Ways to Support Camp

DREAM BIG with us! Join us by generously contributing to Camp Olson for our 70th year. Your gift supports Camp's excellent programming, facilities, counselors, staff, and helps ensure that our fees remain affordable.

Help us meet our $175,000 Annual Fund goal. Your gift will go to work immediately to support these organizational priorities in the coming year:

  • Scholarship Assistance. The pandemic has created or intensified financial difficulties for many families. Inability to pay must not be a barrier to attending camp. Our scholarship fund assures that every child, whether a new or returning camper, benefits equally at camp.
  • Facilities. Camp Olson will soon be celebrating their 70th anniversary. Many of our buildings show the wear and tear of nearly 70 years of use and call for an upgrade, including an all new Art Center.
  • Affordable Fees. Keeping session fees affordable remains a top priority. Fees have never covered the full cost of our operations, which is why we rely on contributions to make up the difference, rather than pass on the full cost to families.
  • Competitive Wages. We have amazing counselors and seasonal staff that must be rewarded financially for the great work they do. We are committed to raising our seasonal pay in order to recruit, hire and retain the very best staff.
  • Welcoming Camp Culture. As the demographics of communities and our campers change, we are committed to investing in and nurturing a camp culture that is welcoming and inclusive.
Click to View the Annual Campaign Letter

Explore all the ways to contribute to Camp Olson below.

Facebook

We receive your donation minus a 1.99% processing fee and .49 cent transaction fee. Donors can choose to cover this fee when donating

Donate Today!

Stripe

We receive your donation minus a 2.2% processing fee and .30 cent transaction fee.

Donate Today!

GiveMN

We receive your donation minus a 6.9% fee used to support processing and the online giving platform. Donors can choose to cover this fee when donating.
Donate Today!

Not a fan of fees? You can also send us a check!

Wish List

If you would like to donate to the Camp Olson Wish List or would like additional information about items on the Wish List, please contact Russ Link, Executive Director at russ@campolson.org, or call 218-363-2207.

You may also view our Amazon Wishlists (clickable below) for smaller, yet still very necessary items that keep our program going!

Volunteers are vital to Camp Olson YMCA. They allow us to grow our organization and serve as many youth and their families as possible in a beautiful place. We are very thankful to our staff, campers, alumni, and neighbors that give their time to Camp Olson YMCA and volunteer in their own communities.

No matter your skill set or amount of time you can provide, your support is appreciated and makes an impact. Contact us today to explore our volunteer opportunities.

Learn more or register for our Memorial Work Weekend HERE.

There are many ways to make a meaningful gift to further the mission of Camp Olson YMCA – and many gifts that offer benefits to you as well. It would be our pleasure to talk with you further about extending your impact in our community through planned giving.

Monthly Giving

Make an impact with monthly gifts! Spreading your gift out over the course of the year reduces the impact on your budget, and for many people, makes giving less stressful and more manageable. It also means fewer emails and letters from us asking for support.

Bequests

The YMCA receives a gift provided for in a donor’s will. The gift may be a percentage of a donor’s estate, a specific dollar amount, the residual of the estate, or a certain piece of personal property. The gift reduces estate tax obligations.

Life Insurance Policies

When the YMCA is named as the beneficiary and owner of a life insurance policy the donor receives an immediate charitable income tax deduction. If the policy is not paid up, this tax deduction is approximately the policy’s present cash surrender value. If the donor chooses to continue paying the premiums, they will receive a charitable deduction(s) for the amount paid. The full face value of the policy is removed from the donor’s taxable estate.

Retirement Plans

Individuals who are at least 70 1/2 years of age are able to make tax-free gifts from IRA funds that would be subject to tax if withdrawn voluntarily or withdrawn under mandatory requirements. Donors may choose to make charitable contributions in any amount up to $100,000 per year. Couples with separate IRAs can each give up to that amount.

If you have not yet taken your required minimum distribution for the year, your IRA charitable rollover gift can satisfy all or part of that requirement.

Endowed Gifts

When you make a donation to an endowment fund, you are giving a gift with both immediate and long-term benefits. Donations to endowment funds are invested with a portion of the annual income from the investment used to address immediate needs at Camp Olson YMCA. The remaining funds are reinvested to ensure indefinite support.

Memorials & Tributes

If you have a loved one who has been impacted by Camp Olson YMCA, establishing a memorial or tribute gift is a meaningful way to honor them while supporting our mission to build a stronger community.

Real Estate

There are several types of real estate gifts. A donor may contribute real estate outright or transfer it in a bargain sale. A donor can use real estate to fund a gift annuity or a net income antitrust, thus converting a non-income producing asset that is presumably highly-appreciated into a life-income arrangement with significant tax benefits. Finally, a donor may make a gift of his or her residence to the YMCA while retaining the right to live in the residence for the rest of his or her life. The donor receives a tax deduction at the time of the gift and when the donor dies the property goes to the YMCA.

Charitable Gift Annuity

If your stock has appreciated, there are some great tax advantages. You would receive the full current value of the stock at the time of donation (in the form of a fixed regular payment for your life and/or that of your spouse or friend) as a tax deduction plus you do not have to pay any capital gains taxes. You benefit from an immediate tax deduction and part of each payment is tax-free for a number of years.

Leaving a future gift by naming Camp Olson YMCA as beneficiary though your estate planning or through other means creates a legacy of life-changing experiences for youth and families for years to come. The Camp Olson YMCA Heritage Club is an organization of people who desire to show their long-term interest and support to Camp Olson YMCA by either a direct contribution to the Endowment Fund for as little as $5,000 or by including Camp Olson YMCA in their estate plans. It is this commitment that is the basic factor for qualifying as a Heritage Club member.

Become an integral part in the development of the next generation. We invite you to join in this amazing work – to develop your skills, to realize your leadership potential, and positively influence youth and the environment.

Why Work for Camp?

Everything we do is grounded in meeting the unique needs of communities – and we can’t do it alone. When you partner with the Y, we expand our impact to ensure all people and communities can thrive. Some of our current and past partners include:

We seek partners with like-minded values and goals to ensure people and communities reach their full potential and thrive. We welcome the opportunity to talk about how we can work together to make a real and lasting impact.

To start the conversation, please contact us at info@campolson.org