Camp Merrie-Woode, The Merrie-Woode Foundation, Inc.

What Camp Merrie-Woode, The Merrie-Woode Foundation, Inc. does

Camp Merrie-Woode is a 108-year-old traditional overnight summer camp for girls operated as a 501(c)3 non-profit educational institution by The Merrie-Woode Foundation, Inc. Founded in 1919 by Dammie Day and acquired by the Foundation in 1979, the camp sits on a 400-acre mountain property in Sapphire, North Carolina, featuring an 80-acre Lake Fairfield, the Old Bald granite dome, and extensive wooded trails. It serves girls ages 7-16 through three primary overnight sessions — a three-week June Session ($6,500), a five-week Main Session ($8,550), and an 11-day August Session ($3,950) — plus Junior Counselor and Counselor-in-Training leadership tracks for rising high school seniors. Programming spans 21+ instructed activities including horseback riding (CHA-accredited), whitewater boating, mountaineering, climbing, drama, ceramics, stained glass, weaving, tennis, archery, and dance, delivered by approximately 60+ seasonal counselors and staff recruited from a defined set of partner universities.

The business is direct-to-consumer: families apply through the CampInTouch platform, schedule on-site property tours, and are largely acquired through alumnae referrals and word-of-mouth within an established multi-generational community. The underlying technology stack is modest and operational rather than differentiated: CampInTouch handles applications, enrollment, and parent communication; the Campanion App (with optional facial recognition) delivers daily photos to parents; Blackbaud processes Annual Fund and endowment donations; Shopify powers the Stock Shop merchandise storefront; and Cashiers Valley Pharmacy provides pre-packaged, blister-packaged medication delivery with pharmacist oversight. ACA and NCYCA accreditations signal regulatory compliance; CHA accreditation governs the riding program.

Revenue is generated through five streams: (1) tiered session tuition (the primary stream, with multi-year re-enrollment dynamics), (2) off-season facility rentals — High Heaven Lodge at $500/night and Merlin's Alderley Edge studios at $125/night per side — for alumnae vacations, weddings, and reunions, (3) e-commerce merchandise sales through Shopify, (4) tax-deductible Annual Fund donations via Venmo, PayPal, stock transfers, and 401(k) distributions, and (5) Planned Giving through the Kindred Spirit Society (bequests, charitable remainder trusts). A growing endowment stack — including the Merrie-Woode Endowment (2016), Hugh Caldwell Chamber Music Endowment (2017), Dameron Family Foundation Endowment (2018), Ginger Somerville Hallock Endowment (2021), and Eve and Sherwood Smith Family Endowment (2025) — provides a permanent capital base, while need-based Camperships ensure access. The 2025-2029 Strategic Plan organizes future investment around four pillars: Camp Life, People, Programming, and Environmental & Financial Stewardship.

Name

Camp Merrie-Woode, The Merrie-Woode Foundation, Inc.

Legal name

The Merrie-Woode Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://merriewoode.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Camp Merrie-Woode is a 108-year-old traditional overnight summer camp for girls ages 7-16, operated by The Merrie-Woode Foundation on a 400-acre mountain property in Sapphire, North Carolina, offering multi-week sessions across 21+ activities, leadership tracks, off-season rentals, and an endowed 501(c)3 fundraising base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Residential Summer Camp

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mountain & Wilderness Lodges (THAAAHAE)

Keywords

• Overnight summer camp
• Girls summer camp
• Youth outdoor education
• Summer camp programs
• Traditional camp activities

Headquarters

HQ city

Sapphire, NC

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Tuition: Primary revenue from tiered session tuition for campers ages 7-16. Three main sessions: June ($6,500), Main ($8,550), August ($3,950). JC and CIT programs have separate pricing.
2. Facility Rentals: Off-season rental of accommodations including High Heaven alumnae lodge ($500/night) and Merlin's Alderley Edge studio apartments ($125/night per side). Available mid-August through May for alumnae vacations, weddings, and family reunions.
3. Stock Shop: E-commerce sales of camp merchandise including uniforms through Shopify storefront
4. Annual Fund Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions to support operations, camperships, and endowment funds. Multiple giving methods including Venmo, PayPal, stock donations, and 401(k) distributions.
5. Planned Giving / Bequests: Legacy gifts through Kindred Spirit Society for estate planning including bequests in wills, charitable remainder trusts, and other planned vehicles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Camp Merrie-Woode operates a traditional overnight summer camp for girls ages 7-16 on a 400-acre mountain property in Sapphire, North Carolina. Core offerings include three tiered summer sessions (June, Main, August), Junior Counselor and Counselor in Training leadership programs, 21+ instructed activities spanning riding, boating, mountaineering, arts, and athletics, need-based campership scholarships, and off-season cabin, lodge, and studio rentals for alumnae and visitors.

Product overview

Camp Merrie-Woode is a traditional overnight girls summer camp offering three core session products: the three-week June Session ($6,500), the five-week Main Session ($8,550), and the ten-day August Session ($3,950) for girls ages 7-16. The camp operates alongside the JC and CIT leadership programs for older campers transitioning to staff roles. More than 21 instructed activities span outdoor adventure (riding, boating, mountaineering, climbing), arts (ceramics, stained glass, jewelry, weaving, woodworking), waterfront sports (swimming, sailing, kayaking), and athletics (tennis, pickleball, archery, dance, tumbling). The Merrie-Woode Foundation also generates revenue through alumnae rentals (High Heaven lodge, Merlin's Alderley Edge studios) and off-season events (retreats, Mother-Daughter weekends), while the Campership Program supports accessibility through need-based scholarships. The camp leverages CampInTouch for registration and parent communication, Blackbaud for donations, Shopify for merchandise sales, and the Campanion App for photo sharing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• June Session
• Main Session
• August Session
• Junior Counselor (JC) Program
• Counselor in Training (CIT) Program
• Campership Program
• Alumnae Cabin and Lodge Rentals
• Off-Season Community Events
• Camp Merrie-Woode Stock Shop (Merchandise)

Quantifiable outcome

• Generations of campers report lasting friendships and personal development impact

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Camp Association (ACA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACA accreditation demonstrates compliance with over 300 standards for health, safety, and program quality. ACA badges are displayed on website and marketing materials as quality assurance for families.
• North Carolina Youth Camp AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level membership organization for youth camps in North Carolina providing networking, advocacy, and industry resources.
• Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHA accreditation for the horseback riding program ensures standardized quality instruction in hunt-seat riding with ring work, jumping, and trail riding. CHA-certified instructors highly valued.
• Cashiers Valley PharmacycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for medication management requiring all camper medications to be blister packaged prior to camp. Pharmacy delivers medications before Opening Day. $12 fee per prescription for pharmacist oversight.
• ShipCampsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuggage shipping service for campers providing door-to-camp delivery of bags and equipment.
• Campanion AppcoreTechnology or IntegrationPhoto management app integration allowing parents to access daily camp photos with optional facial recognition to create personalized albums of their daughter.
• Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Camp Cup whitewater competition where campers travel to NOC for friendly canoeing and kayaking competition with other regional camps.
• Everything Summer Camp, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized retailer for Camp Merrie-Woode uniforms (middies) available for purchase online.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Camp Walden: Established girls' summer camp in Cheboygan, Michigan, offering a multi-session overnight program with traditional and adventure activities, comparable to Merrie-Woode's tiered-session, character-and-skills development approach.
• Camp Pinecliffe: Long-running girls' overnight summer camp in Harrison, Maine, with a strong tradition of outdoor adventure and arts programming; comparable to Merrie-Woode in family demographics, premium cabin-and-activity model, and multi-week session pricing.
• Camp Greystone: Premier traditional girls' overnight summer camp located in Tuxedo, North Carolina, offering a comparable multi-session, multi-activity program with similar premium pricing and ACA accreditation — the closest geographic and product analogue to Camp Merrie-Woode.
• Camp North Star: Premium co-ed overnight summer camp in Poland, Maine, operating on a comparable tiered multi-session model with a similar activity breadth and tuition tier; useful benchmark for premium overnight-camp pricing and programming.
• Camp Wicosuta: Traditional girls' overnight summer camp in New Hampshire with a multi-generational alumnae base and ACA-accredited programming; comparable to Merrie-Woode in family positioning, activity breadth, and seasonal operating model.
• Rockbrook Camp: Long-established girls' overnight summer camp in Brevard, North Carolina, sharing the same Western NC mountain context, traditional-camp ethos, similar activity breadth, and similar seasonal direct-to-consumer family enrollment model.
• Camp Towanda: Premier co-eds' overnight summer camp in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, with a comparably long operating history, tiered multi-week sessions, broad instructed activity portfolio, and similar premium tuition positioning to Merrie-Woode.

Others

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC): Regional outdoor adventure company and existing Merrie-Woode whitewater-program partner (Camp Cup). Not a direct competitor, but an adjacent experiential-outdoor peer and ecosystem participant relevant to Merrie-Woode's boating and adventure programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MerrieWoodeFoundationInc
• Instagraminstagram.com/campmerriewoode
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camp-merrie-woode-the-merrie-woode-foundation-inc-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Merrie-Woode, The Merrie-Woode Foundation, Inc.