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Let Your Camp's Next Chapter Create Hope.
Summer camps, church camps, retreat centers, campgrounds and conference facilities — reviewed with honest attention to systems, zoning and the cost of keeping a campus open.
Request a Camp Property ReviewA camp is not one property; it is a water system, a septic field, a zoning entitlement, a dozen roofs and a calendar of promises already made. Boards that reach out are usually not in crisis — they are simply carrying more campus than their volunteers and budget can sustain. A review puts the real condition of each of those pieces on paper so the next decision can be made with clear eyes.
What we review in this category
Zoning and permitted use
Many camps operate under a decades-old conditional use permit or a grandfathered nonconforming status that does not survive a change in use or a lapse in operation. We review the current entitlement early, because what a property is allowed to be determines what it can become.
Water and septic systems
Camp infrastructure is frequently the deciding factor. Well capacity, water testing history, septic fields, lagoons and permitted daily flow all bear on whether a campus can be occupied at its historic capacity. These are reviewed with documentation, not estimates.
Deferred maintenance
Roofs, wiring, heating, foundations and accessibility are examined building by building. A campus of twenty structures is twenty maintenance obligations, and the honest number matters more than the optimistic one.
Insurance history
Prior claims, lapses in coverage and current insurability are part of review. An uninsurable or barely insurable campus creates risk a charity cannot responsibly take on without a plan.
Waterfront and dams
Lakefront and riverfront camps bring shoreline permits, dock regulations, dam inspection obligations and swim-area liability. Where a dam exists, its classification and inspection status are reviewed as a distinct subject.
Seasonal operations and existing bookings
If groups are already scheduled, reunions are planned, or deposits have been taken, say so at the start. Honoring, transferring or releasing those commitments is part of any responsible transition and shapes timing.
For churches, denominations, families and nonprofit boards
A closed or underused camp is rarely a failure; more often it is a board facing rising costs, thinning volunteer capacity and a building list that keeps growing. A review gives your board a documented picture of what a charitable gift would involve, which is useful even if you ultimately choose another path. Note that congregational bylaws, denominational rules, reversionary clauses and any donor restrictions on the original gift of the land must be identified before a transfer can be considered.
Information the review requires
- Total acreage, buildings by type, bed count and dining or assembly capacity.
- Current zoning, conditional-use permits and any nonconforming status.
- Water source and septic or sewer systems, with capacity, permits and inspection history.
- Deferred maintenance: roofs, foundations, electrical, heating, ADA and code matters.
- Insurance history, claims, and whether coverage is currently in force.
- Waterfront features: docks, dams, beaches, shoreline permits and lifeguard requirements.
- Operating season, staffing model and annual cost to hold the property idle.
- Existing bookings, deposits, reunions or leases already on the calendar.
Questions specific to this category
A Mustard Farms initiative supporting approved Commissary Grant programs.
Organizational information, governance and the full review process are published at MustardFarms.org. Program information is at CommissaryGrant.com.
Mustard Farms does not provide legal, tax, appraisal or financial advice. Proposed gifts are subject to legal, financial, title, environmental, operational and governing-body review and written acceptance. Donors should consult independent advisers.
Request a Camp Property Review