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 2024 open at the end of October 2023 and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Choose an approved camp from the Find-A-Camp directory and register directly with the camp.
Then 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, typically your child must be registered for an approved overnight camp from the Foundation for Jewish Camp website for the first time for either 12-18 consecutive days or at least 19 consecutive days. Your child can be in any grade up to entering grade 12, and your family must live in one of Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s five counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery or Philadelphia.
Jewish Federation OHC grants are awarded to children who are not currently participating in a daily immersive Jewish experience, such as a Jewish day school. However, several camps offer OHC grants directly to first time campers who attend Jewish day school and meet other requirements.
The Jewish Federation will not be providing need-based scholarships directly to families starting in summer 2023. We will now provide funds directly to the camps so that families can receive scholarships or financial aid directly from the camp, instead of submitting applications to multiple organizations for assistance.
The decision to provide multiple scholarships (need-based and OHC) will be at the discretion of each camp.
If your child attended camp for fewer than 12 consecutive days in a previous summer, they will be eligible for a grant this summer if 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.