IMPACT REPORT 2025
“It’s a beautiful, nurturing place. The counselors are excellent. The benefits of being out in nature, away from technology, living with people who sometimes start as strangers, choosing their own adventures, are endless.
The Aloha camps do this well, better than any camp we’ve ever heard of!”
— 2025 Camp Parent
Dear Friends,
The Aloha Foundation community showed, again, what’s possible when young people are given what they need most: a place to belong, a chance to grow, and a community that supports campers becoming the best version of themselves.
The world around us can feel fast, crowded, and demanding. So many young people are navigating social pressures, battling anxiety, and a never-ending stream of digital distractions. The programs of the Aloha Foundation remain a rare sanctuary. Campers come to us to find a grounding in nature, friendship, and daily opportunities to practice courage, kindness, and independence.
This Impact Report reflects the generosity and participation of our community, especially through the Annual Fund, where donors can support our mission priorities in three important ways: Leadership, Stewardship, and Campership. Leadership investments strengthen the people who make camp possible, funding staff training, mentorship, and the support systems that create a joyful, safe, and transformational experience for every camper. Stewardship sustains the places where camp happens — our cabins, waterfronts, trails, gathering
spaces, and the land itself so these beloved campuses remain healthy, resilient, and ready to welcome the next generation. And Campership ensures that access to the best of Aloha is never determined by a family’s ability to pay, opening the door for more young people to experience belonging, growth, and lifelong friendships.
Because of you, more young people have experienced meaningful growth in confidence and belonging. More families found time to reconnect. More schools partnered with us for truly experiential learning. And more campers discovered that they are capable of far more than they imagined.
Thank you for believing in this work and for making it real for one summer, one child, one family — and one generous contribution of time, money, or voice of support at a time.
Sincerely,
Vanessa Riegler Executive Director
LEADERSHIP
Feeling overwhelmed during her first days away from home, an 11-year-old Hiver struggled to find her footing. Guided by the steady mentorship of counselors and staff, she built the resilience to “crush” the demanding, multiday Mt. Washington pack trip, returning to camp with a renewed sense of self.
She finished the summer by standing before the entire camp and singing an Irish lullaby all on her own. That moment was the result of weeks of encouragement from counselors and the steady support of the camp community. It’s the kind of moment campers carry with them long after summer ends, shaping the way they show up for others.
“It’s all about the people, full stop...the top asset of all three camps are the leaders and who they bring in to help run the camp.”
— 2025 Camp Parent
Selective colleges highlight summer camp counseling as a powerful demonstration of “sustained commitment to community service” and “leadership through service,” often valuing it more highly than other types of employment.
Camp leadership doesn’t just shape campers — it shapes the young adults who lead them.
Leaders Developing Leaders
Our six Aloha Foundation directors bring…
111 years of combined camp experience as campers, counselors, and leaders.
406 Summer Staff Members in 2025…
…working together to ensure every camper is supported, challenged, and encouraged throughout the summer.
61%
of our counselors returned in 2025…
…with experience that helps new staff develop quickly and ensures campers are guided by confident, capable leaders.
92%
…of camp staff report that their experience as counselors strengthened their communication skills and their ability to handle challenging situations — core leadership traits valued by employers across every field.
STEWARDSHIP
With five campuses to care for, our protective stewardship plan is ambitious. From tackling lake health to soil erosion and beyond, it requires an ongoing partnership with nature itself. When an old hemlock at Ohana began to decline, our team harvested the lumber and built nine raised garden beds nearby. The soil was enriched with compost from Lanakila’s in-house composting program — now a foundation-wide effort to transform all our food scraps into nutrient-rich soil.
The beds now support both pollinators and native perennials, and produce flowers for Family Camp tablescapes and weddings. A beloved tree that had reached the end of one life, now helps new life grow and continues to nourish our camps.
“...the quiet, the way the days expand when we’re so completely offline, the way we feel able to explore the camp and the lake, and try new activities and meet new people.” 2025 Ohana Camper
2,966 Students from 78 Schools
…participated in experiential learning programs that build leadership, teamwork, and environmental awareness at the Hulbert Outdoor Center.
81 Towns in 17 States
At Horizons Day Camp, we welcomed children from across Vermont and beyond, expanding the reach of the Aloha Foundation’s outdoor mission and strengthening our ties to communities near and far.
660 People
At Ohana Family Camp, 660 people gathered to unplug from daily distractions and reconnect with nature and one another.
148 Wilderness Expeditions
…led by our staff into the forests, mountains, and waters of the Northeast, more than 20 trips every week deepening campers’ connection to the natural world.
Stewardship Takes Root
When students, families, and campers spend time at the Aloha Camps, learning to care for the natural world, they bring that appreciation for stewardship back to their schools, their communities, and their own backyards.
NATURE DEFICIT
Experts use the term nature deficit to describe the growing gap between children and time spent outdoors.
Today, the average child spends only 4–7 minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play compared to more than 7 hours in front of screens.
Through outdoor learning and time in nature, programs like ours help close that gap while building confidence, resilience, and a lasting sense of responsibility for the natural world.
CAMPERSHIP
Coming from another country, one camper arrived for her first summer unsure of what summer camp would be like. Over seven weeks she experienced joy, kindness, and challenge each day — learning new songs, traditions, and skills while building confidence and independence. Her parent later shared that the opportunity for her daughter to grow in this way was an “unimaginable value.”
Campership support helps keep that opportunity within reach. It ensures that young people can experience the growth, connection, and confidence camp provides — regardless of a family’s financial circumstances. Many campers who receive campership return year after year, eventually stepping into leadership roles themselves, strengthening the entire Aloha Foundation community.
“Camp is one of the places where my child truly feels they belong. They feel really cared about, included, and important. The sense of community is far and away the most valuable part. Thanks to campership support, they were able to attend, and that made all the difference.” 2025 Camp Parent
What Camperships Make Possible
195 Camperships Awarded
In 2025, support from alumni, families and friends ensured that financial circumstances never determine whether a child can experience the growth, friendship, and confidence that camp inspires.
97% of parents agree:
$918,987
Financial Aid awarded in 2025
Research from the American Camp Association shows that children who attend camp demonstrate measurable growth in social-emotional learning, empathy, and responsibility, benefits that often persist long after they return home.
“My child feels they belong at camp.”
74% of campers report trying something they were originally afraid to do at camp. Experiences like these help build what researchers call grit—the combination of passion and perseverance that is a stronger predictor of long-term career success and life satisfaction than IQ or family income.
“It is more than just a camp.
It is a philosophy of celebrating individuality and childhood, summer, and friendship. We have the utmost trust in the camp to care for our kids in a safe and healthy manner and feel lucky that we are able to give them this opportunity.”
— 2025 Camp Parent
Impact by the Numbers
Fundraising
$2,110,425
Total Amount Raised in 2025
$906,243 Raised for the Annual Fund in 2025
366
Gifts in the month of December, our strongest December in five years!
582 including 173 new and renewed Donors Helping Sustain Our Mission 7,441 Participants in 2025 across all Aloha Foundation programs.
Impact Beyond Camp
94% of parents said they believe their child’s camp experience will positively influence other parts of their life, including school, friendships, and personal growth.
