Foundation for Jewish Camp Launches $45 Million Initiative to Make Camp More Affordable, Strengthen Camps, and Expand Capacity
Five-year effort will open Jewish overnight camp to more Massachusetts families attending 11 New England Camps through FJC’s new Road to Camp program.
NEW YORK — Thursday, October 29, 2026 — Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) today announced the launch of a new Jewish Camp Access & Excellence Initiative, a $45 million, five-year investment to make Jewish overnight camp more affordable for families in Massachusetts, strengthen 11 New England camps and expand capacity for more children to attend camp.
Running from 2027 through 2031, Access & Excellence will award $27M in tuition support through FJC’s new Road to Camp, a key pillar of the initiative. It will also invest in camp excellence by funding coaching, consulting, and professional development tailored to areas including leadership, staffing, technology, and facilities planning, and provide $5.5M in capital grants to support capacity expansion projects such as camper bunks, staff housing, dining halls, and program spaces, with a goal of increasing camps’ physical capacity to serve more than 200 additional children each summer.
Together, these investments advance FJC’s new Strategic Direction to expand access to exceptional Jewish camp experiences for every Jewish child.
“This initiative is a major milestone, building on years of work with families, camps, communities and funders to address affordability, excellence and capacity,” said Jamie Simon, CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “It will open the door to Jewish camp for more families, help children return year after year and give camps the resources to grow while delivering exceptional experiences. Massachusetts and New England offer a strong Jewish camping culture, and a diverse range of camp options, making it an ideal place to test strategies for expanding affordability and growing camp excellence. FJC will work closely with camps to track and assess funding impacts with hopes of expanding this initiative nationally.”
The New England Jewish overnight camps participating in the initiative include Camp Avoda, Camp Bauercrest, Camp JORI, Camp Pembroke, Camp Ramah in New England, Camp Tel Noar, Camp Tevya, Camp Yavneh, Camp YJ, URJ Crane Lake Camp and URJ Eisner Camp.
In 2026, these camps served over 4,500 campers. Through FJC’s Road to Camp, FJC aims to help more Massachusetts families begin and sustain their Jewish camp journey by providing 6,000 tuition assistance grants to families attending these camps over the next five years. Both new and returning camper families in Massachusetts earning less than $200,000 annually will be eligible to apply for 40% off camp tuition at participating camps; families earning between $200,000 and $300,000 can apply for 30% off. The goal is to double enrollment among Massachusetts families with annual household incomes under $300,000 across participating camps.
Families may also continue to seek scholarships directly from camps, and eligible first-time campers will retain access to FJC’s need-blind One Happy Camper® (OHC) grants, which have helped nearly 150,000 first-time campers attend camp.
In a recent study of more than 3,300 families, FJC found that 86% of first-time campers who received an OHC grant returned the following summer. By campers’ fourth year, return rates varied significantly by household income, underscoring the role affordability can play in whether children can continue attending. Through this initiative, FJC aims to ensure that every camper can come back summer after summer, without cost as a barrier.
“A changing America calls for new thinking about investing in the Jewish future,” said Doug Silverman, co-founder of The Endowment for an American Jewish Future. “Camp combines the magic of summer with the joy of being Jewish, building connections that last a lifetime. Our partnership with FJC and fellow funders on Road to Camp is part of a long-term commitment to build Jewish institutions worthy of our children—and make a vibrant Jewish childhood possible for every family.”
The Access & Excellence Initiative is supported by The Endowment for an American Jewish Future, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Jim Joseph Foundation, and Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. The initiative also builds on FJC’s New England Regional Center, launched with support from Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) and The Krupp Foundation.
“Foundation for Jewish Camp is a longtime, trusted partner that continues to lead the Jewish camping field to new heights, with a vision for even greater reach and impact,” said Barry Finestone, President and CEO of the Jim Joseph Foundation. “We are excited to expand our support for FJC, in partnership with other funders, to advance this bold initiative. More families will be able to access the deeply meaningful, immersive Jewish experience of camp, while camp leaders will have greater support and training to enrich Jewish life for thousands of young people and families.”
Eligible Massachusetts families can visit FJC’s Road to Camp website to learn about participating camps and tuition assistance and register their interest starting today: www.jewishcamp.org/roadtocamp. The application portal will open on November 17, 2026.
About Foundation for Jewish Camp
Foundation for Jewish Camp grows, supports, and strengthens the Jewish camp movement so camps can deliver exceptional experiences for campers, staff, families, and communities, engaging them in lifelong, joyful Judaism. Learn more at jewishcamp.org
