This month, JCamp 180^®, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF), hosted more than 450 leaders from non-profit Jewish camps and other organizations during its 12th annual conference. During the event, top individuals and camps were honored for their growth in managing their daily operations and for their collective efforts in raising $90 million through HGF’s matching challenge grant campaigns to support Jewish children’s camps across the country.

Michele Burger, was presented with the Outstanding Board Leadership Award for her significant contributions benefiting generations of Jewish children. Ms. Burger is the President of the Board of Directors of Camp Judaea, in Hendersonville, N.C.  During her term as President, the Camp Judaea board has strengthened its governance practices, revised its by-laws, recruited new executive leadership, developed and implemented a new strategic plan, and inspired new levels of philanthropy.  As a result of Michele’s commitment to strengthening the board, CJ’s enrollment has grown by over 50% and over $4 million has been raised in capital and scholarship campaigns.

“With this award, Ms. Burger joins a distinguished group of board leaders who have made significant contributions to the world of Jewish camps,” said JCamp 180^® Director Mark Gold. “We are thrilled to have been able to recognize her contributions through this award.”

To date, JCamp 180^® has contributed more than $15 million in matching grant funds and $14 million in consulting services, which equates to more than 80,000 hours, for Jewish children’s overnight and day camps. The result: Jewish camps have raised another $225 million on their own to be used for capital improvements, expansions, and endowments, helping Jewish camp attendance grow from 43,000 in 2004 to 73,000 campers across the nation today.

Today, JCamp 180^® serves 115 camps. The goal of the program is to engage Jewish camp leaders in utilizing best practices, helping them to grow attendance by improving their facilities, better using technology and social media, and raising funds for scholarships, capital improvements, and endowments. JCamp 180^® staff work onsite with camp professional and lay leaders to help with board development, governance, strategic planning, alumni outreach, and other personalized organizational, recruitment, and fundraising initiatives. Participating camps take part in successive matching grant initiatives led by JCamp 180^®.

“JCamp 180^® has played a major role in transforming camps into more professional and sophisticated organizations,” says Gold. “This program has helped these non-profit Jewish camps raise more money in the last ten years than they had in the previous four decades, thereby enabling them to better compete with other non-profit and for-profit camps.”

During the 12^th annual JCamp 180 Conference, participants took part in training sessions, workshops, networking opportunities, and speaking programs geared to help non-profits better manage their operations. Speakers included Cara Greene Epstein, Steven Meyers, the author of Personalized Philanthropy: Crash the Fundraising Matrix, Rabbi Marc Baker, Head of Gann Academy in Waltham, MA and former Pomegranate Prize winner, and Peter Himmelman, the Emmy and Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and author.  These speakers and dozens of workshop leaders led discussion on the conference theme “Open, Generous, and Connected.”  Other topics covered included fundraising, board development, strategic planning, enrollment, and technology.

About JCamp 180®:

JCamp 180^® is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, located in Agawam, Massachusetts. JCamp 180^® provides training and support to the Boards of Directors of non-profit Jewish overnight camps and selected educational institutions in the areas of Board Development, Strategic Planning, and Development. In addition to this Board support, JCamp 180^®also provides these institutions with technology assistance ranging from Web-related services to donor databases and social media. For further information about JCamp 180^®, visit www.JCamp180.org.