Making connections that last a lifetime.
Camper Incentive Grants
Summers at both Jewish day and overnight camps are packed with a wide range of fun activities—aquatics, arts and crafts, basketball and soccer, dance, music, cooking, archery, drama, outdoor adventure and hiking, and much more! Campers are encouraged to discover new skills and interests they never knew they had. Jewish summer camp weaves Jewish values, culture, and traditions into the fabric of camp, helping campers to connect to their own identity as well as the larger Jewish community. Experiential learning is used to reveal what makes Jewish religion and culture so unique in today’s world as campers explore what Judaism means to them in a safe, nurturing, and fun environment. The impact of Jewish camp is immediate—campers return home connected to a community and friends that will last them a lifetime.
One Happy Camper
The One Happy Camper Program was conceived with the singular mission of increasing the number of children benefiting from the transformative experience of Jewish overnight camp. Aimed at attracting new campers who do not have daily, immersive exposure to Judaism, the program provides financial incentives to families of first-time campers to encourage and motivate parents to choose Jewish overnight camp over other summer options. One Happy Camper grant recipients – just like all Jewish campers – will experience a memorable summer infused with Jewish education, awareness, and identity.
The Buffalo One Happy Camper Program provides the following incentive grants, regardless of need, for first-time campers:
- $1,000 if the camper is enrolled for 19+ consecutive days
- $700 if the camper is enrolled for 12-18 consecutive days
Eligibility criteria for first-time* campers:
- Must be entering grades 1-12 (after camp)
- Do not attend Jewish day school or yeshiva (Why is that?)
- Attending a nonprofit, Jewish, overnight camp listed on Find A Camp
- *Campers who previously attended camp for 11 days or less are still eligible
The Buffalo One Happy Camper program is in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) and made possible through the generous support of The David Feuerstein Family Foundation.
Questions about our camper incentive grants?
Contact Mandy Weiss
Assistant Director of Operations
Mandy and her family landed in Buffalo in 2015 from Chicago. She is committed to working with her colleagues throughout Jewish Buffalo to seek and develop new ways to strengthen our partnerships. Mandy attributes her personal and professional passions in the Jewish community to her time spent at Jewish day and overnight camp. Her own kids now also love their time at both Jewish day and overnight camp each summer and look forward to it all year long! When not in the office, you can find Mandy at the gym, with her kids, exploring new Buffalo restaurants or embracing winter on the ski slopes and enjoying her backyard ice skating rink with her family.