For a lot of directors I work with, camp is going great, and they wouldn't change too much. Still, they have goals and want help with strategy, problem-solving, and another set of eyes on things to help them in decision-making processes.
An almost universal sentiment is that running camp is getting more challenging, not less. Why is that? The campers, staff, and parents all have more needs and challenges. Insurance and other costs keep rising while it can be more difficult to keep raising tuition at a rate to keep up. Directors are pulled in more directions than ever before.
Here are some examples of themes from 2024 that I've been working through with multiple camp directors:
Whom can you go to with help problem-solving, venting, and bouncing ideas off? You support a LOT of people. Who is there to support you?
How to make the most of your year-round team: creating positions, eliminating positions, and finding people who will be in it for the long haul.
What is your camp's road map for the next several years? While your camp may or may not need a formal "strategic plan," it is always beneficial to have a roadmap and a sense of strategy. It feels like a burden lifted when you can keep looking back at where you've been and pinpoint where you want to be.
Getting a pulse on what other camps are doing in several areas
Camper enrollment: how to increase retention and market for new campers in an increasingly crowded summer marketplace
Looking at your books: All camps - "non-profit" and "for-profit" - are businesses.
Your goal with the books is to ensure that you're making a net "profit" at the end of each year so that you can invest back into camp.
Is everything really where it should be? Do you have a good system? Are you categorizing things correctly to ensure that your fixed assets are actually reflect what our camp is worth?
If you have a board you report to, how well do they understand smart and necessary investments?
Maintenance and facilities: where do you invest? How do you figure out what the smartest investments are? What new or renovated facilities, or structures, are going to attract more campers and/or keep your camper and staff base the happiest? What are families really looking for in terms of facilities?
How to deal with staff issues that are present in both the summer and the off-season. What kind of communication is needed differently in the off-season when a problem arises?
How can you better prepare for mental health events BEFORE CAMP that might happen during the summer with campers as well as staff?
The camp director and social worker in me loves to talk to directors. Set up a time to talk about the above points and more at your camp, and how other camps might be different or similar to the way yours is running. (Everything is always confidential.)
Happy Holidays,
Nick
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