Intro/ Analysis

Executive Summary

Camp Blessing ministers to children with special needs and their families and care givers. Since

camp opened in 2006, Camp Blessing focused on providing an environment where the love of

Jesus Christ is demonstrated through building relationships, engaging children in indoor/outdoor

activities, and giving hope and joy to special campers who are often left out and isolated by

today’s society. Camp Blessing offers a unique five day experience to children with physical,

emotional, and /or mental health conditions that may not permit their participation at other

camping facilities. It is Camp Blessing’s mission to operate a no barriers camp in which each

person can fully experience the fun, excitement, and spiritual encouragement in a loving and

natural outdoor setting.

The Lord has shown favor on Camp Blessing, having dramatically expanded service from 17

campers in the 2006 inaugural year to serving over 400 campers with the assistance of 600

volunteers in 2015. In addition over that same period, Camp blessing has operated in the

“BLACK” financially, generating over $1 million dollars in support and placing over $500,000

on the “BOTTOM LINE” in 2014, alone. And, even with this tremendous growth, Camp

Blessing has to turn many interest families away each year because of its limited capacity.

The greatest challenge to meeting the increasing demand from families and children longing for

the opportunity participate in summer camp is Camp Blessing’s current “nomadic” operation.

Presently, Camp Blessing travels and rents a variety of facilities to house the camp; relocating

every few weeks during summer. Until such time as Camp Blessing builds its own fully

accessible campus, the tight Texas camp market necessitates travel and adapting the program,

staff, and campers to spaces available for rent. In 2015, Camp Blessing has rented two camps,

each for four summer weeks. Therefore, Camp Blessing must move 163 miles from the

operation base in Tomball to the first camp and, a few weeks later move again 133 miles to the

second camp, followed by a return to Tomball.

With a summer full of transitions between rental facilities (three weeks at one camp, 4 weeks at

another), Camp Blessing is extremely limited in the number of campers, supporting volunteers

recruited, families and care givers it can serve. There are over 600000 special needs children in

the Houston Metroplex, a population growing by 11.5% in the next five years. Obviously, Camp

Blessing is needs to grow in capacity both in capacity and activities for the ministry. Only by

owning a facility in a convenient location, can Camp Blessing meet the needs of these wonderful

children.

God has already responded to this great need by providing 70 acres in the Tomball area, only ten

minutes west of The Woodlands. What is needed now is a facility on the beautifully virgin

wooded property. We are asking donors like you to partner with us to transform this wonderful

property into a unique fully accessible property which can serve the special needs community

twelve months of the year.

In this plan you will see how your involvement will provide the most up to date and full

accessible facility, while providing the capacity to serve over 300 campers, supporting volunteers

and, full time staff. In addition, the development plan offers the ability for provide conferences,

training, and ministry development for the entire community throughout the year.

Taking advantage of over ten years of increasing ministry, help Camp Blessing offers, in a fully

self-sustaining operation, the encouragement, hope, and an incomparable experience to those

who often have little of the same in their life. In its own facility, to God’s glory Camp Blessing

will impact many more lives for eternity.

Matthew 25:40 - “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of

these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Camp Blessing Overview

MISSION STATEMENT

CBTX exists to show the Hope of Jesus Christ to those with Special Needs and their families, as

well as, the volunteers who serve them through providing various activities and relationship

development opportunities in a fully accessible Christian Camp environment.

HISTORY

Camp Blessing originated with the founders, Chuck and Jodi Ferguson who spent several

summers volunteering at Camp Barnabas in Missouri where their son, Mathew, was a camper,

Chuck and Jodi believed God called them to begin a Texas camp specifically focused on children

with special needs like Mathew who has Autism. God pointed them to Glen Elder at a Christian

Camp and Conference Association conference in December of 2006. From that introduction and

subsequent meetings with Glen and his wife Laura (they have two special needs children), the

first camp experience began at a rented facility in Magnolia, Texas which served 17 campers.

For the next ten years, Camp Blessing, has grown significantly.

Of course. all were volunteers in the beginning. As the demands of camp preparations, including

the recruiting of staff, program development, and the negotiating for summer camp space and

locations, it was apparent the operation require a full time director. In recognition of that fact,

Glen Elder was hired to be the Executive Director in 2010.

TODAY

Since its inception, Camp blessing has operated through the use of others facilities. That meant

every year a search around Texas is conducted for camps the required minimum to operate a

special needs camp. More importantly a camp with schedule “space” in the most demanded

period, summer had to be found; a major under taking). In addition, the programming apparatus

necessary to augment these camps which are not fully equipped to serve “special needs” campers

had to be re-planned and assembled each year to ensure a quality camp experience. After

assembly, all of this gear has to be loaded and transported to the rental facility. In almost a

biblical way, Camp Blessing must wander around East Texas. As did the Israelites in the Exodus,

Camp Blessing picks up and moves. As summer camp has grown, it not only moves to one camp,

it takes down, picks up, and moves to a second camp each summer. That is the truth of Camp

Blessing today.

In 2012, God burdened Mr. Jack Frey's to donate CBTX 70 acres of unimproved forested land in

the Tomball/Magnolia Texas area. This Godsend is the beginning of Camp Blessing occupying

the “Promise Land” of its own facility. As the dream come true, these 70 acres be a place

unencumbered by rental contracts, temporary facilities; a place of fully equipped activities and

sites to serve our campers located in our back yard.

TOMORROW

The following camp layout is the answer to the “Promise Land” dream. Not only does it provide

a well thought out and efficient design, most importantly it offers a no barriers access to all of its

facilities and activities. The design is specifically constructed to bless the campers by

experiencing the excitement of camp while seeing the face of Christ in the staff and counselors.

This wonderful location is not only near major communities and highways, but also in a tranquil

and beautifully wooded forest just 10 minutes west of The Woodlands. Such a location means no

longer do parents and guardians have to drive long distances to bring their kids to camp. In our

vision, they quickly find themselves transported to what seems like another dimension; a place

serene, calm, quiet, and beautiful - a true representation of God’s creation.

CAMP BLESSING IS READY TO BUILD TODAY!

WE ONLY NEED YOUR HELP!

THE CONSTRUCTION PLAN

We need to fill this area with our Phase I and II plan. Will need a list of activities/buildings that

will go into each phase and a projected price.

From that I will develop a narrative/explanation/justification. I think in consultation with Carl

and Paul we can develop a proposed construction timeline and funds needed for each major

control point.

Communicating Value

Camp Blessing is such a unique

experience with an uncommon facility

in a natural location, its value is

something that will be greatly promoted

by those who come to Camp Blessing.

In other words, “word of mouth” will be

the most effective and efficient manner

of increasing Camp Blessing’s coverage

of the marketplace. Such experiences

have been the primary manner in which

high quality camps have grown.

Camp Blessing has an extensive list of

precious campers, families, volunteers and

donors. That strong base of support will be

the first means of “getting the word” out

about Camp Blessing. Certainly a special

day (Open House) at Camp Blessing for

the Camp extended family can the first

step in supporting the expanded Summer

Camp Program.

As Camp Blessing is located in a market area populated with over 6 million people, the

challenge will be to focus on one major geographic area at a time. As a result, Camp Blessing

will begin with the Woodlands/Conroe area.

Camp Blessing’s website will be reconstructed to provide both information and multimedia

involvement. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

Customer Analysis

Camp Blessing will be built to provide services to a broad base of those interested in Summer

Camp and facilities for the Special Needs community, as well as organizations and communities

who want to take advantage of a facility that can provide a break from the pressure and norm of

the day to day experiences. As a result, Camp Blessing can impact the entire Metroplex, not just

a single community.

In the State of Texas, approximately 11.5% of the population have a disability; over 3 MILLION

people. In the Houston Metroplex, there are over 600,000 children (under 18 years old) with a

disability, while within the Houston Independent School district alone, there are over 16,000

students with disabilities. It is projected the population of the Houston Metrtoplex will increase

over 11% by 2020. This translates to a projected increase in children with disabilities of over

60,000!

In the Houston Metroplex, we see the following demographic information:

Median Income and (population)

Houston Metroplex – $55,900(6.3 million)

The Woodlands - $105,100 (125,000)

Spring - $67,000 (55,000)

Conroe – $42,800 (72000)

Houston - $42,800 (2.2 million)

Sugar Land - $113,000 (86,500)

Katy - $66,800 (55,000)

Each one of the major sub markets in the Metroplex have income profiles which make them high

potential customers for Camp Blessing.

Since Camp Blessing’s mission is to provide a

camp experience for those who have a disability, d

they will always have first priority for use of

the facility and programs. However, as with all

revenue generating camps, maximizing utilization

of the camp is the way to maintaining the long

term sustainability of Camp Blessing. In that

regard Camp Blessing intends to operate the

facility under the following priority model:

Summer Guests – Camp Blessing’s Program only

Campers – Special Needs (see definition)

Camp Counselors – Pay to come serve (currently

$135 per week). Not only does Camp

Blessing serve the campers, but also offers

an opportunity for summer volunteers to

experience the blessing of helping and

ministering to the campers in a wonderful

week of service. Some are actually in a

professional program to serve the same

people in their chosen career

Non-Summer guests – Programming is extremely flexible. However, the

primary focus will be facilitating customers who bring their own

“programming”. As full time staff increases, the capacity to

extended summer like programming will increase as well.

1. Special Needs Community – youth, families, organizations who serve

the same

2. Christian Organizations – Churches, Ministries, Faith Based schools

3. Non-profit organizations – Public schools and universities and their

extracurricular organizations, service organizations such Jaycees,

Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.

4. Governmental Organizations – City, County, and State agencies and

supporting organizations who need a place to conduct meetings

and conferences.

Competitive Analysis

THE MARKETPLACE

Camp Blessing, located near The Woodlands, Texas, is fortunate to be within 50 miles of over 6

million people and 600000 children with disabilities. Presently, there are a multitude of nonprofit

organizations who serve this population. However, there are precious few camps designed for

this community and none are located inside the Houston Metroplex. Camp Blessing is located

less than 40 miles from most points around the Metroplex.

Historically, parents and non-profits have utilized camps located outside the Metroplex or have

developed their own capacity to conduct “camp like” activities without benefit of a residential

capacity. Camps such as Camp For All (90 miles from Houston), Camp Summit (280 miles),

Texas Elks Camp (150 miles), Charris Hills (330 miles) have provided residential camp

opportunities with each camp providing varying subsidies for their campers:

Camp for All – Free ($2 million annual fundraiser)

Camp Summit – Up to $1400 (subsidized based on income)

Note: Secular

Based on median of Metroplex, fee would be $1050

similar facilities to future Camp Blessing

Texas Elks Camp – Free

Note: Limited activities. Secular

Charris Hills - $1260.

Note: Faith Based

Wide range of activities; dissimilar to future Camp

Blessing

THE EDGE

As in real estate, the concept is “location, location, and location” and price the property

underneath the leader in the community. Obviously, Camp Blessing has THE EDGE on both

counts. It would be harder to locate a fully capable camp much closer to downtown Houston. In

addition, with the total of camper ($585) and volunteer ($135) fees, Camp Blessing is

dramatically under the market. It should be noted that Camp for All, Camp Summit, and Texas

Elks must have substantial operational monies donated annually to operate.

"Martha had a ball. All we hear is 'camp,

camp, camp'. She's ready to go back

now!"

“Mom, EVERYBODY LOVED me!

Everybody thought I was so

nice! Everybody accepted me!

Everybody treated me like family

and was soooooooooooo nice to

me!!!!”

"...upon arrival I can tell you I felt

the love of God all over your

ministry when I arrived with my

kids. I felt so at ease upon coming

and leaving and entrusting you and

the volunteers and staff at Camp

Blessing."

Operational Plan

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much….” Luke 16:10

Revenue and Expenses

Camp blessing is organized and will operate to be SELF-SUSTAINING from day one; revenue

projections and cost management is structured to be in the BLACK from year one.

Revenue –

The five year projection reflects an extrapolation of Camp Blessing’s existing summer

camps (June-August) program, while over time increasing the number of “open” days in the non-

summer season (September – May). In order to minimize full time staff expense and expand only

to the extent revenue justifies, Camp Blessing will be open on weekends in the “off” season.

“Off” season or Non-Summer operations is required to meet the revenue targets and make

maximum use of the extensive physical plant constructed. Widespread use of part time staff will

minimize staffing costs, while offering a tremendous experience on days when the guests are

available and not working. For example, in Year One, there are approximately 41 scheduling

weekends. For the projection we plan only to schedule 21. Such a “conservative” approach

affords Camp Blessing the time to invest in communicating to the market the value and

availability of camp. In addition, such a scheduling strategy ensures expenses are kept in line

with revenues thereby honoring the donors; NO requests for operational support offerings will be

made.

In the out years, it is expected Camp Blessing will fully “load” weekends and begin to

expand into “mid-weeks” (Mondays through Thursdays). Mid weeks offer organizations such as

schools, mostly faith based, the opportunity to come to camp as part of the school experience.

Most public schools have outdoor education programs, such as field trips, where Camp Blessing

can offer a unique outdoor experience in God’s natural Creation, as well. Through these

additional revenue sources, Camp blessing can expand its staff to offer the community more

occasions to come.

Expenses –

As indicated in the Revenue discussion, the expense plan is designed to incur costs only

on an as needed basis. As with most camps, the top expense categories are usually personnel,

food, and utilities, followed by insurance. Of those four, three are controllable and two are

variable with camp utilization. By far, personnel costs are number one. This is where Camp

Blessing will be most judicious. Full time staffing will be limited to that absolutely needed to

operate safely and efficiently.

Other costs, such as food, are planned to stay within established norms and experience of

our staff at other camps.

Management

Camp Blessing is organized as a non-profit corporation under the IRS Code Section 501 c(3) and

Texas law. It is registered at the Secretary of State of Texas, April 21, 2006. It operates under the

direction of a Board of Directors.

The management plan specifically addresses how best to acquire and expand staff as the needs of

camp grow. In the Camp Blessing management structure, full time staff are added to fill slots

required to make sure operations function safely and effectively.

In the early years and on the front end of Camp Blessing’s future growth curve, full time staff

will need to be responsible for more than one function at a time. For example, the COO will also

act as the Director of Facilities, Retreats/Rental Services, and Business Operations. The field

staff will be part time workers who will be hired on an hourly basis. As the plan reflects, there

will be only six full time staff in year one.

Financials

Camp Blessing prepared a Five Year Financial Plan which incorporates a Phased construction

approach. At the heart of this plan is the gradual increase of revenue over time from both

increased summer operations moving to a full ten week schedule and increased non-summer

occupancy through greater scheduling of weekend and mid-week groups. As discussed

previously, expenses will increase only to the extent that revenue growth targets are met so as to

ensure year closes out with a “BLACK” bottom line. Tab ____ provide the financial specifics.

To ensure that Camp Blessing operates well into the future physically, the financial plan

incorporates a maintenance plan which utilizes the resources reserved by the “Depreciation”

account. Those resources are intended for planned replacement of capital assets and prevent the

need to ask donors for additional funds. Camp Blessing will be a fully self-sustaining operation.

SALARY STRUCTURE

Year 1 –

Executive Director - $76,000

Assistant Executive

Director - $20,000

Chief Operating

Officer - $50,000

Food Service - $35,000

Maintenance - $24,000

Admin Assistant - $30,000 Staff = 6 + part time*

Year 2 – Add

Retreats Manager $30,000

Value Communication/

Donor Relations - $30,000

Summer Program $30,000 Staff = 9 + part time*

ALLOWS EXPANSION OF WEEKEND AVAILABILITY AND LIMITED MID-WEEK

AVAILABILITY

Year 3 – Add

Maintenance Manager

WWTP Operations - $30,000

Financial Operations - $35,000

Retreat/Rental Operations

Staff (Interns)

3 Each @ $12,000 $36,000 Staff = 14 + part time*

ALLOWS EXPANSION OF MID-WEEK AVAILABILITY

* - PART TIME STAFFING VARIES WITH SCHEDULE

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