The Flying Squirrels - Making an Impact Monthly
Who are the Flying Squirrels?
In April of 2020, a good friend of mine and long time supporter of Stomping Ground crashed our parents and caregivers Zoom call. By “crashed” I am really just poking fun at him because he does not have kids that attend camp, nor kids in general, but he is one of my best friends who quickly became obsessed with camp upon hearing about it. This friend wanted to be a part of everything, hence why he was present for this parent call! He was the last one to leave the Zoom room chatting all of the parents ears’ off, and before he left he asked, “Could we have a group like this for younger donors?”
His name is CJ, and his question sparked the formation of our monthly giving club we now affectionately call, The Flying Squirrels.
The 2020 Flying Squirrels Welcome Party on Zoom!
The group consists of (mostly) young, social justice minded, and fun-loving friends of Stomping Ground. These folks were dedicated to the mission and had a desire to see a more proactive result through their gift. In today’s world you will see nonprofits make their decisions and strategic plans based off of a few high level donors. For giving clubs like the Flying Squirrels, you are able to make a collective gift with like-minded individuals who believe in making a direct impact on the communities and neighborhoods camp serves.
“I joined the flying squirrels because I love the idea of being connected with likeminded people with a shared goal of supporting the growth of Stomping Ground and supporting kids being able to experience the magic of camp. I like being able to make a manageable monthly commitment so that Stomping Ground knows they have my steady financial support and I can budget it into my life!” - Claire
Why Should You Take Part?
Your ability to make a monthly commitment gives us the ability to follow through on our mission. This group is the first of many, but it has so much potential and space to grow.
Within one month of launching this group, the Flying Squirrels have raised approximately $10,000 a year, more than one full cabin of kids on scholarship. In 2019, approximately 40% of our campers attended Stomping Ground on scholarship. Our goal is by summer 2023 we are able to send 50% of our kids to Stomping Ground on some level of scholarship. This would not be possible without the support of the squirrels. This group of young millennial donors is making it possible for us to reimagine a more perfect world through camp.
And you can help build on that mission and that purpose. Your monthly pledge helps us keep our promise to more families and campers. We believe camp is the best place in the world for building and scaling trust. You help make it possible for hundreds of kids to gather at camp with staff to build a community of radical empathy and humble curiosity.
Joining this aeronautical crew of proactive givers was an easy choice for me, because I know that every dollar I give will be used to to find out just how radically empathic youth can become. Camp SG is 100% about their mission; I'm proud to be part of it in any way I can, and as a Flying Squirrel, I get to belong to a community that I know feels the exact same way that I do! - Draper
More kids deserve the power of summer camp. They deserve the chance to laugh, play, create, and make lifelong friendships at Stomping Ground. You have the opportunity to give kids that experience and magic when you sign up for the Flying Squirrels, or any other giving club that may come next.
Any gift camp receives is invaluable. No matter the size, frequency, or reason, your support and generosity continues to keep our organization in a position where we can keep financial commitments to families. The Flying Squirrels are just another opportunity to help break that mold, and we hope you consider joining us if it sounds right for you.
You help camp create a more sustainable and radically empathetic future.
I joined flying squirrels because we need to be developing empathy in our next generation. We must be pushing to build community based in love and belonging among people who are different from each other. This fosters empathy, understanding, and growth. When I think about the next generation, and how my kids will grow up, I feel confident in knowing they have places like Stomping Ground to achieve their dreams.- Dr. Brad
