Black Swamp Area Council, BSA

What Black Swamp Area Council, BSA does

Black Swamp Area Council, BSA is a private nonprofit local council of Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) serving 13 counties in northwest Ohio through four districts (Arrowwood, Chinquapin, Great Oaks, Old Sycamore). Founded in 1941 as Shawnee Council, it is headquartered at 2100 Broad Avenue in Findlay, Ohio, and delivers Cub Scouts (K-5), Scouts BSA (ages 11-17), Venturing (ages 14-20), and Exploring (workforce-development) programs. Its flagship asset is Camp Lakota — a 640-acre facility near Defiance with the 48-acre Lake Glengary and 18 campsites — supplemented by Camp Berry and the Camp Neil Armstrong outpost.

The council operates a diversified revenue model: recurring annual youth membership fees ($85 national Scouting America + $40 local service fee), tiered resident summer-camp fees ($405–$457 per scout per week depending on sibling/crossover status and year), Cub Scout day/overnight camp fees ($150–$180), product-sale fundraising (annual popcorn and coffee/tea sales), donor contributions, campership/financial-assistance funding, and special events (golf outings, sporting clays, Meecheway 5K, Dueling Pianos). Customer segments are hybrid across youth programs, adult volunteers/leaders, and donor supporters. Technology infrastructure consists of third-party SaaS platforms — Doubleknot for registration/membership/fundraising, Scoutbook for advancement, and MyScouting.org for training — with no proprietary technology development. The council distributes through chartered-organization partnerships (schools, churches, civic groups), the national beascout.org platform, district executive field staff, the Lima Scout Shop retail location, and digital channels (website, E-Signals newsletter, social). A Strategic Plan update dated 11-24-24 sets current programmatic priorities, and a 2026–2028 administrative restructuring will unify all membership renewals under a single February cycle.

Name

Black Swamp Area Council, BSA

Legal name

Black Swamp Area Council, BSA

Website

https://blackswampbsa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black Swamp Area Council, BSA is a Scouting America local council serving 13 northwest Ohio counties with Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Exploring programs anchored by the 640-acre Camp Lakota. Revenue comes from membership fees, summer camp, product sales, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA), Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Scouting programs
• Summer resident camps
• Outdoor education
• Volunteer leader training

Headquarters

HQ city

Findlay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: National Scouting America registration fee ($85) plus local council service fee ($40) collected annually from all youth and adult members.
2. Summer Camp Fees: Week-long resident camp programs at Camp Lakota ranging from $405-$440 per scout, with early discounts available. Sibling and new scout pricing differs.
3. Cub Scout Day/Overnight Camp: Day camp programs ($150 for 5 days) and overnight camp options ($180) for Cub Scouts grades 1-5 at Camp Lakota.
4. Product Sales (Popcorn/Coffee): Annual popcorn and coffee/tea sale programs where scouts participate in fundraising, with proceeds supporting council operations and scout scholarships.
5. Donations: Individual donations, endowments, memorial gifts, and special event fundraising including golf outings and sporting clays events.
6. Camperships/Financial Assistance: Need-based financial assistance funded by donors, providing up to 100% registration fee coverage for participating scouts and 50% for non-participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Black Swamp Area Council delivers Scouting youth development programs and outdoor camping experiences for youth in grades K through age 20 across 13 counties in northwest Ohio. Core offerings include age-tiered Scouting programs (Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Exploring), week-long resident summer camps at the 640-acre Camp Lakota and Camp Berry, adult volunteer leader training (BALOO, IOLS, Wood Badge), annual fundraising product sales, and need-based financial assistance for registration and camp fees.

Product overview

Black Swamp Area Council, BSA is a regional Boy Scouts of America council serving 13 counties in northwest Ohio. The organization offers a portfolio of youth development programs including Cub Scouts (grades K-5), Scouts BSA (ages 11-17), Venturing (ages 14-20), and Exploring (workforce development). Core programs center on camping experiences at Camp Lakota (640-acre facility with Lake Glengary) and Camp Berry, including Scouts BSA Summer Camp, Adventure Camp, Cub Scout Camping, and High Adventure programs. The council provides training programs (BALOO, IOLS, Wood Badge), operates annual fundraising programs (Popcorn Sale, Coffee & Tea Sale), and offers financial assistance through camperships and registration assistance. The organization uses Doubleknot software platform for event registration and program management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cub Scouts Program

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Doubleknot LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationDoubleknot provides the council's event registration, membership management, facility reservations, and fundraising software platform. The cloud-based system handles online payments, camp registrations, training enrollments, and donation processing for all council activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America): National parent organization that governs all local councils including Black Swamp Area Council. Sets programming standards, national registration fees ($85), and provides the brand/platform that makes the council's chartered-organization model possible. Directly comparable as the umbrella entity for the same Scouting product.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Larger national youth development nonprofit serving school-age children with afterschool programming, sports leagues, and character/leadership curriculum. Competes for the same youth-enrichment hours and donor dollars, with similar nonprofit funding model (membership, donations, special events).

Direct peers

• Girl Scouts of Western Ohio: Regional Girl Scouts council serving overlapping Ohio geography with the same youth development, camping (camp properties), membership fees, and product-sales (cookie) fundraising model. Direct competitor for the same family youth-enrichment wallet and similar nonprofit structure.
• Simon Kenton Council, BSA: Another Ohio-based BSA local council (Columbus/central Ohio area). Operates the same Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, and summer camp programming under the national Scouting America umbrella. Closest direct peer in terms of operational model, revenue mix, and program portfolio.
• Dan Beard Council, BSA: Ohio-based BSA local council serving the greater Cincinnati region. Same product mix (Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, camp properties, Order of the Arrow), same national brand affiliation, and similar district-based governance. Directly comparable peer for benchmarking membership trends, camp utilization, and fundraising effectiveness.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Ohio: Local Boys & Girls Clubs affiliate serving the same NW Ohio geography (Toledo/Findlay region). Direct competitor for after-school youth programming, family engagement, and donor dollars in the same service area with similar youth-development mission.

Others

• National 4-H Council: National youth development organization delivered through cooperative extension offices, with comparable programs in outdoor skills, leadership, and civic engagement. Competes for the same family enrichment engagement and government/grant funding pools, though delivery model (extension service-based) differs from the council-based Scouting model.
• YMCA of the USA: National nonprofit operating residential summer camps (e.g., Camp Y-Nah, Camp Pinewood) and year-round youth programming. Comparable in operating traditional camp facilities with lake/waterfront programming and multi-week resident camp sessions, though delivered through a different membership/branch structure.

Emerging players

• Camp Fire National Headquarters: National youth development nonprofit (formerly Camp Fire Boys and Girls) offering similar character-building, outdoor programming, and teen service leadership. Smaller scale than Scouting/Girl Scouts but pursues the same family market with comparable program philosophy.

Regional players

• Crossroads of America Council, BSA: Indiana-based BSA local council serving the Indianapolis/mid-Indiana region. Operates identical Scouting programs and camp properties under the same national umbrella, but in an adjacent state rather than directly overlapping Black Swamp's 13-county Ohio service area. Strong operational comparability with regional differentiation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/bsac449
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BSA100years/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-swamp-area-council-bsa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Black Swamp Area Council, BSA