Donate
There are many good reasons for making a charitable gift to Surprise Lake Camp, and many ways in which your gift can help! SLC is a 501(c)(3) charity, and contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Your support enables us to provide camping experiences for children who otherwise could not afford them. Here is a short list of things these children get from these experiences:
• Skills for getting along with others
• Greater independence and self-esteem
• Stronger, healthier Jewish identities
• Better athletic and artistic skills
• Active summers that promote physical fitness
• Respite from homes or neighborhoods that are troubled
• An appreciation of the beauty of nature and the responsibility to protect it
• Lifelong friends
• Fun and adventure
Surprise Lake Camp is committed to responsibly managing the endowment funds that were created for the benefit of the children we serve. In keeping with this, we follow the requirements and guidelines of the New York Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (“NYPMIFA”), which was signed into law on September 17, 2010. Click here to review what this law requires.
If you prefer to pay by check, please download and print our donation form.
Annual Alumni Drive
Our fees are set according to a sliding scale based on income and family size, with approximately 50 percent of the campers receiving reductions. In 2011, over $880,000 in total scholarships were provided, making Surprise Lake what we believe to be the most generous Jewish scholarship camp in the country. Alumni Drive gifts are used to support current year scholarships. This is
camp's greatest need. The Drive runs annually from February 1 until January 31.
Contributions in Memory or in Honor
Contributions to SLC are a great way to honor someone special, celebrate an occasion, or memorialize a loved one. Gifts can be used for scholarships or for other purposes depending on the wishes of the donor. Prompt personal letters of acknowledgment are sent for these (and all!) gifts. When sending a gift in honor or in memory of someone, please indicate the purpose of the gift and the name and address of the person to be notified. When requested, gifts of $100 or more for a special occasion will result in the honoree receiving a beautiful, full-color certificate. (Actual size of certificate is 8.5 by 11)
Capital Gifts
Camp has many opportunities for endowing scholarships, staff positions, or programs, as well as naming gifts for buildings or recreational facilities. We also welcome major gifts to fund donor-initiated projects. Capital gifts are typically given in addition to annual Alumni Drive donations.
Legacy Gifts/Estate Planning
Please visit our 1902 Society page to read more about Surprise Lake Camp's Legacy Society.
Gifts of Stock
Charitable contributions to Surprise Lake Camp are tax-deductible. However, there is an additional benefit to giving appreciated stock. If you hold marketable securities that would result in a long-term capital gain if sold, their outright gift to SLC could mean significant tax savings since you are not required to pay capital gains tax on securities you donate, but can still deduct the full value of the gift.
Matching Gifts
A number of organizations participate in charitable matching gift programs. If your company provides this opportunity to double or even triple your gift, include a matching gift form from your personnel office with your gift to Surprise Lake Camp.
Do you give to United Way?
If the answer is yes, please consider asking that your gift go to Surprise Lake Camp. We are a United Way agency, and we are proud of it! One of the benefits is that United Way donors can earmark their contributions to go to us. You will still get credit for a gift to United Way, but the money will benefit camp directly, and we will use it to improve our program and help campers who cannot afford our full fee.
United Way Agency # 001311