Camp Kum Ba Ya

What Camp Kum Ba Ya does

Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, Inc. (CKBY) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit nature center founded in 1950 and headquartered on a 47-acre campus in Lynchburg, Virginia, with 42 acres held under a permanent conservation easement. The organization operates as a year-round environmental education and outdoor recreation provider, serving Central Virginia families, public and private school groups (Pre-K through middle school), corporate clients, and the broader Lynchburg community. Its programming is delivered through a multi-segment portfolio that includes a weekly summer day camp for ages 6-15 ($300/week, 600+ campers annually), year-round Virginia-Standards-of-Learning-aligned school field trips (1,400+ students in 2025), facility rentals (cottages, party venues, athletic field, zip-lining), the KinderWoods two-acre nature playground, a Leaders-in-Training program for ages 14-15, team-building programs for corporate and athletic groups, and community events such as Garden Day, Community Campfire, and the Ripple of Inclusion celebration.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally low-tech and asset-driven rather than software-driven: programming is built on physical campus infrastructure (four swimming pools, high and low ropes courses, climbing wall, archery site, four-story tree house, 10,000 sq. ft. teaching garden, 1.2-mile color-coded Cosby Trail System with QR-linked digital maps, native pollinator gardens, and the newly completed Addison's Amphitheater). Registration is handled through the Campwise third-party platform; content distribution occurs via email, organic social, and a Squarespace-hosted website. The organization holds American Camp Association and Association of Nature Center Administrators accreditation.

CKBY's revenue mechanics are diversified across fee-for-service programs (camp tuition, field trip fees, facility rentals, team-building), suggested donations (KinderWoods $5/car), recurring membership (Keepers of the Woods subscription), tax-deductible contributions including stock gifts, and event revenue. Distribution is direct-to-consumer and direct-to-institution with no third-party resellers. The organization is led by Executive Director Kyle Simpson (appointed May 2025), Programs Director Gage McAngus, Director of Finance Kerry Silva (appointed April 2026), and a 13-member Board of Directors, and it carries ACA and ANCA sector credentials alongside its IRS 501(c)(3) status.

Name

Camp Kum Ba Ya

Legal name

Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, Inc.

Website

https://campkumbayah.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Camp Kum-Ba-Yah is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit nature center on a 47-acre conserved campus in Lynchburg, Virginia, offering summer day camp, environmental-education field trips, facility rentals, and community events to Central Virginia families, schools, and corporate groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Outdoor Education and Summer Camp Services

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM & Science Camps (Biology, Chemistry, Space, Lab Science) (EDAMALAC), Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

Keywords

• Summer day camp
• Outdoor education programs
• Youth nature programs
• School field trips
• Facility rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lynchburg

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. Summer Camp Tuition: Weekly day camp fees for children ages 6-15 during summer season. Includes all activities, lunch, and snacks. Extended care available for additional fee.
2. School Field Trip Programs: Environmental education programs for Pre-K through middle school aligned with Virginia Standards of Learning, priced per student.
3. Facility Rentals: Rental of cottage spaces, art shelter, athletic field, and party venues for birthdays and community events. Pricing varies by space type and user category (nonprofit, individual, corporate).
4. KinderWoods Visits: Suggested donation of $5 per car for KinderWoods playground access; free for Keepers of the Woods members.
5. Donations and Membership: Tax-deductible contributions including Keepers of the Woods membership program offering early registration and discounts. Stock gifts accepted.
6. Community Events: Paid events including Community Campfire ($10/household) and Garden Day lunch pre-orders ($20 per boxed lunch).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a 47-acre campus in Lynchburg, Virginia, providing outdoor day camp for children ages 6-15, year-round school field trip programming aligned with Virginia Standards of Learning, facility and birthday party rentals, team-building experiences for corporate and school groups, and community events. It also runs a KinderWoods nature playground, a Leaders-in-Training program for teens, and a Keepers of the Woods membership program, all delivered on-site by professional staff and volunteers.

Product overview

Camp Kum Ba Ya Nature Center operates as a unified organization offering multiple interconnected programs across a 47-acre campus. The core offerings include Summer Day Camp (ages 6-13) with eight themed campsites, School Field Trips aligned with Virginia Standards of Learning, and Facility Rentals for events. Supporting programs include KinderWoods Playground (nature play space), Team Building Programs for corporate and school groups, Leaders-In-Training (LIT) Program for teens, and Community Events including Garden Day and Community Campfire. The Keepers of the Woods membership program provides early registration and discounts. Addison's Amphitheater, completed in 2025, serves as a new gathering space for community events. The organization operates year-round with seasonal programs for different audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Day Camp Outdoor day camp for children ages 6-13 offering activities including swimming, archery, nature hikes, canoeing, fishing, arts and crafts, garden education, environmental education, low and high ropes courses, field games, and theater. Campers are organized into 8 campsites of approximately 10 campers each.
• School Field Trips Year-round environmental education programs for Pre-K through middle school aligned with Virginia Standards of Learning. Programs include Plant & Animal Seasonal Changes, Animal Survival Using Camouflage & Mimicry, The Case of the Mystery Tracks, and Tree Cookie Investigation.
• Facility Rentals Rental of cottage (capacity up to 49 people), Art Shelter or Athletic Field ($50/hour), and birthday party packages including KinderWoods Party ($150/2hrs, up to 15 people), Adventure Party ($200/2hrs, up to 12 people), and Zip-Lining Party ($500/2hrs, up to 10 people).
• KinderWoods Playground Two-acre nature explore space for unstructured, hands-on nature play for children ages 8 and younger. Features include Bone Yard Digging Pit, Den Building, Balance Logs, Mud Kitchen, Willow Tunnel, and Rope and Pulley Bucket.
• Team Building Programs Customized team-building experiences utilizing high ropes course, low ropes course, climbing wall, and other initiatives for co-workers, students, athletic teams, or other groups.
• Leaders-In-Training (LIT) Program Leadership development program for qualified 14-15 year old applicants preparing for camp counselor and community leadership positions.
• Addison's Amphitheater A gathering space preserving the story of a remarkable young woman, featuring a main amphitheater structure, seating area, and planned restrooms and concessions. Construction of the main structure completed in early 2025.
• Keepers of the Woods Membership Community membership program offering early camp registration, facility rental discounts, and involvement in supporting the mission of the nature center.
• Garden Day Annual event as part of Historic Garden Week in Virginia, featuring garden tours and boxed lunch pre-orders from The Farm Basket.
• Community Campfire Family-friendly community event featuring live music, s'mores, field games, and nature hikes at the CKBY Athletic Field.
• The Ripple of Inclusion Event Community gathering celebrating local history through a student film screening about the 1961 integration of CKBY pools, featuring reflections from community members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,400 students served through school field trips in 2025 alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wild Ones Greater Lynchburg AreacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2026Partnership to showcase native pollinator garden templates and demonstration plantings at camp. Wild Ones installed full-sun and shaded woodland gardens demonstrating native species that support bees, pollinators, and wildlife. Templates are available free to the public for creating habitat at home.
• Garden Club of VirginiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGarden Club of Virginia's Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award funded comprehensive trail-marking system including color-coded maps, directional signage, and QR-linked digital maps for the Cosby Trail. Project completed through Hillside Garden Club.
• Hillside Garden ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHillside Garden Club, founded in 1935 and dedicated to conservation and civic planting in Lynchburg, led the trail signage project and secured the Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award from Garden Club of Virginia.
• Tess Majors FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTess Majors Foundation supported trailhead and interpretive signs across CKBY campus. Foundation honors Tess's love of music, nature, and creativity by supporting outdoor learning for young people. Nearly every donated dollar goes directly to community projects.
• Randolph CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Erin Heller of Randolph College created educational text for interpretive panels covering amphibians, macroinvertebrates, forest birds, mammals, and backyard birds. Dr. Sarah Sojka, CKBY board president and Randolph College professor, edited the content.
• University of LynchburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. David Perault, CKBY board member and University of Lynchburg professor, created the new trail map featured on trailhead signage and website.
• Davies & DaviesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor that presented the Community Campfire 2026 event.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Sciencenter: Ithaca, NY hands-on science center and nature preserve offering school programs, summer camps, and exhibits for children and families. Comparable as a nonprofit educational attraction combining summer camp, school field trips, and nature/outdoor programming on a defined campus.

Direct peers

• Irvine Nature Center: Owings Mills, MD nonprofit nature center with year-round environmental education, school field trips, summer camps, and a natural play area. Directly comparable to CKBY as a similarly sized Mid-Atlantic nature center with outdoor nature-play, K-12 field trips, and summer day camp operations.
• Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden: Richmond, VA public garden and nature center offering year-round visitor programming, school field trips, and nature-based education. Directly comparable to CKBY's Nature Center programming, KinderWoods playground, trail system, and standards-aligned school field trips.
• Virginia Living Museum: Newport News, VA nature and science center combining a zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden with K-12 school programming and conservation exhibits. Comparable as a Virginia nonprofit nature center with paid admissions, school field trip offerings, and conservation-focused mission.
• Camp Holiday Trails: Charlottesville, VA-based nonprofit residential summer camp serving children with special medical needs, offering multi-activity programming and year-round community engagement. Highly comparable to CKBY as a Virginia-headquartered mission-driven camp with structured activities, ACA affiliation, and a focus on inclusivity and youth development.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA: National nonprofit operating hundreds of summer day and resident camps, swim lessons, and youth-development programs across the U.S. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the multi-activity youth enrichment space where CKBY competes for families and seasonal staff, though YMCA delivers many programs indoors rather than in a dedicated nature setting.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National nonprofit youth-development organization operating before/after-school and summer programming at hundreds of club locations. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving the same age segments (6-15) and competing for the same family summer-care budget, though programs are typically facility-based rather than nature-based.

Regional players

• Natural Bridge State Park: Virginia state park featuring trails, natural landmarks, and visitor programming in the Shenandoah Valley region. Comparable as a Virginia nature/tourism destination with trails, interpretive signage, and family-oriented outdoor programming, though operated by the state rather than a private nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ckbycamp
• Facebookfacebook.com/CampKumBaYahLynchburg
• Instagraminstagram.com/ckbycamp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camp-kum-ba-ya

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Kum Ba Ya