Campaign for Camp Compass 2025
Update:
Thanks to the generosity of our incredible community, we have successfully funded two Camp Compass sites—giving 300 kids (total) a summer filled with learning, fun, and enrichment! 💙
We are beyond grateful to everyone who donated and made this possible. Your support is changing lives!
If you’d still like to make a gift, you’re in luck! Even though our campaign has ended, contributions for Camp Compass are still being accepted. Additional funds would make it possible to:
✔️ Send more kids to camp
✔️ Hire additional support staff, including social workers and nurses
✔️ Enhance enrichment activities and field trips
About the Campaign for Camp Compass:
Youth-serving organizations in Springfield, including Compass for Kids, are losing vital funding, such as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) dollars, that helped address pandemic-related learning loss. While the funding is gone, the challenges persist—many kids were already behind before the pandemic and still lack the resources to succeed.
Without fully funded programs, the ripple effects will impact the entire community. Compass has a proven track record of improving reading, math, and social-emotional skills. Community leaders and the U.S. Department of Education recognize its success. Now, it’s up to the community to determine how many children we can continue to support.
Although there is no risk of our Camp Compass program ending, the Federal funding that was once a significant portion of our budget has ended. Without a replacement for the federal money, we are faced with the reality that we may have to turn away hundreds of children next summer.
Springfield Public Schools – District 186 is committed to partnering with Camp Compass because of its history of success and measurable results. However, the expiration of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds means that they do not have the financial resources to sustain the number of campers that have benefitted from Camp Compass in the last few years. They will continue to support Compass with building space, summer meals, transportation, and any other means that are available.
We were honored to present about summer learning loss and its impact on the achievement and opportunity gaps at the Citizens Club of Springfield on December 13, alongside Superintendent Jennifer Gill and Director of School Leadership and Family and Community Engagement Terrance Jordan of Springfield Public Schools – District 186. We highly encourage you to set aside an hour of your time to watch the recording so you can learn more about WHY Camp Compass matters so much.
Find out more about how you can help Camp Compass continue to make an impact on the lives of children in Springfield, Illinois. Contact Brandy Stabler, Senior Donor Relations Manager, brandy@compassforkids.org for more information.
We are thankful for all of the organizations, businesses, and individuals who support our programs.
Will you join them?
Sponsorship Opportunities are available! Click below for more information.