, and equipment, helps to maintain an excellent camper experience, improve operational efficiency, expand capacity, stay competitive, achieve strategic goals, and preserve the character of our camps.
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- Maintain our camp facilities to ensure safety and maximum
functionality and to prevent costly deferred maintenance - Build new facilities or rebuild existing facilities to address current program
needs while anticipating future needs - Steward the grounds and buildings which imbue the character of our camps
and have historical and sentimental value for our campers and alumni
- Maintain our camp facilities to ensure safety and maximum
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IMPACT: Impact: Create a maintenance and depreciation fund to keep facilities properly maintained. Fund capital projects, at all three camps. At Songadeewin: construct a multipurpose building, staff bathhouse, and history building. At Keewaydin Dunmore: replace the Wangan Room and camp office, and build a “York House” addition. At Keewaydin Temagami: build new camper cabins and staff housing, and renovate the camp office. At Ojibway Family Lodge: Replace the shower house.
Ways To Give
Keewaydin Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The Keewaydin Foundation accepts gifts to the campaign through a variety of tools and resources. Together we will structure a gift that fulfills your philanthropic intentions and provides the most impact to support our campaign. Campaign staff and volunteers are happy to work with you and/or your professional advisor to ensure your gift is significant, strategic, and efficient.
The Keewaydin Foundation welcomes contributions that further its mission; such donations may provide a tax-deductible opportunity for donors who itemize their deductions on their income tax returns. For more information, please contact Mary Welz, mary@keewaydin.org. The following are some ways a donor might give to the Paddling Forward Campaign.
Donate Now!
Checks
Checks made payable to “Keewaydin Foundation” can be sent to 500 Rustic Lane, Salisbury, VT 05679 Please include “Paddling Forward Campaign” in the check memo line.
Securities
Donating appreciated stocks, bonds or mutual funds may provide you with significant tax benefits. Please contact us directly: mary@keewaydin.org or 802-352-4247 to learn more. Advance notice is requested when depositing eligible securities and options.
Bequests and Retirement Plans
A bequest permits you to make a significant donation without diminishing the assets available to you during your lifetime. Naming the Keewaydin Foundation as a beneficiary of your retirement plan may also be a wise tax strategy.
Life Insurance
You can transfer ownership of a paid-up life insurance policy to the Keewaydin Foundation which may have significant tax savings.
Planned Gifts of Advised Funds or Trusts
Please contact us directly at mary@keewaydin.org or 802-352-4247 to discuss the options available for a planned gift. We would be pleased to work with you and your advisors to discuss all legal, tax or other financial issues related to your gift or bequest.
Real Estate, Life Tenancy, and Personal Property
Real property, such as a vacation home, may be given to support the campaign as an outright gift to the Keewaydin Foundation or the donor may prefer to retain the right to occupy the property for life. Requires prior approval of the Keewaydin Foundation Gift Review Committee.
Because the Keewaydin Foundation is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service and Canada as a 501(c)3 charitable organization, supporters can donate almost any type of asset and
gifts will provide the maximum tax benefits allowed by law. We encourage you to contact our campaign staff to talk about your gift, but tax advice should be
sought from accounting or legal professionals.
Contact Us
Have Questions? To get more information on making a gift or multi-year pledge to the Paddling Forward Campaign, please fill out the form below and we will get back to you! You can also contact Mary or John directly at the Keewaydin Foundation office at 802.352.4247 or send an email (contact information below).
Mary Welz
Director of Development
mary@keewaydin.org
