Hole in the Wall Gang Fund, Inc.
A different kind of healing
Learn how to support this organization
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
"The need is great, and so are the opportunities to make a difference - one smile at a time." - Camp Founder Paul Newman The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp serves children coping with serious illnesses including cancer, sickle cell disease and other rare diagnoses. Long hospital stays, invasive medical treatments, fear and isolation are just some of the challenges they regularly encounter. Medical needs dictate their activities, with little room for personal input, and they often miss out on school and other activities. Hole in the Wall was founded with one simple premise in mind - that every child, no matter their illness, could experience the transformation spirit and friendships that go hand-in-hand with camp. Behind every seriously ill child is a family in crisis. Parents and siblings also face fear, uncertainty and helplessness. It is with this in mind that Hole in the Wall offers year-round programs that provide "a different kind of healing" to the entire family.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Summer Program
At the core of all of our programming is our signature summer program. Seven glorious week-long sessions in Ashford, Conn. that serve seriously ill children and one additional week dedicated to their healthy siblings. Campers aged 7 – 15 ride horses, create crafts, swim and so much more, as they bond with other children facing similar challenges and learn they are capable of so much more than they ever thought possible.
Journey Year
Adolescents aged 16-17 choose their own journeys towards adulthood with two distinct programs that provide opportunities for growth and self-discovery. In the Hero's Journey® program, participants spend a week in the woods of Connecticut learning self-reliance, positive communication and teamwork through a variety of exciting challenges and wilderness first aid training. With a home base in the Young Adult Lodge, Champion's Journey helps participants gain similar skills using the Camp environment. Participants from both programs will come together following the summer for a nine-month virtual program - Journey On - which will build upon their experiences from their in-person programming and solidify skills that will prepare them to embrace the full promise of their future.
Junior Staff
Former campers aged 17-18 are eligible to apply for a Junior Staff position at camp. The program enables Junior Staff members to attend one-week sessions at Camp where they will gain personal and professional skills through immersive experiences that will help prepare them for whatever their future holds, whether at Camp or beyond. Participants will learn firsthand through summer counselor mentorship how the magic of Camp is created, while also becoming the Magic creators themselves.
Hospital Outreach
The Hospital Outreach Program (HOP) allows us to bring the joy and fun of Camp beyond the Camp grounds to children and families in a hospital setting.
From arts & crafts to interactive games, HOP activities are inspired by our summer Camp program but are specially adapted to each unique hospital and clinic setting. And just like at Camp, all interactions are child-driven, restoring choice – something children undergoing medical treatment so often lack.
CampOut
CampOut brings the joy and fun of Camp to campers and their families right in their hometowns. The program helps the magic and connections of Camp continue throughout the year as a team of traveling specialists drive a whimsical van filled with Camp-style activities, crafts and games to locations throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, including camper homes and communities.
Family Weekends
Running in the fall and spring at our facility in Ashford, weekend programs continue the healing power of Camp beyond the summer months and create a memorable experience for the entire family. Families share in Camp activities and enjoy the company of other families who understand the issues they are facing.
Parent Programs
Parent Programs bring the healing power of Camp to parents and caregivers. Year-round opportunities such as opening day parent picnics, parent work days and parent retreats held on and offsite, Parent Programs offer current camper parents a multitude of ways to expand their supportive community and connect with other Camp families.
Bereavement Program
For families who have lost a child aged 0-18 to serious illness, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp offers a residential bereavement program. The program includes a total of three weekends over the course of 12 months where families will find connection and a community of support among others who understand their experiences of loss. Families share in Camp activities, participate in group sessions facilitated by a trained bereavement specialist and a gathering each evening to remember and celebrate the children who have died.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Serious Fun Children's Network 2008
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
States served through Hospital Outreach
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Hospital Outreach
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
After a significant regional expansion in 2015, the Hospital Outreach Program has focused on increased services within existing partners. In 2019, the program expanded further into the mid-Atlantic
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Our volunteers make the magic of Camp possible. Each year, thousands of volunteers support Camp programs and special events and provide office and facilities assistance.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp provides “a different kind of healing" to more than 20,000 seriously ill children and family members annually – all completely free of charge. For many of these children and families, Hole in the Wall provides multiple Camp experiences throughout the year at the facility in Ashford, Conn., in more than 40 hospitals and clinics, directly in camper homes and communities, and through other outreach activities across the Northeast.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Through Hole in the Wall's year-round programs, seriously ill children find a community of friendship and support where they discover they are so much more than their illness. Activities are intentionally designed to meet children where they are at medically and physically, and help restore a sense of normalcy. Children are provided the ability to choose their activities, something they often can't have in a medical setting. They experience hope in the face of fear and uncertainty, and are able to simply be a kid. For many of the children and families that Camp serves, Hole in the Wall provides multiple interactions throughout the year, keeping the Camp smiles going.
We serve children and families both onsite at our facility in Ashford, Conn. and offsite through outreach programs all across the Northeast. Through Hospital Outreach programming, joy, laughter and connections to seriously ill children and families in in more than 40 locations. Family Outreach programs provide children and families with more frequent Camp connections throughout the year and a regional network of support right in their homes and hometowns.
Hole in the Wall continues to foster partnerships with organizations like the National Organization for Rare Disorders, the New England Hemophilia Association and others to ensure we are reaching those who are most in need of our services.
All programming is offered free of charge.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
All programming at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is intentionally designed to maximize outcomes. Our staff undergoes in-depth training on skills ranging from helping campers build friendships to managing illnesses. The facility and activities are modified to meet children where they are at both medically and physically, thereby allowing children to challenge their perceived limitations in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment.
Camp's medical facility - the OK Corral - provides state of the art care via a significant, yet unobtrusive medical presence that provides the sophisticated care needed without distracting from the fun. Children are given treatments onsite, and where possible, directly in program so they don't miss out on activities. Treatments the infirmary can provide include medications (oral, IV, IM, subcu), IV infusions (medications, fluids, nutrition), G/J-tube feedings, chemotherapy, central line care and more.
Hole in the Wall's Hospital Outreach and Family Outreach teams consist of highly skilled facilitators of fun who bring Camp-style games and activities directly to children and family members. Their approach fosters joy, self-expression and a feeling of accomplishment, while helping forge connections, friendship and a sense of community beyond the gates of Camp.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
During its first summer in 1988, Camp served 288 children. Since that time Hole in the Wall has evolved from a summer program into a vibrant year-round community that operates both onsite and with regional programs throughout the Northeast. Many of the children and families served experience multiple Camp programs throughout the year at the facility in Ashford, Conn., in more than 40 hospitals and clinics, directly in camper homes and communities, and through other outreach activities across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Our organizational growth has and continues to be inextricably linked to the diverse needs of the children and families we serve. Parent-specific programs were added in the early 1990s. Shortly after, spring and fall Family Weekends began. In 2002, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp launched its Hospital Outreach Program, which extends the hope and healing power of Camp to hospitalized children across the Northeast. In 2013, Hole in the Wall launched our mobile CampOut program allowing us to serve campers and families right in their homes and hometowns. CampOut’s goal is to continue the connections and healing of Camp throughout the year.
Each summer, Camp now welcomes campers aged seven – 15 to our Connecticut location where they experience joy, hope and healing surrounded by others who understand their challenges. Seven week-long sessions dedicated to seriously ill children offer traditional camp activities. An eighth session is dedicated to healthy siblings, who find kindred spirits in peers who simply “get it.” Additionally, for those who have aged out of our traditional program, our Young Adult programs offer a variety of choices to continue their journey with Camp.
In spring and fall, Camp offers Family Weekends, each weekend welcomes approximately 25 families for a joy-filled experience fostering powerful friendships and strengthening support networks. Families enjoy a full range of program areas complete with round-the-clock medical care. Like all Camp programs, Family Weekends are provided entirely free of charge.
Camp now offers a residential bereavement program for families who have lost a child aged 0 – 18 to serious illness.The program includes a total of three weekends over the course of 12 months where families will find connection and a community of support among others who understand their experiences of loss. Families share in Camp activities, participate in group sessions facilitated by a trained bereavement specialist and a gathering each evening to remember and celebrate the children who have died.
In 2024, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp plans to open a location on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, providing a centrally-located site for Mid-Atlantic families most impacted by serious illness.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Hole in the Wall Gang Fund, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 10/30/2024
Mr. Raymond Lamontagne
Raymond Lamontagne
Adam C. Jed
Khaled F. Alhegelan
Daniel R. Kail
Richard D. Kayne
Sandy Koufax
Gregory P. Brousseau
Andy Crowley
James Naughton
Melissa S. Newman
Gary Kupfer
Lynn Fusco
Ursula L. Gwynne
Peter Schottland
Stefani LiDestri
Bradley Cooper
Terry Coughlin
Christina Horner
Bridget Moynahan
Allison E. Picott
JD
Bonnie Ferro
Jay Levine
Kingdar Prussien
Steven Choi
MD
Jeffrey H Horstman
Paula Johnson
MD
Patrick J Nichols
Matt Sheeleigh
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Not applicable -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/19/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.