Third round of Jewish specialty camps to launch with $10 million gift

NEW YORK (JTA) — The Foundation for Jewish Camp has received a $10 million grant to help establish a third set of Jewish specialty camps.

The money from the Jim Joseph Foundation will fund Incubator III, which will help establish four Jewish specialty camps. A total of nine such camps — including one focused on business entrepreneurialism, an environmental sustainability-focused camp and two sports ones — were created in previous incubators, with the first round of camps opening in 2010.

The New York-based Foundation for Jewish Camp’s incubator is designed to create camps that integrate Jewish learning with activities that kids are passionate about – such as performing arts, health and wellness, science and technology, and outdoor adventure.

Incubator III will provide funding to the new camps during their planning, startup and first three years of operation, and evaluate the progress of each camp’s development. Each new camp will receive startup investment and operational funding for three years of up to $1.4 million pegged to performance goals.

Campers at Camp Inc. create a brochure for their company Underdog, which pairs troubled teens with rescued or abused dogs. (Courtesy of Camp Inc.)

The camps launched through Incubator I and II have served more than 5,000 unique campers in six years.

“The Specialty Camps Incubators have raised the profile of Jewish camp and has allowed the field to continue to expand, grow, and attract children and teens from all backgrounds,” Jeremy Fingerman, the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s CEO, said in a news release. “We are grateful for the Jim Joseph Foundation’s incredible investment in our field.”

FJC expects the four new camps to serve annually, in aggregate, 1,200 campers and 160 college-aged counselors by the conclusion of the grant period (December 2020, after three summers). The Incubator team will provide training and mentoring to support the cohort as they plan and implement their vision for new models of Jewish specialty camps.

FJC is accepting proposals for the four new specialty camps.

Source: “Third Round of Jewish Specialty Camps to Launch with $10 million gift, JTA, April 14, 2016