Camp Mowglis - School of the Open

What Camp Mowglis - School of the Open does

Camp Mowglis is a non-profit overnight summer camp for boys ages 7–15, founded in 1903 by Elizabeth Ford Holt on Newfound Lake in Hebron, New Hampshire. It is owned and operated by the Holt-Elwell Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and operates continuously on the same 155-acre lakefront property, with 55 acres directly on the water and over 1,300 feet of shoreline. The camp hosts approximately 100 boys per summer across three, four, and seven-week sessions, organized into a tiered Cub Program (ages 7–9), the Pack Program (ages 10–15), and a Yearling/Outdoor Leadership program (ages 15–16) that prepares graduates for junior staff roles. Activities span 16+ instructional "Industries" including hiking, crew rowing, sailing, archery, riflery, woodworking, blacksmithing, swimming, and mountain biking, with weekly overnight trips in the White Mountains.

The core product is a residential camp experience rather than a technology product; the only disclosed integrations are CampInTouch for registration, the Campanion App for parent photo access, and Google Calendar/Sheets for scheduling and gear exchange. Revenue derives from tuition ($7,825 for a 3-week Cub session to $13,925 for the 7-week Full Season), supplemented by camp store merchandise sales, charitable contributions, endowment income, and planned giving via the Bagheera Society. Customer acquisition is direct-to-consumer through the website, social media, email, and family referrals, with international families (limited spots) supported by airport pickup and a "Flight to Camp" package. The customer base is intentionally small, multi-generational, and concentrated in the New England private camp market, with selective international uptake across more than 20 countries.

Name

Camp Mowglis - School of the Open

Legal name

Holt-Elwell Memorial Foundation

Website

https://mowglis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Camp Mowglis is a non-profit overnight summer camp for boys ages 7–15, founded 1903 in Hebron, New Hampshire, operated by the Holt-Elwell Memorial Foundation on a 155-acre Newfound Lake campus serving approximately 100 campers per summer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Overnight Summer Camps

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Overnight summer camp
• Youth outdoor education
• Boys residential camp
• Character development camp
• Summer camp programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Hebron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Tuition: Primary revenue stream. Families pay tuition for 3-week, 4-week, or 7-week overnight camp sessions. Tuition ranges from $7,825 (3-week Cub Program) to $13,925 (7-week full season). Additional revenue includes camp store merchandise sales (shop.mowglis.org), and the camp operates a non-profit giving program with endowment donations, bequests, and planned gifts supporting operations and scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Camp Mowglis operates a traditional overnight summer camp for boys ages 7–15 (and a leadership track up to age 17) on Newfound Lake in Hebron, New Hampshire, offering 3-, 4-, and 7-week residential sessions built around the "School of the Open" philosophy. Programming combines 16+ instructional "Industries" (hiking, rowing, sailing, riflery, blacksmithing, woodworking, swimming, archery, etc.) with weekly overnight backpacking and canoeing expeditions in the White Mountains, on-site family-style dining, and ACA-accredited safety standards. Supporting offerings include an optional tuition insurance product, a branded merchandise store, and a multi-channel development program (endowment, planned giving, bequests, and stock gifts).

Product overview

Camp Mowglis — also referred to as 'School of the Open' — is a non-profit overnight summer camp for boys ages 7–15 operated by the Holt-Elwell Memorial Foundation on Newfound Lake, New Hampshire. Founded in 1903, it hosts approximately 100 campers per summer across three, four, or seven-week sessions. The core offering is its residential camp program structured around 'Industries' (16+ instructional outdoor activities), a hiking and overnight tripping program in the White Mountains, and a cabin-living community experience. The camp is organized into three age-based programs: the Cub Program (ages 7–9) with shorter sessions and higher staff ratios; The Pack (ages 10–15) offering 4- and 7-week options; and the Yearling / Outdoor Leadership Camp (ages 15–16) focused on junior staff preparation. Supporting services include on-site food service, a nut-free kitchen with dietary accommodations, a tuition insurance product (Program Protector), a peer-to-peer gear exchange (Mow-Trow), an online merchandise store, and a multi-pronged giving program encompassing an endowment fund, planned giving (Bagheera Society), bequests, and gifts of stock.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Overnight Summer Camp — 7-Week Full Season

Quantifiable outcome

• Boys develop tangible character traits — standing tall with eye contact, choosing hiking boots over smartphones, leading group projects with deadlines
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Holt-Elwell Memorial FoundationcoreOthersCamp Mowglis is owned and operated by the Holt-Elwell Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Federal Tax ID: 02-0261932). The Foundation's trustees hire, advise, guide, and support the professional camp director. Mowglis receives hundreds of charitable contributions annually from alumni, parents, and friends to help close the gap between tuition and expenses. The Foundation manages endowment funds, bequests, and planned gifts supporting camp operations and scholarships.
• Everything Summer CampminorOthersThird-party camp gear supplier used by families to purchase required camp uniforms (Mow-Trow) and gear. Families order through Everythingsummercamp.com using camp code trail851MG. Mowglis is not formally affiliated with the supplier.
• Camp OnawayminorOthersA traditional non-profit girls' overnight camp on Newfound Lake (est. 1911), located nearby. Mowglis families have historically referred their daughters to Onaway during the same summer sessions. The camps share a similar philosophy and calendar, allowing siblings to be dropped off and picked up on the same weekends. Not formally affiliated — Mowglis simply recommends Onaway to families seeking a girls' camp.
• American Camp Association (ACA)coreOthersACA sets the highest standards in the camping industry. Mowglis is ACA accredited, meaning it voluntarily meets strict codes of safety and excellence. Director Nick Robbins is also a certified ACA camp evaluator who visits other camps during operating season to ensure they follow industry best health and safety practices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Camp Tecumseh: Traditional YMCA overnight camp in NH (est. 1903—same vintage as Mowglis) offering multi-week residential programs on a lake. Comparable in mission, founding era, ACA accreditation, and New England lakefront residential camp model.
• Camp Takodah: YMCA-operated traditional coed overnight camp in NH (est. 1916) serving boys and girls with similar activity mix. Comparable in mission-driven non-profit structure, ACA accreditation, and New England overnight camp format, though coed rather than boys-only.
• Kenwood and Evergreen Camps: Pair of traditional brother-sister overnight camps in NH (est. 1930) with similar summer-long residential programs and character-development philosophy. Comparable to Mowglis in mission, premium residential offering, and sibling-camp structure.
• Camp Onaway: Traditional non-profit girls' overnight camp on Newfound Lake, NH (est. 1911), explicitly recommended by Camp Mowglis for families seeking a sister camp. Operates the same philosophy, same calendar, and is geographically proximate, making it the most direct peer in mission and operating model.
• Camp Lawrence: Traditional boys' overnight camp in NH operated by the Anti-Defamation League. Comparable in boys-only target market, traditional outdoor residential model, and mission-driven values-based programming aligned with character development.
• Camp Pemigewassett: Traditional boys' overnight camp in NH (est. 1906) with similar multi-week residential format, waterfront focus, and outdoor activities. Closely comparable in heritage, boys-only positioning, and ACA-accredited traditional camp model.
• Camp Winaukee: Traditional boys' overnight camp in New Hampshire (est. 1920) offering multi-week residential programs with strong sports and outdoor activity focus. Highly comparable to Mowglis in target customer (boys 7-15), premium pricing tier, New England location, and century-plus operating history.
• Camp Sangamon: Traditional boys' overnight camp in Vermont (est. 1921) offering 3- and 6-week sessions with outdoor sports and character development focus. Closely comparable to Mowglis in operating model, target demographic, premium pricing, and traditional New England camp heritage.
• Camp Agawam: Traditional boys' overnight camp in Maine (est. 1919) focused on outdoor activities, athletics, and character development. Highly comparable in boys-only format, traditional outdoor programming, premium pricing, and century-long operating history.

Others

• American Camp Association (ACA): Industry accreditation body for U.S. camps. While not a competing operator, ACA is highly relevant as the accreditation body Mowglis operates under and where Director Nick Robbins serves as an evaluator—functioning as an ecosystem/infrastructure participant for the camp's regulatory standing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAYEXYh1ntCEeocmAQk5k9g?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/Mowglis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camp-mowglis1903
• Instagraminstagram.com/camp_mowglis
• TikToktiktok.com/@camp.mowglis
• Pinterestpinterest.com/Camp_mowglis

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Mowglis - School of the Open