Camp LuWiSoMo

What Camp LuWiSoMo does

Camp LuWiSoMo is a Wisconsin-based non-profit Christian outdoor ministry operating on 380 acres along Round Lake near Wild Rose, Wisconsin. It is a Registered Service Organization of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), serving primarily LCMS-affiliated families, congregations, and schools across the South Wisconsin District and broader Midwest with a portfolio of overnight summer youth camps (KinderCamp through High School Camp, plus Lutheran Band Camp), specialty programs for individuals with developmental disabilities under the Joyful Hearts brand, custom confirmation and leadership retreats, outdoor education field trips for schools, wedding and event venue rentals, and a seasonal campground. The organization operates year-round through its 16-room Harvey Krueger Retreat Center and supports summer programming with eight seasonal log cabins, a dining hall, the Chapel of St. Barnabas, Meditation Hill, and lakefront facilities.

Revenue is generated primarily through camper registration fees ranging from $190 (Winter Recharge) to $890 (Joyful Hearts Summer Camp), retreat center lodging at $105/night/room, campground sites at $45-$80/night, venue and dining hall rentals ($250-$575 minimums), branded merchandise, and a substantial donation program including a $500,000 Annual Fund goal that bridges the ~30% gap between program fees and operating costs. The camp relies entirely on off-the-shelf technology — WordPress website, PayPal payments, Facebook, email — with no proprietary software, mobile app, or self-serve online registration system. Go-to-market is community-led through LCMS church networks and congregation referrals, supplemented by event-driven fundraising (Tee Up For LuWiSoMo golf outing, Cracking Clays shooting event, Family Day). With 1-10 employees and ~60+ years of continuous operation since 1962, the organization is a stable, faith-mission-driven small non-profit with no venture funding, no parent company, and no disclosed growth ambitions beyond incremental program-line expansion.

Name

Camp LuWiSoMo

Legal name

Camp LuWiSoMo, Inc.

Website

https://luwisomo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Camp LuWiSoMo is a non-profit LCMS-affiliated Christian outdoor ministry on 380 acres near Wild Rose, Wisconsin, offering summer youth camps, developmental-disability specialty programs (Joyful Hearts), year-round retreats, school outdoor education, weddings, and campground lodging for Lutheran families, congregations, and the broader Midwest community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (721211), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seasonal & Long-Term Campsites (Snowbirds, Extended RV Stays) (THAMAJAF)

Keywords

• Christian summer camps
• Outdoor ministry retreats
• Retreat center lodging
• Outdoor education programs
• Campground facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Wild Rose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Camper Registration Fees: Primary revenue from summer camp registrations for Youth Camps ($565-$615), High School Camp ($565-$615), JuniorCamp ($250-$300), KinderCamp ($400-$450), Joyful Hearts Camps ($840-$890), Kid's Christmas ($220), and Winter Retreat ($190). Cost per camper approximately $900/week to operate.
2. Retreat Center Lodging: Year-round retreat center with 16 rooms at $105/night (2 night/6 room minimum). Revenue from custom retreats, confirmation retreats, meetings, and leadership retreats for church groups and organizations.
3. Campground Fees: Seasonal campground with water/electric sites ($55/night), light electric ($50/night), nonelectric ($45/night), and cabins ($80/night). Open Memorial Day through Labor Day with limited amenities post-Labor Day through September 23.
4. Merchandise (LuWiSoMo Gear): Online merchandise store selling branded apparel including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, travel mugs, backpacks, jerseys, and flannels shipped directly to customers.
5. Donations and Annual Fund: Annual Fund goal of $500,000; monthly giving program (Mustard Seed Movement); one-time donations via PayPal or check; Thrivent Choice Dollars averaging $5,000/year; Camper Scholarship Fund; IRA charitable rollover options. Camp tuition covers only 70% of operating costs; remaining 30% from donations.
6. Thrivent Action Teams: Thrivent members can lead Action Teams with $250 grants for volunteer projects at camp, providing both labor and funding for camp improvement projects.
7. Event & Meeting Space Rental: Rental of facilities including Dining Hall ($575 minimum/4 hours), Meeting Room ($275 minimum/4 hours), Picnic Shelter ($250 minimum/4 hours), and Meditation Hill for outdoor events and weddings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Camp LuWiSoMo operates a faith-based outdoor ministry delivering overnight summer camps (Pre-K through Grade 11), specialty camps for individuals with developmental disabilities (Joyful Hearts), year-round retreat center lodging and meeting space, seasonal campground, wedding venues, and outdoor education programs for schools. The organization is a Registered Service Organization of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, located on a 380-acre lakeside property in Wild Rose, Wisconsin. Programs are funded primarily through camper registration fees supplemented by an Annual Fund and donations.

Product overview

Camp LuWiSoMo operates as a faith-based outdoor ministry offering a comprehensive portfolio of overnight camps and retreat experiences. The core program portfolio includes: (1) Youth Summer Camps spanning KinderCamp (parent-child weekend for Pre-K to Grade 1), JuniorCamp (Kindergarten to Grade 3), Youth Camp (Grades 2-8 overnight), High School Camp (Grades 8-11), and Lutheran Band Camp (Grades 5-9); (2) Specialty Camps including the Joyful Hearts program serving individuals with developmental disabilities across summer, fall, and winter formats; (3) Year-round retreats including Winter Recharge, Kid's Christmas, Custom Confirmation Retreats, and Custom Events & Retreats; (4) Facility rentals including the 16-room Retreat Center, 8 seasonal Family Cabins, and Campground with campsites and small cabins; (5) Venue services for weddings and meetings; (6) Outdoor Education programs for schools; and (7) Fundraising/ministry support including Work Weekends, annual events (Tee Up For LuWiSoMo, Cracking Clays, Family Day), merchandise (LuWiSoMo Gear), and donation programs (Campership Fund, Annual Fund, Mustard Seed monthly giving). The organization is structured as a Wisconsin non-stock, non-profit corporation and LCMS Recognized Service Organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 50-80 campers per week during summer season
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Camp LuWiSoMo is a Registered Service Organization of the LCMS, specifically affiliated with the South Wisconsin District. The official transfer to become an LCMS Recognized Service Organization occurred in January 2015, with governance by its own Board of Directors. LCMS doctrine and principles guide the camp's operations.
• Lutheran High School Association of Greater MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRuns Lutheran Band Camp (Grades 5-9) at Camp LuWiSoMo facility. The 6-night band camp for musicians with band instrument experience is operated by Lutheran High School Association and held at LuWiSoMo, encouraging musical, spiritual, and social growth.
• Brakebush BrothersminorOthersProvides chicken barbecue for LuWiSoMo Family Day event. The tradition began in 1964 when gathered supporters decided to serve chicken barbecue, evolving into the annual Family Day celebration.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Camp Forest Springs: LCMS-affiliated camp and retreat center in Westboro, Wisconsin. Compares as a Wisconsin Lutheran camp and retreat facility with summer camp, retreat center, and similar faith-based outdoor ministry programming.
• Camp Concordia: LCMS Recognized Service Organization in Concordia, Missouri offering youth camps, family camps, and retreat facilities. Operates under the same LCMS governance framework with comparable program structure and faith-based mission.
• Camp Perkins: Faith-based summer camp in Iowa offering youth camps and retreats. Comparable as a Midwest residential summer camp with similar programming mix and family camp audiences.
• Lutherdale Bible Camp: LCMS-affiliated Bible camp in Wisconsin offering youth summer camps, retreats, and outdoor ministry programs. Directly comparable as a Lutheran summer camp in the same regional market with similar programming mix and target audience.
• Camp Okoboji: ELCA-affiliated summer camp and retreat center in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Comparable as a Midwest faith-based camp with multi-activity programming, retreat center, and seasonal operations serving similar Lutheran family demographics.
• Lutheran Valley Retreat: LCMS-affiliated retreat center in Colorado offering year-round retreat and outdoor programming. Comparable as a Lutheran outdoor ministry and retreat facility under similar denominational umbrella.
• Camp Phillips: LCMS Recognized Service Organization in Phillips, Kansas offering summer camps, retreats, and outdoor education. Operates under same LCMS affiliation model with similar summer camp programming and Lutheran customer base.

Others

• Brakebush Brothers: Food vendor that has supplied chicken barbecue for Camp LuWiSoMo's annual Family Day since 1964. Comparable as a long-standing partner and supplier in the camp event ecosystem rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Kampgrounds of America (KOA): Largest franchise campground network in North America with over 500 locations. Compares as a broad incumbent in the campground/RV park segment where Camp LuWiSoMo operates its seasonal campground with water/electric sites and cabins.

Emerging players

• Muskegon Camp/Special Ministries Programs: Several LCMS camps run specialized programs for individuals with developmental disabilities (similar to Camp LuWiSoMo's Joyful Hearts program). Comparable as faith-based disability camping programs with adapted activities and high staff-to-camper ratios serving an underserved niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/campluwisomo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camp-luwisomo

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 LuWiSoMo