Care Camps History

The KOA Care Camps program began in 1984 with establishment of the Care Camps Trust. That year donations from KOA owners and their campers totaled $7,100, which was divided among six camps for children with cancer. In 1989, eight new camps were added to the program, including two in Canada. Through the continued generosity and dedication of KOA owners and campers, the program has grown steadily, and presently the Care Camps Trust is able to contribute to a total of 43 camps. Each year now several thousand children who have been affected by cancer are touched by Care Camps donations.

The Trust takes its responsibility for giving money away very seriously. It supports camps that serve only children who have cancer, or are in remission. A sibling may come, too, for they also are deeply affected as the family deals with this illness. 

Each year there is an extensive review of every sponsored camp. To confirm the need for support, financial information from the previous year and the budget for the current year are carefully examined. 

In a detailed questionnaire camp directors are asked to indicate: number of volunteer staff, number of paid staff, previous year’s attendance and cost per camper, along with projections for the current year. Also requested is a list of other major donors to the camp, as well as the number of children who are turned away because the family could not afford the fee, or because the camp did not have facilities or finances to accommodate them.   

Once the completed questionnaires are received, they are reviewed and evaluated by Care Camps Trust members who judge how effectively each camp uses its funds. They are dedicated to ensuring that the children will enjoy a quality experience. Donors to Care Camps can be confident that their contributions are used wisely. With the program consisting of nearly all volunteers, Care Camps is proud that over 90% of the funds received go directly to the cancer camps. Administrative costs and paid staff account for the balance.