Camp John Marc

What Camp John Marc does

Camp John Marc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit therapeutic camping organization that operates a portfolio of 35+ condition-specific programs for children, teens, and families living with chronic medical and physical challenges. The organization, legally structured as Special Camps for Special Kids (Tax ID 75-2205242) and founded in 1991, is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with its camp facility serving 3,000+ campers and 1,500 volunteers annually. Programming spans summer camps (e.g., Camp Sanguinity for cancer/blood disorders, Camp Ailihpomeh for hemophilia, Camp Esperanza for pediatric oncology patients, Camp Joint Adventure for arthrogryposis and limb differences), weekend camps, teen retreats, family retreats, and bereavement support (Camp Sol), each adapted to the medical, physical, and psychosocial needs of a specific condition cohort.

The organization's core 'technology' is its accessible camp facility infrastructure and its deeply embedded hospital-partner referral ecosystem rather than software or data systems. Three anchor DFW pediatric hospital systems — Children's Health, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, and Cook Children's Health Care System — co-design and sponsor condition-specific programs and channel eligible patients into the camp pipeline. Disease-advocacy organizations (Muscular Dystrophy Association, Spina Bifida Association of Texas, Texas Bleeding Disorders Camp Foundation) and faith-based partners (Highland Park United Methodist Church's Belong Disability Ministry) co-locate programming at the facility, creating a multilateral ecosystem.

Camp John Marc is funded primarily through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, planned giving, and an annual Campership Campaign that subsidizes camper attendance. The organization holds American Camp Association accreditation, a 4-star Charity Navigator rating, 2024 Candid Silver Transparency status, and Excellence in Giving Certified Transparent status. It is governed by a Board of Directors and operates with a lean year-round staff of 1-10 plus approximately 24 seasonal summer counselors, with Kevin Randles serving as Executive Director and Ian McKenzie as Camp Director. The organization is geographically concentrated in Texas, with the website explicitly noting programming is intended for U.S. residents only.

Name

Camp John Marc

Legal name

Special Camps for Special Kids

Website

https://campjohnmarc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Camp John Marc is a Dallas-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that operates 35+ condition-specific therapeutic camp programs for children, teens, and families with chronic medical and physical challenges, delivered in partnership with DFW pediatric hospital systems and funded through donations and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, Camp John Marc relies heavily on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The camp runs annual fundraising campaigns including the Campership Campaign to send campers to camp.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: The organization accepts corporate sponsorships as part of its get involved offerings, providing companies opportunities to support the camp financially.
3. Planned Giving: The organization offers planned giving options for donors who wish to include Camp John Marc in their long-term estate planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Camp John Marc operates 35+ specialized therapeutic camping programs for children, teens, and families living with chronic medical and physical challenges. Programs include summer camps, weekend camps, teen retreats, family retreats, and bereavement support, all designed in partnership with Dallas-Fort Worth area pediatric hospitals and tailored to specific conditions such as cancer, blood disorders, sickle cell disease, hemophilia, cardiac disease, kidney disease, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, and craniofacial differences.

Product overview

Camp John Marc operates a portfolio of 35+ specialized therapeutic camping programs for children, teens, and families dealing with chronic medical conditions and physical challenges. The programs are organized in partnership with Dallas-Fort Worth area pediatric hospitals including Children's Health, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, and Cook Children's Health Care System. Programs include summer camps (Camp Sanguinity, Camp Jubilee, Camp Ailihpomeh, Camp Esperanza, Camp Joint Adventure, Camp Moss, Camp Reynal, MDA Camp, Camp TLC, Camp I-Thonka-Chi, Camp Phoenix, Camp Believe, Camp Morning Star), weekend camps (Camp NOW, Camp Amigo, Camp E.E.G.), teen programs (Camp Horizon, Esperanza Teen Retreat, Camp SOAR, Camp Courage, Cook Children's Teen Weekend), family retreat programs (ITU Family Retreat, Night OWLS Family Camp, Children's Health CCBD Family Retreat, Camp Tecumseh, SBANT Family Camps, Camp ID, Camp O'Hana, Camp Strong, Camp RISE, Camp PHEnomenal), and bereavement support (Camp Sol). Each program is adapted to serve campers with specific medical conditions including cancer, blood disorders, sickle cell disease, hemophilia, cardiac disease, kidney disease, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, craniofacial differences, limb differences, brain tumors, HIV/AIDS, and more.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Camp Sanguinity
• Camp Jubilee A weeklong summer camp specifically for children with sickle cell disease, focused on improving quality of life through the camping experience.
• Camp Ailihpomeh A camp serving male campers diagnosed with Hemophilia for over three decades. Boys ages 7-14 with Hemophilia throughout Texas learn about caring for their bleeding disorder, including self-infusion and medical education.
• Camp Esperanza A unique summer camp experience for children ages 6-15 who currently have cancer or have been treated for cancer at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. 'Esperanza' means 'Hope' in Spanish.
• Camp Joint Adventure A camp sponsored by Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children for patients ages 7-15 who have arthrogryposis, specific limb differences, and a variety of rheumatic conditions. Goals include fostering independence, self-confidence, and developing communication and problem-solving skills.
• Camp Moss A camp serving campers who have cardiac disease, improving quality of life by providing summer camp experience in a safe environment with necessary daily treatment. Campers are developmentally 8-16 years old.
• Camp Reynal A camp serving campers who have kidney disease, helping children with renal conditions build courage and resilience while enjoying the wilderness.
• MDA Camp A camp serving campers who have muscular dystrophy, part of the Muscular Dystrophy Association camping program.
• Camp TLC A camp serving campers who have spina bifida, a cooperative effort with Spina Bifida Association of Texas.
• Camp I-Thonka-Chi A camp serving campers who are burn survivors.
• Camp Morning Star A summer camp program at Camp John Marc for children with chronic medical conditions.
• Camp Phoenix A camp serving campers who have been trauma patients.
• Camp Believe A camp serving campers with bladder exstrophy.
• Camp Feliz A camp serving campers who have been diagnosed with a brain tumor, spinal cord tumor, or Neurofibromatosis (NF) with a secondary tumor.
• Camp NOW A weekend camp serving families who have a child who has a brain tumor.
• Camp Amigo A camp serving campers who have craniofacial differences, providing an extraordinary camping experience with fun, adventure, and learning activities.
• Camp E.E.G. A family camp for families that have a child or children with epilepsy.
• Camp Horizon A camp serving teens who have kidney disease.
• Esperanza Teen Retreat A retreat serving teens who have cancer, providing an elevated camp experience with team-building activities and interactive therapies.
• Cook Children's Teen Weekend Weekend camps serving teenagers from Cook Children's Medical Center. Offered in both Fall and Spring sessions.
• Camp SOAR A camp serving teens who have had an organ transplant.
• Camp Courage A camp serving siblings of children, teens, and young adults who are living with a chronic illness or a life-changing injury.
• Camp Sol A program providing support to families who have experienced the death of a child. Offered in both Fall and Spring sessions.
• ITU Family Retreat A retreat serving families served by Children's Health Internal Therapy Unit.
• Night OWLS Family Camp A family camp serving families involved in the Belong Disability Ministry program at Highland Park United Methodist Church.
• Children's Health CCBD Family Retreat A family retreat serving families who have a child who has cancer.
• Camp Tecumseh A camp serving families who have a child who is living with HIV/AIDS.
• SBANT Fall Family Camp A family camp serving families who have a child who has spina bifida.
• Camp ID A camp serving families who have a child who has an immunodeficiency.
• Camp O'Hana A camp serving families who have a child who is a cancer survivor and participates in the Candlelighters program.
• SBANT Spring Family Camp A family camp serving Spanish speaking families who have a child who has spina bifida.
• Camp Strong A camp serving families who have a child who has an acquired neurological injury disease or disorder.
• Camp RISE A family camp serving families from Cook Children's Medical Center who have experienced a traumatic event. Families are given opportunity to process trauma, build coping skills, meet other families, and grow together through fun activities. Available for patients ages 6-16 and their families.
• Camp PHEnomenal A camp serving families who have a child who has phenylketonuria.
• Family Getaway Program Year-round programming designed to support families dealing with chronic medical and physical challenges, providing opportunities for family bonding and respite.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 3,000 campers and 1,500 volunteers served annually

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Children's Health (Dallas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's Health is a primary hospital partner that refers pediatric patients to Camp John Marc programs including Camp Esperanza (cancer), Camp Reynal (kidney disease), and Esperanza Teen Retreat.
• Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children sponsors Camp Joint Adventure for patients with arthrogryposis, specific limb differences, and rheumatic conditions.
• Cook Children's Health Care SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCook Children's Health Care System refers patients to multiple camp programs including Camp Sanguinity (blood disorders and cancer), Camp Moss (cardiac disease), Camp NOW (brain tumors), and others.
• Texas Bleeding Disorders Camp FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the cooperative effort for Camp Ailihpomeh serving campers with hemophilia, along with Lone Star of the NHF, Texas Central Hemophilia Association, and six Hemophilia Treatment Centers in Texas.
• Muscular Dystrophy AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDA sponsors MDA Camp at Camp John Marc for campers with muscular dystrophy, providing neuromuscular disease-specific programming.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SeriousFun Children's Network: Umbrella network founded by Paul Newman that supports a global portfolio of medical specialty camps serving children with serious illnesses. Directly comparable because SeriousFun member camps offer the same condition-specific therapeutic programming model as Camp John Marc, often through hospital partnerships, but operate at national/international scale with stronger fundraising infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Hole in the Wall Gang Camp: Founded by Paul Newman in Connecticut, this residential camp serves children with serious illnesses through condition-specific programming with integrated medical staff. Closely comparable to Camp John Marc in mission, partner-hospital model, year-round programming, and condition specialization — though at a larger national scale.
• Camp Boggy Creek: Florida-based SeriousFun member camp serving children with chronic medical conditions through year-round, condition-specific programming with hospital partnerships. Directly comparable to Camp John Marc in operational model, population served, and partner-driven referral structure.
• Victory Junction: North Carolina-based camp founded by the Petty family serving children with chronic medical conditions and serious illnesses. Comparable to Camp John Marc in condition-specific programming breadth, hospital partnership model, and year-round facility utilization.
• Flying Horse Farms: Ohio-based SeriousFun-affiliated camp providing healing, fun, and medical-supportive camping experiences for children with serious illnesses. Comparable to Camp John Marc in condition-specific programming, integrated medical support, and hospital-referral intake model.
• Double H Ranch: New York-based residential camp for children with life-threatening illnesses, co-founded by Charles R. Wood and Paul Newman. Comparable to Camp John Marc in medically-supervised condition-specific programming, year-round operations, and hospital partner ecosystem.
• Camp Sunshine: Maine-based retreat serving children with life-threatening illnesses and their families through condition-specific weeklong programs with medical support. Comparable to Camp John Marc in family-inclusive programming, condition specialization, and integrated medical staffing.
• Roundup River Ranch: Colorado-based SeriousFun affiliate camp serving children with serious illnesses through condition-specific programs. Comparable to Camp John Marc in therapeutic camping mission, partner-hospital referrals, and condition-breadth portfolio.
• Camp Quality USA: National network of residential camps serving children with cancer and their families, with regional chapters across multiple U.S. states. Comparable to Camp John Marc in cancer-focused programming, volunteer-driven counselor model, and family-inclusive support.

Regional players

• Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Camp Program: National nonprofit that sponsors disease-specific summer camps (including MDA Camp held at Camp John Marc per source) for children with neuromuscular diseases. Directly comparable as both a condition-specific camp operator and a partner that co-locates programming at CJM, creating overlapping camper populations in the muscular dystrophy segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camp-john-marc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Camp John Marc