Grow Your Camp

What if the reason your camp's fundraising feels like a grind is that you're treating donors like an ATM? Jim Dempsey and Jason Galicinski, co-founders of Fundraising Masterminds, have watched thousands of ministry events up close, and they noticed a pattern: the organizations that raise the most aren't the ones with the best auction or the most tickets sold. They're the ones building friends who want to own the mission with them.In this conversation, Jim and Jason open up what friend raising looks like for camps, why a leaky roof or an operating budget rarely inspires anyone, and the simple question that turns a need into an opportunity people want to be part of. They also discuss how a single vision dinner can become the starting point for long-term partnerships, and what camp directors can focus on in the final weeks of the year to strengthen year-end giving.Mark P. Fisher's Quick Camp Marketing Tip is about leadership: if you want a team that owns growth, give people a goal to own, not just a task to finish.Keywordscamp fundraising, friend raising, vision dinner, Fundraising Masterminds, Perfect Vision Dinner, camp donor relationships, year-end fundraising, matching gifts, Giving Tuesday, capital campaign, camp leadership, camp growthSound Bites“A transactional relationship is what you have with an ATM.”“They come into the program thinking, I want a hundred thousand dollars, and they walk away being like, I don't even care about the money. We just got a hundred and fifty new people that love us.”“As soon as you start thinking development as a ministry and that you're building relationships, then there is no difference between your ministry and fundraising.”HostsMark P. Fisher, Inspiring GrowthCarl Lefever, Improve & GrowGuestJim Dempsey, Fundraising MastermindsJason Galicinski, Fundraising MastermindsChapters00:04 Welcome and Introductions01:21 Quick Camp Marketing Tip: Give Your Team a Goal to Own06:23 Meet Jim Dempsey and Jason Galicinski07:31 Jason's and Jim's Camp Stories16:52 How Jim and Jason Met31:05 Friend Raising vs. Fundraising35:58 Turning Needs into Exciting Opportunities44:33 What Is an Accelerator?48:26 Inside the Vision Dinner52:41 Results: From First Dinner to $1.3 Million59:49 Year-End Fundraising in the Next 60 Days1:03:49 Balancing Running Camp and Raising Money1:06:56 ClosingResourcesFundraising MastermindsYear-End Fundraising Training Fundraising Masterminds PodcastIf you’re enjoying the podcast, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes.Want to find your camp's biggest growth opportunities?Try the free Camp Growth Planner.Want Help Growing Your Camp?Click here to schedule a call.Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: VNWEWYFC5ZORLCTD

Growing your camp is exciting, but it can also create new pressures on budgets, staff, and leadership decisions. When expenses rise and money feels tight, cutting costs may seem like the obvious solution. Mark and Carl share real stories of camps that faced these challenges, including one that nearly cut its marketing budget despite record new guest group bookings, and another that discovered focusing on just two revenue streams offered a clearer path to growth than trying to improve five at once. These examples show camp leaders how to identify their biggest opportunities, understand what's really affecting revenue, and avoid decisions that could slow future growth.Mark and Carl also examine what it takes to turn more inquiries into bookings. From tracking close rates and following up consistently to training salespeople and giving them room to solve customer problems, they share practical ways to strengthen the sales process. You'll learn why a dedicated sales system matters more than commissions alone, how to evaluate whether a sales investment is paying off, and why sustainable camp growth requires both financial discipline and investing in the right people.Carl's Quick Camp Marketing Tip introduces the 80/20 rule: instead of trying to solve every problem or pursue every opportunity, identify the few priorities that can make the biggest difference. It's a practical approach to setting growth goals, focusing your team's efforts, and making meaningful progress without spreading resources too thin.Keywordscamp growth, sustainable camp growth, camp marketing, camp revenue, guest group bookings, camp sales, sales follow-up, camp leadership, marketing ROI, Pareto principle, camp capacity, camp growth planningSound Bites“Your problems and opportunities are not equally weighted.”“Curiosity and humility is what leads to the epic adventures for leaders.”“Sales is not set it and forget it.”“The magic is systems.”HostsMark P. Fisher, Inspiring GrowthCarl Lefever, Improve & GrowHave a question or topic you’d like us to cover on a future episode? Submit a topic idea.If you’re enjoying the podcast, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes.Have a question you'd like us to cover?Click here to record your question >Want Help Growing Your Camp?Click here to schedule a call >Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: NSVKYYCDWV9VKBR1

SpringHill Camps has experienced both sides of growth. Its traveling day camp program grew from roughly 3,000 campers to 19,000, creating incredible ministry opportunities while also revealing an important lesson: growth works best when the systems, margins, staffing, and quality behind it can grow too. Eric Bartz shares what SpringHill learned from that season, and how camp leaders can recognize when growth is creating healthy momentum versus stretching the organization too thin.Those lessons shaped SpringHill’s next chapter. The organization made difficult decisions to refocus its programs and resources, invest in its Michigan property, strengthen pricing and margins, and rethink how it used its 1,600-bed capacity. Eric breaks down how to think differently about unused capacity, when it may be time to let go of a program, and why better margins can create room for better experiences. At SpringHill, that focus also helped substantially grow guest group revenue by putting previously unused capacity to work.SpringHill also became more intentional about retention, using survey data, personalized texts, direct phone calls, and empowered staff to understand what was keeping families from rebooking. Combined with a continued focus on program quality, retention climbed from 52% to 61%. Camp leaders will come away with practical ideas for improving retention, evaluating growth opportunities, and building systems that support sustainable growth for the long term.Mark’s Quick Camp Marketing Tip brings that same thinking to capacity: stop telling prospective campers you’re “full.” By capturing demand with a waiting list instead, camps can fill cancellations, redirect families to available weeks, and uncover growth opportunities hiding in the capacity they already have.Keywordscamp growth, sustainable growth, camp leadership, camp capacity, camper retention, camp marketing, summer camp enrollment, retreat groups, camp pricing, customer engagement, camp revenue, SpringHill CampsSound Bites“Bigger isn’t better.”“No margin, no mission.”“Not every bed is created equal.”“A week up here shapes a lifetime out there.”HostsMark P. Fisher, Inspiring GrowthCarl Lefever, Improve & GrowGuestEric Bartz, SpringHill CampsHave a question or topic you’d like us to cover on a future episode? Submit a topic idea.If you’re enjoying the podcast, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes.Have a question you'd like us to cover?Click here to record your question >Want Help Growing Your Camp?Click here to schedule a call >Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: VNWEWYFC5ZORLCTD

Growth had been strong at Bongiorno Conference Center coming out of COVID, but by 2025 the momentum was beginning to stall. For Executive Director Carl Redding, the challenge wasn’t simply generating more business. It was figuring out what needed to change, and being willing to act on it.Rather than trying to solve everything internally, Bongiorno partnered with an outside digital marketing agency to take a fresh look at its growth opportunities. That process helped the team see both the potential ahead and the gaps that needed attention. From marketing and lead generation to inquiry follow-up and internal systems, Bongiorno began building a more intentional approach to growth. The result has been a stronger pipeline, more inquiries and bookings, and greater clarity about where the organization can go next.Carl also shares the leadership work behind that progress: addressing unhealthy staff culture, inviting trusted leaders into important decisions, empowering team members to own their areas, and knowing when outside expertise can help you see something differently. As new opportunities emerge, Bongiorno is now thinking about the next constraints to growth, including staffing, meeting space, capacity, and long-term facility planning.Carl Lefever’s Quick Camp Marketing Tip focuses on another important part of sustainable growth: keeping the guest groups you already have through proactive retreat coordination and a consistent rebooking process.Keywordscamp growth, camp marketing, retreat center marketing, Bongiorno Conference Center, digital marketing, retreat bookings, lead generation, guest group retention, camp leadership, retreat coordination, organizational growth, Christian campingSound Bites“Growth doesn’t simply happen because you want it.”“You have to communicate, communicate, overcommunicate.”“I want 100% retainment. I know it’s crazy to think like that, but why not?”“When God changes a life, it’s forever and it’s eternal.”HostsMark P. Fisher, Inspiring GrowthCarl Lefever, Improve & GrowGuestCarl Redding, Bongiorno Conference CenterResourcesRetreat Coordination Process Article>Church Event Planning Checklist>Free Camp Growth Planner App >If you’re enjoying the podcast, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes.Have a question you'd like us to cover?Click here to record your question >Want Help Growing Your Camp?Click here to schedule a call >Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: GBZT62DX8P3EDCBP

Camp technology often forces camps to change the way they work to fit the software. The team behind The One App took the opposite approach: learn how camps actually operate, then build technology around them.Michael John Stanley (MJ), Alan Brown, and Lindy Pinkerton share how that process began with visits to 10 camps and expanded into conversations with roughly 60 camps, plus real-world beta testing. What emerged was a consistent problem: camps were stitching together registration systems, spreadsheets, calendars, contracts, emails, whiteboards, and staff knowledge just to keep operations moving.Their response centers on what Lindy calls the Five C’s: contracts, calendars, communications, CRM, and coordinating. The conversation gets practical about guest-group registration, knowing who is actually on property, communicating between departments, coordinating meals and facilities, and giving staff access to the information they need without burying them in another complicated system.Mark’s quick marketing tip also tackles WIIFM—“What’s In It For Me?”—and why camp marketing should focus less on what your camp has and more on what those features make possible for campers, parents, churches, and retreat groups.Keywordscamp technology, camp management software, camp operations, camp registration, guest group registration, camp CRM, camp communication, operational efficiency, camp management systems, retreat center software, sustainable camp growth, The One AppSound Bites“Camping found me.” — MJ“You’re basically running a city at a camp.” — Alan Brown“Everything is fragmented.” — Lindy Pinkerton“Get staff out from behind the desk and out doing mission.” — Alan BrownHostsMark P. Fisher, Inspiring GrowthCarl Lefever, Improve & GrowGuestsMichael John Stanley (MJ), The One AppAlan Brown, The One AppLindy Pinkerton, The One AppResourcesThe One App — Learn more or schedule a demo.If you’re enjoying the podcast, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes.Have a question you'd like us to cover?Click here to record your question >Want Help Growing Your Camp?Click here to schedule a call >Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: NKEL9IWUMNG2LTC0