The Settle Up Challenge is a gift-matching campaign that invites members of the community to match donations to Camp for All Kids made by our counselors and staff from their end-of-summer camp paychecks. Camp for All Kids, the successor to what you may remember as the Scholarship Fund, facilitates racial diversity at North Star and five other summer camps (Birch Trail, Chippewa, Kamaji, Menominee and Timberlane) by providing scholarships called “camperships” to kids from underserved communities to attend camp. It’s a simple and highly effective way to benefit kids who otherwise wouldn’t get a summer camp experience.
The North Star Settle Up Challenge is great way to model philanthropic dedication for our current staff. The staff hear stories about Alumni, read their names on plaques, and see photos in the Lodge and feel the history of camp every day. (We have second and even third generation North Star men on the staff too.)
Many of you were counselors at North Star, so you know that giving back part of a modest camp salary is quite generous for our staff members. We had tremendous results last summer when more than 50 North Star staff members donated over $3,800, and 40 North Star alumni pledged matching donations totaling over $22,000. As a result, the Settle Up Challenge raised more than $25,000! You can make your pledge by simply emailing Andy (andy@northstarcamp.com) with your commitment. You can set a cap on your matching gift. We already have raised over $25,000 in matching donations for this year, and are looking to beat last year by even more!
Here’s how the Challenge works: If a North Star counselor contributes, say, $20 and ten alumni match it, that donation turns into $200. (We suggest a minimum of $500 for your matching gift.) We will total up the donations from current camp staff and contact anyone who donated during the week of August 13th to tell you the amount raised by the staff. You can then go to the Camp for All Kids website and make your tax-deductible matching gift.
This year, 28 campers attended North Star through Camp for All Kids “camperships.” These kids not only make lifelong friendships and experience the magic of camp, they also contribute so much to the camp culture. North Star contributors have been the heart and soul of Camp for All Kids since its inception. Please contact us at andy@northstarcamp.com with any questions.
