In the mid-1980's, a small, dedicated group of Echo Hill counselors pondered the dramatic impact of Echo Hill's close-knit community on campers of all ages and backgrounds. Wanting to share this "Echo Hill Magic" with those in greatest need, the group setout to raise funds and build a vehicle to advance their goals. A non-profit was born, consisting of an all-volunteer board of directors with no paid staff. With difficulty at first, enough money was raised to send a child to camp. Later two, then three -- the number of children EHCF sponsored continued to grow.

Almost 20 years later, the commitment to our mission is stronger than ever. The community that supports this mission is rightly proud of the organization and our collective accomplishments.

Take a look at EHCF's activity through the years. Click image above to enlarge graph.

Quick facts:

• EHCF selects children, often living in extreme poverty and with difficult familial situations, and sponsors their camp experience, year-after-year.
• 90% of every dollar donated to EHCF goes directly to camp tuition.
• EHCF has raised a record amount of financial support in each of the previous three years.
• EHCF sponsorship has increased from 7 children for a total of 20 weeks in 2001 to 20 kids for a total of 54 weeks in 2007. Click here to see the success
• EHCF successfully completed our first-ever Matching Gift Challenge, in 2005. Every dollar donated from June to December of '05 was matched, for a total of $40,000 in donations. Another, new record!
• EHCF is working on creative ideas for targeting new donors while also working toward increasing the donation levels of our current supporters.
• EHCF is continuing to build an endowment.  Recent fundraising success has allowed us to invest in the future and we will continue that trend in 2007 and beyond!

Spending a summer at Echo Hill Camp is a very special experience that produces a warm, friendly, and tight-knit community. It is easy to see the significant impact Camp has on young people. In watching our recipients return, grow, and move on to the next stages in their lives, we know that the camp experience is even more important for the underprivileged children we serve; many of whom have never experienced the Chesapeake Bay and only know a world of difficulty. Parents, grandparents, guardians, and others continue to provide us with compelling evidence that EHCF is changing the lives of their loved ones -- volunteering in their communities, embracing new responsibilities within their families, contemplating and attending college, and more.