Is your child ready to try overnight camp for the first time? You may be eligible for a grant from the One Happy Camper program.
ABOUT ONE HAPPY CAMPER
One Happy Camper provides grants of up to $1,000 to families with children attending nonprofit Jewish overnight camps for the first time. One Happy Camper, a program of the Foundation for Jewish Camp, is funded locally by Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.
Campers can receive either a $700 incentive grant for a first-time overnight camp experience lasting 12 to 18 consecutive days OR a $1,000 incentive grant for a first-time camp experience lasting 19 or more consecutive days. Additionally, if your family has multiple children, the first child will be eligible for either of the above amounts and any additional children will be eligible for $500.
One Happy Camper grants are awarded on a first-come-first-served basis; therefore, we encourage people to apply as early as possible. Please make sure you are fully registered for camp before submitting your One Happy Camper application.
Find out more about One Happy Camper and apply for a grant.
One Happy Camper applications for Summer 2025 are open.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Check if a camp is approved from the Find-A-Camp directory and register for the camp session directly with the camp.
- Apply online for a One Happy Camper grant at onehappycamper.org.
- Once your application has been approved, funds will be paid directly to the camp in the spring and will be credited towards your balance.
To be eligible, your child must be attending Jewish, overnight camp for the first time and for a minimum of 12 days. To receive One Happy Camper funds, they must be registered at an approved overnight camp from the Foundation for Jewish Camps’ list and can be entering any grade up through grade 11. Eligible children must live in one of Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s five counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery or Philadelphia.
Children who attend Jewish Day School are not eligible for One Happy Camper grants through the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, however, you may reach out to the camp or the Foundation for Jewish Camp directly to see if you qualify for a One Happy Camper grant through another partnering agency.
Jewish Federation camp scholarships and the One Happy Camper grant are two separate programs administered by the Jewish Federation. While your child may be eligible to receive both, the Jewish Federation no longer administers individual camp scholarships. You should apply to the One Happy Camper grant directly on the FJC website, and you can apply separately to your camp for any a scholarship.
Please note that the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia only provides scholarships to camps in Pennsylvania, while campers may be eligible for a One Happy Camper grant at overnight camps throughout the country.
If your child attended camp for fewer than 12 consecutive days in a previous summer, they will be eligible for a grant this summer so long as they attend camp for more than 12 consecutive days.
Campers can only receive the grant once, for their first time attending Jewish overnight night camp for 12+ consecutive days. If they receive a $700 grant one summer, they cannot receive a $1,000 grant for a subsequent summer.
No, because they will no longer be a first-time camper.
Visit www.onehappycamper.org for more information and to register.