Camp Kesem National

Youth Support Serviceskesem.org

Camp Kesem National is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs free summer camp and year-round support programs, delivered through 120+ college campus chapters, for children ages 6-18 affected by a parent's cancer.

Company typePrivate
Founded1999
HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
Headcount251–500
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Camp Kesem National does

Camp Kesem National is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 51-0454157) founded around 1999-2000 and headquartered in Covina, California, that delivers free, year-round support programs to children ages 6-18 affected by a parent's cancer. The flagship offering is Camp Kesem, a free summer camp, augmented by a multi-program portfolio that includes Club Kesem (virtual monthly events), Friends + Family Days, Kesem Together (on-site gatherings during parent treatment), and year-round support services such as grief resources and family programming. The organization reports serving 10,400 children in the past year and over 60,000 children historically across 120+ college campus chapters nationwide.

The operating model is built on a volunteer labor force: college student chapter leaders and counselors (80% personally impacted by cancer) are recruited, extensively trained, and embedded across 120+ university chapters to deliver programming locally. The technology stack is modest and largely third-party, consisting of a camp management and registration platform (campmanagement.com) and donation processing via Classy/GoFundMe with payment infrastructure from PayPal, Adyen, and Stripe. No proprietary AI/ML capabilities are indicated.

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable giving — direct individual donations, corporate partnerships and matching gifts, peer-to-peer "Share the Magic" fundraising events, merchandise sales (including a 25th anniversary calendar), and emerging channels such as donor-advised funds, stock, and cryptocurrency. The organization reports 251-500 employees (a figure that likely includes part-time student staff) and is led by CEO Jay Stilwell. Distribution leverages healthcare provider referrals, word-of-mouth, multi-channel social media, content marketing (Kesem Stories blog), and high-profile earned media, including TODAY Show and NBC Nightly News appearances. A January 2026 Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center peer-reviewed study in Supportive Care in Cancer formally validated the program's impact on children's well-being.

Camp Kesem National firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Camp Kesem National
Legal name: Camp Kesem National
Website: https://kesem.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1999
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 251–500 employees
Short description: Camp Kesem National is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs free summer camp and year-round support programs, delivered through 120+ college campus chapters, for children ages 6-18 affected by a parent's cancer.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Camp Kesem National industry classification

Industry

Product category: Youth Support Services
NAICS: Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)
SIC: Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro primary industry: Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)
akta.pro secondary industries: Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA), Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI)

Keywords

Youth support services
Cancer family support
Peer support programs
Children's summer camp
Bereavement support services

Where Camp Kesem National is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Los Angeles
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

Camp Kesem National business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission to provide free programs for children affected by a parent's cancer
Corporate Partnerships: Corporate giving programs including matching gifts and sponsorship of events and programs
Event Fundraising: Share the Magic peer-to-peer fundraising events hosted by supporters
Merchandise Sales: Sale of Kesem merchandise including the 25th anniversary calendar and branded items
Planned Giving: Donor-advised funds, stock donations, cryptocurrency donations, and planned giving options

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Other	All programs are provided at no cost to families

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Camp Kesem National product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Camp Kesem National is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free programs and services for children ages 6-18 whose parents have cancer. Its flagship offering is Camp Kesem, a free summer camp, supplemented by year-round support including Club Kesem (virtual events), Friends + Family Days, Kesem Together (on-site gatherings during parent care), and year-round family resources, all delivered through a network of 120+ college student-led chapters nationwide.

Product overview

Camp Kesem National operates as a multi-program nonprofit organization offering a suite of free programs for children ages 6-18 whose parents have cancer. The flagship offering is Camp Kesem, a free summer camp, supplemented by year-round programming including Club Kesem (virtual monthly events), Friends + Family Days (community day events), Kesem Together (on-site gatherings during parent care), and Year-Round Support services (family resources, grief support, cards, and day programs). All programs are led by trained college student volunteers and are provided free of charge to families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Camp Kesem: Free summer camp program where kids ages 6-18 can be kids again, run by college student volunteers.
Club Kesem
Kesem Together
Kesem Better Days
Kesem Gatherings

Products and services

Camp Kesem

Quantifiable outcome

Kesem programs improve children's well-being, sense of belonging, emotional expression, coping skills, and confidence
+4 more outcomes

Companies that use Camp Kesem National

Customer profile

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Camp Kesem National technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Camp Kesem National partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year research partnership resulting in a peer-reviewed study published in January 2026 in Supportive Care in Cancer journal. The study validated that Kesem programs improve children's well-being, sense of belonging, emotional expression, coping skills, and confidence.
American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to raise awareness for youth caregivers on the TODAY Show with Maria Shriver. Both organizations advocate for children who serve as caregivers for family members with chronic conditions.
TytoCareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTytoCareS giveback program where Kesem receives support as part of TytoCare's corporate giving initiative.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Camp Kesem National competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Camp Kesem National compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance1 record

Camp Kesem National financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Camp Kesem National leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Camp Kesem National funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Camp Kesem National M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Camp Kesem National

What does Camp Kesem National do?

Is Camp Kesem National a public or private company?

Camp Kesem National is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Camp Kesem National founded?

Camp Kesem National was founded in 1999. It employs 251 to 500 people.

Where is Camp Kesem National based?

Camp Kesem National is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.

How does Camp Kesem National make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, event Fundraising, merchandise Sales and planned Giving.

Does Camp Kesem National have an API?

No public API is recorded for Camp Kesem National.

What industry is Camp Kesem National in?

Camp Kesem National's product category is Youth Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMALAO, Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills), with a secondary code of EDAMALAA, Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports). Its NAICS code is 721214 and its SIC code is 7000.