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STOMPING GROUND CAMP INC

MIDDLE GROVE, NY · EIN 814475489 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE O50 · Youth Development · Medium ($1M-$10M) · campstompingground.org
revenue
$1.2M
expenses
$1.2M
net assets
$1.5M
employees
81
volunteers
54
program ratio
86%
mission · from form 990

TO DEVELOP EMERGENT COMMUNITIES OF SELF-DIRECTED INDIVIDUALS PRACTICING RADICAL EMPATHY AND RE-IMAGINING A WORLD WHERE MORE IS POSSIBLE.

profile · synthesized from sources

Stomping Ground is a youth development organization operating a 2-week overnight summer camp in Middle Grove, NY, serving children and teens from diverse backgrounds. The camp emphasizes self-directed learning, radical empathy, and restorative conflict resolution as core components of its program. It aims to build communities where young people practice autonomy, decision-making, and inclusive social connection in a safe, playful environment.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Artsfest
Specialized two-week summer session for teens only, centered on artistic expression including theater, visual arts, music, and performance
Restorative Justice Conflict Resolution
Circle-based system for addressing conflict at camp, emphasizing dialogue, accountability, and relationship repair rather than punishment
Stomping Ground Summer Camp
Two-week overnight camp for children and teens focusing on autonomy, play, and decision-making through unstructured time and camper choice in daily activities
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
    • Host arts-focused summer program for teens
      Runs ArtsFest, a teen-only, arts-centered summer program for youth ages 13–17 that runs during one of the four camp sessions, emphasizing creative expression, peer connection, and self-directed art-making in a residential camp setting.
  • Admissions Outreach and Enrollment Support 1 activity
    • Host community engagement events for families
      Organizes in-person and virtual open houses, property tours, and regional meetups to connect with families, share program information, and promote participation in summer camp programs.
  • Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
    • Host summer artist-in-residence program
      Provides fully subsidized housing, meals, and creative space for artists during summer residencies in exchange for community engagement with campers, facilitating creative exchange and integration of the arts into camp life.
  • Program Monitoring & Evaluation 1 activity
    • Iterate and improve camp programming based on community feedback
      Continuously refines camp curriculum and operations through input from campers and families, ensuring programming remains responsive and aligned with community needs.
  • Managed Campground and Retreat Operations 1 activity
    • Maintain camp facilities and infrastructure to support program operations
      Manages and maintains camp facilities including a recently constructed bathhouse and village for summer 2024 operations, ensuring safe and functional infrastructure for campers and staff. Employs cabin staff to support daily operations including meals, waterfront activities, and facility upkeep.
  • Summer Day Camp Programs 1 activity
    • Operate summer camp program for children ages 6–14 with self-directed programming
      Runs a 2-week overnight summer camp in Middle Grove, NY, just south of the Adirondack Mountains, where campers ages 6–14 co-create their daily experiences through self-directed activities, imaginative play, and personal growth opportunities. The program emphasizes reflection, learning from mistakes, and community building, with four sessions offered annually, including structured drop-off and pick-up times.
  • Summer Camp Access Scholarships 1 activity
    • Provide financial accessibility through sliding scale and scholarship programs
      Operates a trust-based sliding scale system allowing families to self-report what they can afford to pay for camp, with no documentation required, and provides full financial assistance to those unable to pay, ensuring equitable access. Also offers a 15% discount on registrations using a public code.
  • Youth Counselor-in-Training Programs 1 activity
    • Run youth leadership and counselor-in-training programs for teens
      Offers structured programs for older youth, including BIG TIME (ages 14–16) for leadership development and self-directed camp design, and a Counselor-in-Training (CIT) program (ages 16–17) focused on building counseling and leadership skills for future camp roles.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.24M
Contributions & grants$262K21%
Program service revenue$953K77%
Investment income$4K0%
Other revenue$17K
expenses
Total expenses$1.17M
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead14%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$725K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.07M
Cash$280K
Investments$0
Liabilities$614K
Net assets$1.46M
Liquid reserves2.9 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -6.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 5
  • ELIZABETH HUBERLIE BLASZKIEWIC — BOARD MEMBER
  • JAMES DAVIS — TREASURER
  • JENNIFER SHMID — BOARD CHAIR
  • MIKE BAKER — PRESIDENT
  • SCOTT ARIZALA — SECRETARY
relationships · 13

Who they work with

  • American Camp Association Network — Referenced for research and meta-analysis on youth development outcomes at summer camp.
  • Camp Stella Maris Partner — Former leadership team affiliation and early professional connection for the author, who began attending the Tri-State Camp Conference as a counselor from this camp.
  • Dan Weir Partner — Camp consultant and friend who presented data on family preferences at a camp industry conference.
  • Facebook Partner — Uses Facebook as an official communication and outreach channel.
  • Families Partner — Families are integral partners in the camp experience, trusted to continue conversations at home that reinforce camp values.
  • Instagram Partner — Uses Instagram as an official communication and outreach channel.
  • Laura Partner — Co-leads conversations with families and campers about length of stay and contributes to planning discussions.
  • Laura Partner — Point of contact for residency program inquiries
  • TikTok Partner — Uses TikTok as an official platform to engage audiences with short-form video content about camp life.
  • Tyler Partner — Leads financial management aspects of camp and provides data-informed insights during planning meetings.
  • YouTube Partner — Uses YouTube as an official platform for sharing camp-related videos and content.
  • Partner — Acquired by Stomping Ground, indicating a formal organizational integration.
  • returning staff Partner — Engages returning staff in ongoing camp operations and leadership roles.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Radical Empathy and Dialogue-Centered Community Building
    methodology: radical_empathy_community_building
    By fostering radical empathy, humble curiosity, and dialogue over judgment, the organization builds inclusive communities where understanding precedes resolution, enabling transformative social change through relational depth and collective imagination.
  • Restorative Justice as Pedagogy
    methodology: conflict-as-curriculum
    By treating interpersonal conflict as a structured learning opportunity through restorative justice practices, campers develop empathy, accountability, and communication skills because conflict is reframed as essential to community growth and personal transformation.
  • Structural Inclusion via Trust-Based Sliding Scale
    methodology: structural-inclusion
    By implementing a universal, trust-based sliding scale and intentionally designing cross-income communities, the organization ensures financial accessibility because inclusive economic diversity strengthens developmental and health outcomes for all participants.
  • Youth Resilience Through Autonomy and Unstructured Freedom
    methodology: youth-resilience-through-autonomy
    By providing real autonomy, unstructured freedom, and opportunities for self-directed decision-making in a safe environment, campers build inner strength and resilience because they experience authentic consequences, problem-solving, and peer trust across differences.