PLATINUM2022

Camp Fire Sandusky County

At Camp Fire it begins now! Light the Fire Within!

aka Camp Fire Sandusky County   |   Fremont, OH   |  http://www.campfiresc.org

Mission

Because we are a youth service organization we believe youth should also understand our purpose which is why we don't have a mission, but yet a promise. Youth typically understand what a promise is and this is our promise to youth and our community, " Young People want to Shape the world. Camp Fire provides the opportunity to find their spark, lift their voice, and discover who they are. In Camp Fire, it begins now. Light the fire within."

Notes from the nonprofit

Camp Fire Sandusky County would like to thank you for reviewing our non-profit information! We value all of our funders, parents, and most importantly our youth!!! We look forward to future growth and development to ensure the future of today's youth is impactful! Thank You for supporting youth programming!

Ruling year info

1958

CEO/Executive Director

Mrs. Tory Nichole Thompson MOD

Main address

2100 Baker Rd

Fremont, OH 43420 USA

Show more contact info

Formerly known as

Camp Fire Buckeye Council

EIN

34-6401702

NTEE code info

Camp Fire (O43)

Leadership Development (W70)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Camp Fire National Headquarters in collaboration with the Thrive Foundation for Youth, have also identified a need for developing work skills through positive youth development. Camp Fire Sandusky County realizes that there is no “one size fits all” program that will address the numerous issues that our youth face today, but our programming can start to identify and develop these skills early on in life. Camp Fire has determined through our program surveys, that when youth participate in our programs, they discover their inherent strengths and participants develop the skills which directly correlate with what employers are missing from millennials in the workforce. Specifically, our teenage Counselors in Training (CIT) participants will learn important leadership skills at our training sessions and have hands-on experience as part of their supervisory role at summer camps. We at Camp Fire Sandusky County help young people grasp a fuller view of their potential.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Year Round Programs

Camp Fire Sandusky County is inclusive and barrier free. Programs are designed for the entire family, however a family defines itself. Programs have 50+ weeks of activities and are asset based; social and developmental competencies are included in every activity. Programs and experiences build specific skills, are inclusive, help develop youth-adult partnerships and include service-learning as well as direct community service. Core programs include small group mentoring experiences such as Community Family Club, bringing whole families together; service-learning and leadership development; day and resident camping; child care; and self reliance courses delivered in collaboration with schools. Camp Fire measures program effectiveness and outcomes using a state of the art Outcome Measurement Tool Kit.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

Camp Fire National Headquarters 1926

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Hours of mentoring

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Children and youth, Social and economic status, Family relationships

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Number of youth who identify, manage, and appropriately express emotions and behaviors

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Children and youth

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

82 percent of youth in Camp Fire Sandusky County programs said they thought through their decisions before acting on them. Increasing social emotional learning is a key aspect at Camp Fire!

Number of youth who consider the implications of their actions on others, their community, and the environment

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Children and youth

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

80 percent of youth said they want to make a difference in their world and community based on being a part of Camp Fire Sandusky County Programming!

Number of youth who volunteer/participate in community service

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Adolescents

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Teen leadership is a pillar at Camp Fire Sandusky County through our CIT program Teens are leaders of our summer camps, and through our Teens In Action/Youth Move teens give back to their community.

Number of youth who demonstrate that they have developed social skills (e.g., interpersonal communication, conflict resolution)

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Children and youth

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

84 percent of youth said that Camp Fire has taught them that even when they are mad at someone, I try to talk to that person about what I felt. 80 percent said they try to understand the other person.

Number of youth who demonstrate that they have developed skills and attitudes to make physical activity a habit

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Children and youth

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

100 percent of parents surveyed said their child(ren) partook in more outdoor time and exploration than if they would have been at home or in an alternative setting.

Number of youth who demonstrate that they have developed positive relationships

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Children and youth

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

100 percent of youth surveyed said they gain a new friend or mentor from being a part of Camp Fire Sandusky County Programs

Number of youth who demonstrate that they have developed knowledge about occupations

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Children and youth

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

100 percent of our Teen Leaders surveyed said they have gained a new employment skill from being a part of our programs.

Number of youth who demonstrate that they have developed a strong sense of self

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Children and youth

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

94 percent of youth surveyed said they were able to identify their Spark-passion in life from being a part of Camp Fire Programs.

Number of youth who demonstrate that they avoid bullying behaviors

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Children and youth

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

100 percent of youth are educated on bullying behavior. 70 percent of youth said that Camp Fire has taught them that even when they are mad at someone, I try to talk to that person about what I felt.

Number of youth who demonstrate that they are aware of their interests and abilities

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Children and youth

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

95 percent of youth surveyed said they were able to identify their Spark-passion in life from being a part of Camp Fire Programs.

Number of youth who demonstrate leadership skills (e.g., organizing others, taking initiative, team-building)

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Children and youth

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Leadership retreats, teens in action and our CIT program allow teens to lead team building activities, lead younger youth and increase soft skills development.

Number of youth-led community service projects

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Adolescents

Related Program

Year Round Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Youth in Camp Fire will learn that they do not have to be “born with” talent in order to become good at something.
Development of work/soft skills for work and job success.
Youth who attend Camp Fire Sandusky County camps will increase outdoor play and educational activities in order to support a healthy lifestyle.
Youth who attend Camp Fire camps will Increase awareness of healthy eating
Youth who attend Camp Fire Programs will engage in Thrivelogy by: creating a growth mindset, learn the importance of setting goals, learn how to reflect on their goals, learn how to shift gears to create new goals and develop and act on their personal "spark:" their purpose and passion in life!

Developing year-round needs-based programs which engage youth in the Sandusky County and surrounding communities.
By increasing our marketing strategies
By providing before- and after- school programming
By providing high-quality safe summer camps.

We are a 95-year-old organization with high regard for programming in our community! We have a solid relationship with Camp Fire National Headquarters, who supports Camp Fire Sandusky County in the development of programs, development of marketing strategies and ensures we are held at a high regard for branding standards. We have the ability to grow as an organization as we have 47 acres of property and a lodge which we rent for $1 a year from Misty Meadows Inc.

Financially we are building a reserve and funding to sustain, but we need support to continue to do this. We have 4 full-time and 6 part-time staff who are significantly underpaid based on statistics. We would like to pay them a just wage in order to secure them long-term. Our team believes in our vision and mission, they believe in what we do, and they believe we make an impact on youth in our community! We are the first all-inclusive organization in America! We allowed all religions, all social classes, all ethnicities, all races, and males/females and transgenders since the 1970s. We have been at the forefront for universal change in youth for decades! You can see this drive through our strategic goals and objectives!

We hired a new CEO/Executive Director in 2018 who brings with her leadership and development skills. In 2020 we hired a Program Director who holds a Master of Education and has transformed our programming frameworks and staff development. We have done needs-based assessments in the community and on our property to ensure safety. The community assessment will be used to develop the strategic plan carrying forward. The grounds assessment was used to develop a maintenance plan that has been 50% completed in the summer of 2018. The additional maintenance plan is begin used to apply for grants and to ask donors for support in order to bring our facility which was established in 1976 up to code in a variety of areas, which will allow us to open our doors and serve a greater number of youth and community members. The assessment and updates have allowed us to secure a 1-star standard as an ODJFS Child-care center at our main office and in two Fremont Elementary Schools. These updates and improvements to our grounds, facilities, safety, and programs culminated in 2021, as we for the first time in 95 years, were awarded American Camp Association (ACA) accreditation!

Our strategic goals directly align with our vision and values of where our organization would like to grow! We continue to see consistent growth in programs and attendance in programming. The growth throughout the last 4 years has been exponential and in 2021 we highlighted this through waitlisting programs and all of our summer camps for the first time by the last weekend of June. We continue to look at our vision and value to increase programming to meet our goals, train and develop our team to grow, and develop youth leaders!

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    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 strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • 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 engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

Camp Fire Sandusky County
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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.

Camp Fire Sandusky County

Board of directors
as of 11/16/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Mike Gabel

St. Joseph Catholic High School

Term: 2020 - 2022


Board co-chair

Corey Manns

Great Lakes Community Action Commission

Term: 2021 - 2019

Sherry Stroup

Gabel and Associates

Lindsay Walters

Tromi Corporation

Megahn Wonderly

Hayes Presidential Library and Museum

Clarence Nieset

Whirlpool

Ruth Moreland

Attorney

Jennifer Keating

Rupp's Comics

Cheryl Cotter

Sandusky County Board of DD

Jennifer Ollom

Sandusky County Courts

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • 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? Yes
  • 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

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 11/8/2021
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

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
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person with a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 11/08/2021

GuideStar 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

Data
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • 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.
Policies and processes
  • 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.