Since 2017, the Solomon Cramer Fund has been sending young people to camp by granting scholarship funds to United Methodist conference camp/retreat ministries. 

Scholarship grants from the Solomon Cramer Fund encourage United Methodist Camps to focus on the following four priorities:

• Experiences that minister with youth living in poverty

• The intentional development of young people for spiritual leadership and/or leadership with Camp & Retreat Ministries

• Camp experiences that collaborate with local churches and agencies in processes of faith formation 

• Opportunities for increasing racial/ethnic diversity within ministry participation and leadership 

Twenty-one programs from around the U.S. received Solomon Cramer Fund grants in 2025, the most that have been funded in a single year. 

IGNITE 2025 - Aldersgate (New England Conference, RI) 

This program targets youth from Providence and other Rhode Island cities, offering Christian day camp with swimming, games, worship, and Bible study. Youth counselors are trained in ministry and leadership. The camp removes barriers for urban families through transportation and full scholarships.

Catalyst in Special Needs Ministry Leadership - Camp Bays Mountain (Holston Conference,TN)

This initiative equips youth and young adults with special needs to serve as summer camp staff, offering them roles in worship leadership, maintenance, crafts, and more. The camp also runs a special session called Celebration Camp for adults with disabilities. Campers and staff participate in a supportive, faith-filled environment that fosters personal growth, independence, and spiritual leadership. Each staff member reflects on their development through beginning and end-of-summer evaluations.

Camper Diversity Expansion Program - Camp Istrouma (LA)

Camperships will be provided to support youth from underserved communities through local church partnerships in East Baton Rouge Parish. The goal for the first year of this new program is to offer 10-12 full scholarships.

Soma Partnership - Camp Lake Stephens (MS)

This project expands a successful pilot to provide a full week of Christian day camp to Hispanic children ages 6–10 from the Tupelo, MS area. The project is implemented through a partnership with a local multi-ethnic church.

Rural UMC Outreach Scholarship - Camp Lookout (Holston, GA)

This scholarship program supports youth from five small, rural UMCs in the Holston Conference, covering 50% of camp fees.

The Stuff They Don’t Teach You at School - Casting Christ’s Net - Camp Penn (Susquehanna Conference, PA)

The grant enables a $100 cost reduction in the individual camper price, offering transportation to and from the week of camp, and creating new electronic and physical materials in Spanish.

Scholarships and Summer Staff Development Initiative - Ceta Canyon (TX)

The grant will support a partnership with churches in the North Heights neighborhood of Amarillo to offer camperships for youth living in poverty. Additionally, grant funds will enable enriched spiritual development programming and mental health resources for the summer staff of 40 young leaders.

Traveling Day Camp - Camp Chestnut Ridge (NC)

This mobile day camp program partners with churches to bring camp experiences to underserved communities, including children experiencing homelessness or living in foster care. The initiative fosters long-term connections between campers, families, and local churches, offering full or partial scholarships. The program has a strong legacy of inclusivity and leadership development, especially among diverse camper populations.

Summer Spirit Community Day Camp at Covenant UMC - Gretna Glen (Eastern PA)

Held in Lebanon, PA, this Day Camp program is a partnership among Covenant UMC, Transformando Vidas (a Latino church plant), Ebenezer UMC, and Gretna Glen. It serves Spanish-speaking children, many from single-parent, low-income homes, with a week of Christian day camp close to their community. Activities include games, crafts, devotions, and faith-building in a culturally responsive environment. The initiative also integrates campers and families into the local faith community.

Christmas Youth Leadership at Camp - Horizon TX Conference 

The grant provides camperships for youth from 22 non-white-majority UMC churches across Texas, to be used for summer camp programming or weekend camps throughout the year.

Grow Day Camps/Experiential Leadership Institute - North GA Conference

Camperships will be available for mobile day camps serving low-income and racially diverse families in metro Atlanta, hosted by Impact Church. With a strong emphasis on underserved communities, this provides access to camp experiences for families previously untouched by NGCRM overnight camps. The program includes faith-based learning and youth mentorship, and supports leadership development through the Experiential Leadership Institute (ELI) for high schoolers. It aims to foster community, spiritual formation, and self-confidence.

Mental Health At Camp - Pecometh (Pen-Del Conference, MD)

This project introduces a mental health support role into summer camp programming to enhance camper and staff well-being. The position provides training on inclusivity and mental wellness, allowing more campers and staff—especially those from diverse backgrounds—to thrive. The goal is to retain staff and provide spiritual and emotional safety that encourages return campers and future leaders.

New Neighbors Become New Leaders - Potosi Pines (Desert Southwest Conference, NV)

This initiative revives a leadership training program for teens, specifically reaching out to the Pacific Islander church community in Las Vegas. Youth from this underserved group will receive year-round mentorship and be trained to become camp counselors and spiritual leaders at Potosi Pines.

Cooperative Parish Camp Initiative - Quinipet (NY)

The grant will fund 5 scholarships for children of formerly incarcerated women, in partnership with the New Hour nonprofit. Through a week of overnight camp, children experience healing, fun, and spiritual nurturing in a supportive environment. The project addresses poverty and emotional trauma related to incarceration. The collaboration involves local UMC churches and the NYAC Church and Society committee.

Beloved Community Day Camp Program - Susquehanna Conference (PA)

The grant supports camperships for new campers as part of a new strategic plan to help congregations connect in new ways with young people and their families.

Campership Fund - Camp Wanakee (New England Conference, NH)

This fund provides emergency campership dollars after losing the long-time support from the state. This will fully fund 5+ camperships (or 10+ partial camperships) and help provide funding until a long-term fund can be established.

Minority and Accessibility Initiative - Warren Willis Camp (FL)

The Minority and Accessibility Initiative provides a summer camp experience for ten campers living in poverty from underserved minority groups. This initiative also supports a seasonal worship ministry leader skilled in ASL to expand and elevate our summer camp experience for children with hearing and visual disabilities.

Native American Culture & Faith Camp - Camp Norwesca (Great Plains Conference, NE)

This initiative offers outdoor Christian camping to youth in rural western Nebraska, many from economically disadvantaged Native American families. Activities promote environmental stewardship, spiritual formation, and leadership. Campers explore faith through devotions, peer relationships, and nature immersion.

Helene Scholarship Fund - Camp Tekoa (Western NC)

This new fund provides camperships for children whose families were severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. 35 campers will have the opportunity for a time away from the devastation and heartbreak that they are living through. While at camp they will experience God in nature, through the written and spoken Word, through caring staff and fun, meaningful activities.

Campers in Leadership Training - Pocono Plateau (PA)

This program fills a gap for up to 3 young teens (13–15) who have aged out of the day camp but are too young to stay home unsupervised. It provides a leadership training track where CILTs assist with Bible lessons and activities and are mentored by camp chaplains and staff. This camp serves a growing, underserved population in rural Pennsylvania that migrated from NYC post-COVID.

Summer Camp Fee Assistance - Camp Uskichitto (LA)

Up to 20 campers will be able to attend camp through this support. Already, the camp partners with churches which fund 50% of camp fees for campers in need. This new fund will cover the remaining cost for families that would not otherwise be able to pay the rest.

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If you are interested in learning more or providing additional support for these initiatives or the many unfunded projects that applied, please reach out to the UMCRM Association. Support from additional donors and foundations would enable us to meet more of these worthy funding needs, supporting many more children and youth to experience Christ's love through United Methodist church camps.