Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Global Foundation supports the American Camp Association (ACA) with Grants to Strengthen Camp-School Partnerships
This initiative is designed to help camps expand their capacity to implement and sustain high-quality programming in collaboration with schools, districts, and other community-based partners. The goal: to increase access to meaningful camp experiences for youth, particularly in communities that have historically lacked access to such opportunities.
"ACA's research shows that camp-school partnerships (CSPs) are a proven strategy in getting children to camp who otherwise would not attend," said Henry DeHart, ACA interim president/CEO. "The support of SMBC Global Foundation for this initiative is paramount in helping camps reach more children. Students participating in CSPs often leave camp with lasting memories of their experience which can, in turn, be leveraged to support their classroom learning."
For summer 2025, ACA is awarding $280,000 to eight outstanding organizations. This year's grant cycle saw a highly competitive pool, with nearly 120 applications and 40 finalists. The following recipients were selected:
Fiver Children's Foundation (NY)
Guided Discoveries (CA)
Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco — Camp Mendocino (CA)
Camp Herrlich (NY)
Camp Abilities Tucson (AZ)
Camp CENergy (TX)
Camp Fire Long Beach (CA)
Princeton-Blairstown Center (NY)
Grants will directly support programming that reaches an estimated 550 campers each summer, with a focus on youth from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
The next application window, for summer 2026, will open in fall 2025. ACA encourages applications from camps nationwide, with priority consideration given to those serving youth in New York, New Jersey, Arizona, California, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas — communities where SMBC employees live and work.
The SMBC Global Foundation, in addition to supporting Camp-School Partnership, is also supporting camperships at camps mentioned in the above regions to increase access to meaningful camp experiences.
For more information about the Camp-School Partnership Project, visit ACAcamps.org.
About the American Camp Association
The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national organization serving the more than 15,000 year-round and summer camps in the US who annually serve 26 million campers. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education, and professional development, and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accreditation provides public evidence of a camp's voluntary commitment to the health, safety, risk management, and overall well-being of campers and staff. For more information, visit ACAcamps.org or call 800-428-2267.
About SMBC Group
SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 150 offices and 120,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG's shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and ADRs on the New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges.
In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization's extensive global network. The Group's operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities Canada, Ltd., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC MANUBANK, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd. For more information, please visit smbcgroup.com.
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