About two years ago I had a vision for a Inner City Christian Camp servicing Central North Carolina. This camp was going to provide an outdoor summer camp to kids from underprivileged families. I love summer camp and have a passion for seeing ALL kids get this fantastic opportunity from a Christian perspective. I was planning this camp for awhile, even to the point of having others edit my business plan. It was really cruising along but I realized that, while I was serving the right people, my love for camp was getting in the way of God's plan. God would have me use my experience in business, my business degree, and my experience and passion for summer camp in a different arena. This arena is a summer camp scholarship organization, one by the name of: Living Hope Camping Foundation, Inc.
A scholarship foundation servicing NC Christian camps meets the needs of the people I want to serve much greater. Why? The budget expenses for a summer camp would only allow a 15-20% scholarship allocation for a camp that would not be able to provide camp, with excellence, for a significant number of years. The budget for Living Hope will allow for much greater scholarship numbers, numbers as high as 55-70%. In the early years Living Hope will likely allocate 55 - 60% of donations toward scholarships, or camperships, with this allocation increasing as fundraising requires less (approx. 20% of budget for a start-up non-profit) and as Living Hope develops an Emergency Fund. Basically Living Hope simply offers much less overhead costs, while supporting great Christian camps, already providing summer camp with excellence.
Whats Next?
The biggest and most significant next step is 5o1c3 status. With this status Living Hope will achieve tax-exemption, and donations will be tax deductible. Once this milestone is reached Living Hope will be able to really begin charging into the future! Their are several small steps that must be done, including, but not limited to:
Pray unceasingly
Open a bank account
Begin a relationship with a lawyer/accountant
Learn from other non-profit leaders
Build relationships with camp directors and ministry leaders
File for all necessary certificates, etc.
Marketing (such as developing a website and business cards)
Form a board (At least three people before filing for 5o1c3 status)
The 501c3 process does take awhile to complete, but the goal for Living Hope is to provide camperships to campers in the 2012 summer camping season. The summer of 2012 may not be a large summer, campership-wise, but it will be a fun summer, and a great milestone in the life of Living Hope Camping Foundation. If you desire to help Living Hope Camping Foundation, Inc. in any way please connect to me through our facebook page, using the link below, while the website is under construction.
