What Confidence Learning Center does

Confidence Learning Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating a year-round, 140-acre outdoor educational and recreational campus on Sylvan Lake in East Gull Lake, in the Brainerd Lakes Area of Minnesota. Founded in 1967 (incorporated 1969) by Dick Endres as Minnesota Therapeutic Camp, the organization serves people of all ages with cognitive and developmental disabilities, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, and grieving children and teens. Its core offerings include accessible cabin-based camping (nine fully equipped cabins), seasonal day and family camping, recurring programs such as Confident Kids, New Horizons, Endeavors, and Rendezvous, plus specialized partner-hosted programs including Camp Sertoma (since 1999), Camp Journey (grief support), and Fishing Has No Boundaries.

The underlying service model is physical and human-intensive rather than technology-driven: programs are delivered on-site by year-round staff supplemented by seasonal personnel and supported by volunteers from a deep civic-organization network. The technology footprint consists of a WordPress website with self-serve reservation forms, email newsletter signups, social media presence (Facebook, Instagram), and video content hosting; no proprietary platform or AI capabilities are disclosed.

The business model is a hybrid of subsidized fee-for-service and donor-funded operations. Program fees are intentionally low (day camp at $10/person, family camping at $50/family of 5/night, group overnight camping at $24/person/night), with "Camperships" available so no group is turned away for inability to pay. The remainder of operations is funded by individual donations, corporate contributions, and an extensive calendar of fundraising events including the Camp Classic, Gull Lake Frozen Fore, Gull Lake Oktoberfest, Fall Camp Sale, Mesa Golf Tournament (Arizona), Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza, and the Lakes Jam music festival partnership. The organization explicitly receives no federal, state, or local tax support and is not affiliated with any religious group or parent organization. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors (14 members) led by President Sandy Swanson, with Travis Grossman serving as Executive Director.

Name

Confidence Learning Center

Legal name

Confidence Learning Center

Website

https://campconfidence.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Confidence Learning Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a year-round 140-acre accessible camp in East Gull Lake, Minnesota, serving people with cognitive and developmental disabilities, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and grieving youth through subsidized recreational, educational, and skills-building programs funded by donations and community events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Services and Outdoor Recreation

NAICS

RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (721211)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI)

Keywords

• Disability camp services
• Outdoor recreation programs
• Developmental disabilities support
• Accessible camping facilities
• Special needs education

Headquarters

HQ city

Brainerd

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Camping and Program Fees: Revenue generated from day camps ($10/person), family camping ($50/family of 5/night), and group overnight camping ($24/person/night). Additional revenue from program fees for Rendezvous ($3/person), Endeavors ($5/person), Confident Kids ($4/person), and employment skills courses.
2. Donations and Fundraising Events: Major fundraising through annual events including Camp Classic (golf, clays, auctions), Gull Lake Frozen Fore, Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza, Lakes Jam partnership, Mesa Golf Tournament, and Fall Camp Sale. Also accepts direct donations, vehicle donations, and planned giving.
3. Subsidized Fee Structure: The organization operates on subsidized rates made possible through generous supporters, members, and donors. 'Camperships' are available for groups unable to pay, demonstrating a hybrid revenue model where fees are charged but heavily subsidized by donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Confidence Learning Center operates a 140-acre year-round outdoor educational and recreational camp facility serving people of all ages with cognitive and developmental disabilities, as well as the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. The organization delivers overnight and day camping, seasonal programming (Confident Kids, New Horizons, Rendezvous, Endeavors), specialized partner programs (Camp Sertoma, Camp Journey, Fishing Has No Boundaries), employment skills training, and school group field trips from its East Gull Lake, Minnesota campus.

Product overview

Confidence Learning Center is a 140-acre year-round outdoor educational and recreational camp facility for people of all ages with cognitive and developmental disabilities, along with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. The organization offers camping programs including day camps, overnight stays, and family camping across eight accessible cabins. Core programs include the Confident Kids program for K-8th graders, New Horizons for teenagers, Camp Sertoma for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and Camp Journey for grief support. Additional programs encompass employment skills training, school field trips, and disability education in classrooms. The facility provides diverse outdoor activities spanning all seasons including archery, fishing, zipline, rock climbing, kayaking, and winter sports. The organization operates as a nonprofit, hosting numerous fundraising events annually including The Camp Classic, Gull Lake Frozen Fore, Gull Lake Oktoberfest, and the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Camping Programs Year-round day camps, family camping, and group overnight camping for individuals with cognitive and developmental disabilities, delivered at the East Gull Lake campus.
• Cabin Rentals Reservation-based rental of eight fully accessible cabins with stocked kitchens, wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, common areas with fireplaces, and dining areas for visiting groups.
• Rendezvous Monthly educational and recreational gatherings held on the second Thursday evening of each month from 5:00-7:30 PM, featuring rotating seasonal themes for individuals with disabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000 individuals served annually (1970s) growing to 13,000 camper days (2008)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• East Gull Lake Camp Confidence Lions ClubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2022Chartered in April 2022 as an innovative Lions Club where members are adults with disabilities and their mentors. Unique in that members plan service-based fundraising events. Meets every 3rd Thursday at camp. Lions Club MD5M also sponsors the Lions Cabin and has raised money for a 6-passenger golf cart, donating over 1500 volunteer hours.
• Fraternal Order of the EaglescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting Confidence Learning Center for 53+ years. Eagles Aeries and Auxiliary sponsor the Eagles Nest Cabin, Eagle's Memorial Garden, and Golf Cart. Raised funds for air conditioning in cabins. Lead the annual Mesa Golf Tournament raising money for campers and programs for 11 years. Designated camp as National Charity in 2020. Grand Rapids, Bemidji, Crookston, and Cloquet Eagles put on Extravaganza events benefiting camp.
• JCI Minnesota (Junior Chamber International)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-term partner providing thousands of volunteer and service hours annually. Donates items to camp wish list throughout the year. Raised money to purchase an adapted golf cart. Assisted in recruiting groups to camp. Continues to choose camp as beneficiary of Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza, the largest charitable ice fishing contest in the world.
• Brainerd JayceescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHost the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza, the largest charitable ice fishing contest in the WORLD, with camp as primary beneficiary for over 30 years. Minnesota Jaycees have named camp a statewide priority project. Created America's Ice Fishing Tournament in 2020 to help local organizations during pandemic uncertainty.
• Kiwanis Club of BrainerdcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors the Kiwanis Cabin at camp. Kiwanis members maintain and update cabins.
• Rotary Club of BrainerdcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors the Rotary Cabins at camp. Invites Confidence Learning Center to speak and share mission. Leads Camp Journey grief and loss program hosted at camp annually.
• Sertoma Club (Noon Sertoma, Sunrise Sertoma, Great Plains Sertoma)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaised funds for the Challenge Course. Directs Camp Sertoma for Deaf and Hard of Hearing community hosted at camp since 1999. Raise money for camp and other local charities through Sertoma Winter Wonderland. Great Plains Region provides support for Camp Sertoma programming.
• The Knights of ColumbusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConduct Tootsie Roll sales to raise money for Confidence Learning Center and other local charities. Invite camp to speak and share mission at events. Raise money internally for programs and campers.
• Women of TodayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnually volunteer at Gull Lake Frozen Fore and Fall Camp Sale. Donate funds through their fundraising efforts.
• Lakes Jam Music FestivalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual music festival partner since 2015. Camp receives volunteers, sells firewood, and sells raffle tickets. Over $154,000 raised to support campers and programs through this partnership.
• Camp JourneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrief and loss camp for children and teens ages 7-18 hosted at Confidence Learning Center. Rotary Club leads this program. Provides inclusive environment for emotional support, grief and coping skills, and traditional camp activities.
• Camp Sertoma of the Great Plains RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeeklong camp for youth who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing hosted at Confidence Learning Center since 1999. Provides safe atmosphere to build self-esteem in environment free of communication barriers. Sertoma five-state region provides ongoing support.
• Fishing Has No Boundaries, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit dedicated to assisting disabled individuals through fishing and outdoor experiences. Confidence Learning Center hosts the Brainerd Lakes Chapter event. FHNB promotes access to outdoors through research and development of special fishing equipment, dock loading systems, and boat adaptations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA: National nonprofit operating resident and day camps, including adaptive and inclusion programming for campers with disabilities. Significantly larger and broader in scope, but overlapping offerings in accessible outdoor recreation, family camping, and year-round youth programming.
• Special Olympics Minnesota: Statewide organization providing year-round sports training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Camp Confidence has a historical partnership (first Winter Carnival in 1982); broader mission scope but overlapping camper base and event-driven fundraising.

Direct peers

• Hole in the Wall Gang Camp: Connecticut-based residential camp founded by Paul Newman for children with serious illnesses and disabilities. Closest analog in scale and SeriousFun network prestige; comparable donor-driven, multi-program, year-round campus model.
• Camp Korey: Washington-state SeriousFun camp serving children with serious and terminal medical conditions. Comparable mission, year-round facility, and donor-supported programming model serving a similar camper population.
• Camp Twin Lakes: Georgia-based year-round camp facility serving children with serious illnesses, disabilities, and other life challenges. Closely comparable fully-accessible campus model with diverse partner organizations hosting programs on-site — same operating philosophy as Confidence Learning Center.
• The Painted Turtle: California-based camp serving children with chronic and life-threatening medical conditions and disabilities. Member of the SeriousFun Children's Network. Direct mission peer offering resident camp programming, though focused on medical rather than developmental disabilities.
• Victory Junction: North Carolina camp founded by the Petty family for children with chronic medical conditions and disabilities. Comparable year-round camp facility model, comparable donor/event-driven funding structure, and similar SeriousFun Children's Network affiliation.
• Camp Boggy Creek: Florida-based SeriousFun camp for children with chronic and life-threatening medical conditions. Direct peer in mission, programming, and donor-supported facility model, though serving a different geography and disability mix.
• Camp Courage / Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute: Operates adaptive recreation programs and camps in Minnesota for people with disabilities. Most direct geographic and mission peer — both serve persons with disabilities in the upper Midwest, and historically the two organizations have shared referral relationships.
• National Ability Center: Park City, UT-based nonprofit providing adaptive outdoor recreation and sports programming year-round for people of all abilities. Comparable mission, comparable year-round outdoor programming model, comparable reliance on donor and partner support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CampConfidence
• Instagraminstagram.com/confidencelearningcenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Confidence Learning Center