Summer camp was cancelled, but donors gave even more

01. Problem / Challenge

​Working with Veritus Group, the Executive Director learned to talk to parents and new donors using Permission-Based Asking™.

02. Solution

Veritus Group helped provide major gift training focused on asking, accountability, solicitation strategies and stretch goals/asks.

03. Results

With a focus on top donors, the ED was able to continue camp online AND increase donations by over $200,000!

When Summer Camp Stops for COVID

What the Organization was Facing

Usdan is a long-established organization with a small pool of donors who are mostly alumni and parents, with a few key community supporters.  Because the camp is named after a family that continues to support camp with a foundation, and because there are tuition fees, it can be difficult to articulate the need for others to join in funding the camp.

When a COVID shutdown left the camp without any tuition-paying campers, the ED and staff had to turn to parents and other donors to replace the lost income. They were unsure how to conduct these difficult conversations.

After adopting Veritus Group’s training and recommendations, Usdan used Veritus’ Permission-Based Asking™ when asking parents to donate the lost tuition, and to seek help from major donors.

The organization was able to offer on-line camp classes for the first time, expanding their reach from the greater New York area to 8 states! Further, they secured key gifts from new donors, up over $200k from last year, ensuring the facilities were able to open in summer 2021 for a modified in-person camp.