Camp High Hopes Provides Summer Fun For All

The Gilchrist Foundation has a passion for supporting the arts, creative dramatics and nature education for all Siouxlanders. That’s why we’ve pledged a matching endowment fund grant of $100,000 to Camp High Hopes. That means every dollar the camp raises; we will match it dollar-for-dollar.

Camp High Hopes does important work in the community. It is a nonprofit, accredited camp that offers year-round therapeutic recreation programs and respites designed to enrich the lives of youth and adults with diagnosed disabilities.

Camp High Hopes offers spring, summer and fall sessions that include day, weekend and sleep-away options for campers. Some of the seasonal activities include archery, crafts, indoor/outdoor sports and games, campouts, campfires, fishing, swimming, sledding and canoeing. The activities are adapted to the abilities of the participant and focus on full-activity participation to promote the building of self-esteem and maintain a therapeutic impact.

The camp also strives to remove financial barriers for campers by offering a Camper Assistant Fund for those campers who don’t have the financial resources to attend camp. The fund covers 80 percent of the session cost; that’s why donations are so important to run the camp.

The funds raised with a match from the Gilchrist Foundation have established an endowment that is earmarked to support programs at Camp High Hopes in the field of arts, creative dramatics and nature education.

The Gilchrist Foundation was established by Jocelyn Gilchrist in December 1998 to honor her family and further their special interests, including wildlife and conversation, the Arts and public broadcasting and disaster relief. The Sioux City-based foundation is proud to support numerous non-profit organizations in the community, including Camp High Hopes.

Through its endowment funds, capital campaign contributions, special project funding and micro-grants, the foundation is able to enhance the mission of many local charities and also promote further community support.

The Gilchrist Foundation does not accept any unsolicited applications for funds but makes grants to pre-selected charities which have been invited to apply based on the perceived match of both organizations’ missions, with a preference for the Sioux City area. Most grants are for a single year, but multi-year grants may be requested. If an organization wants to be considered for an invitation to apply for a grant, they can learn more here.