Catholic Youth Camp

What Catholic Youth Camp does

Catholic Youth Camp (CYC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1947 by Father Jack Sweeney, operating a traditional week-long Catholic residential summer camp on a peninsula on Big Sandy Lake in McGregor, Minnesota. The organization serves youth ages 7-17 with overnight camp sessions that integrate Catholic faith formation (grounded in the 5 C's framework: Christ, Charity, Courage, Cooperation, Community) with recreational activities including swimming, archery, boating, fishing, sports, arts and crafts, dance, drama, and praise/worship. Supporting programs include VIP Weekends (Vacation In Purpose) family retreat weekends and on-site camp store merchandise. The organization has been ACA accredited since 1955 and, per its own positioning, is Minnesota's only Catholic resident camp.

CYC's business model combines tiered camper tuition (with a true operational cost of approximately $1,150 per camper per week bridged by scholarships), charitable donations, and event-based fundraising. Revenue streams include camper tuition, individual and corporate donations, VIP Weekend fees ($85/adult, $50/child 12-17, $25/child 11 and under), camp store sales ($5-$50 camper store deposits), and optional bus transportation from Roseville, MN at $50 per way. The 2026 fundraising goal is $100,000, up from $65,000 raised in 2025. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the cycamp.org website and Camp In Touch registration platform, supplemented by community-led outreach to Catholic dioceses and parishes across Minnesota and word-of-mouth referrals from an active alumni network. Operational scale is small: 2 year-round staff (Executive Director Erika Johnson and Office Admin Frances de Kooker), ~8+ seasonal summer staff, and a 7-member Board of Directors.

The organization took a full operational hiatus in 2024 to rebuild, returned to programming in 2025, and is currently positioning for renewed growth ahead of its 80th anniversary in 2027. Historical peak participation was 1,530 participants in 1996; current weekly capacity is noted at ~60 campers, indicating present operating scale is materially below historical highs. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on standard third-party tools (Camp In Touch, Facebook alumni groups, email newsletters). The organization's geographic footprint is single-site (McGregor, MN camp plus a Roseville, MN administrative office), serving families primarily from Minnesota and the broader Midwest.

Name

Catholic Youth Camp

Legal name

Catholic Youth Camp

Website

https://cycamp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Catholic Youth Camp is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a week-long Catholic overnight summer camp on Big Sandy Lake for youth ages 7-17, combining faith formation with recreational activities and family retreat weekends, funded through tiered tuition, donations, and annual fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Youth Residential Camps

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO), Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Youth summer camps
• Faith-based camping
• Catholic youth programs
• Family retreat programs
• Overnight camp programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Mcgregor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Camper Tuition: Primary revenue stream from week-long overnight camp sessions for youth ages 7-17. Uses tiered pricing model to accommodate diverse family financial situations, with true cost of camp close to $1,150 per camper per week.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, CYC relies on charitable contributions to fund camper scholarships and cover operational costs. The organization has set a 2026 fundraising goal of $100,000, up from $65,000 raised in 2025.
3. Camp Store: On-site camp store sells merchandise including T-shirts, sweatshirts, water bottles, and snacks. Parents deposit $5-50 in camper store accounts.
4. VIP Weekend Fees: Family retreat weekends with separate pricing: $85 per adult, $50 per child aged 12-17, $25 per child 11 and under. Includes cabin lodging, meals, activities, and chapel services.
5. Transportation Services: Optional bus transportation from Roseville, MN to camp available for select sessions at $50 per way, contingent on 30 campers needing bussing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Catholic Youth Camp provides week-long overnight residential camp experiences for youth ages 7-17 on Big Sandy Lake in McGregor, Minnesota, integrating Catholic faith formation with traditional camp activities such as swimming, archery, boating, arts and crafts, sports, and praise and worship. The camp also offers family retreat weekends (VIP Weekends) and runs a summer camp store and optional bus transportation. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tuition is supplemented by charitable donations that fund camper scholarships.

Product overview

Catholic Youth Camp is a single, unified program offering a traditional Catholic overnight camp experience. The core product is the week-long residential camp for youth ages 7-17, which has operated since 1947. Supporting programs include VIP Weekends (family camp weekends) and summer camp sessions. The organization also provides camp activities (archery, swimming, boating, arts and crafts, sports, dance, drama, fishing, paddle boarding, hatchets, rangers, praise and worship, and low ropes), daily schedules, age group programming, and online registration through CampInTouch. CYC is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is accredited by the American Camping Association.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catholic Youth Camp Overnight Camps
• VIP Weekends (Vacation In Purpose)
• Summer Camp Sessions (2026 Season)
• Camp Store
• Bus Transportation Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,530 participants served in peak year (1996)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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.

• Top GolfminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Top Golf serves as the venue for CYC's annual Swing into Spring fundraiser event. CYC books limited Top Golf bays for donor engagement and community building. This partnership provides event space and entertainment activities for the fundraiser targeting families, couples, and individuals. The event aims to raise $100,000 in 2026.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Kanakuk Kamps: Major Christian residential summer camp operator in Missouri. Comparable faith-based overnight product for youth and teens, but operates at substantially greater scale with multiple locations and a broader activity portfolio. Illustrative of operational scale CYC could aspire to.
• Pine Cove: One of the largest Christ-centered residential camp operators in the U.S. (Texas-based). Overlaps with CYC on faith-based overnight programming for youth but is a much larger, multi-location, multi-state operator with broader portfolio and alumni footprint. Useful as a scale benchmark.
• Young Life Camping: National Christian youth organization operating multiple residential camps across the U.S. Targeting the same demographic (faith-based teen summer experiences) with substantially larger scale and broader marketing/distribution. Emerging competitor for Catholic teens in particular.
• Camp Ridgecrest: Long-established Christian residential boys' camp in North Carolina. Strong overlap with CYC in faith formation + traditional camp programming, but operates at meaningfully larger scale and brand recognition. Sister property Camp Crestridge serves girls.

Direct peers

• Trout Lake Camps: Long-running Christ-centered residential summer camp in northern Wisconsin/Upper Midwest. Comparable to CYC in faith-based overnight programming, regional summer-camp model, and nonprofit funding structure. Similar cabin-based activities and traditional rustic camp experience.
• Camp Foley: Four-week residential summer camp in northern Minnesota operated by the YMCA. Directly comparable to CYC on overnight cabin-based programming, traditional rustic activities, and Minnesota geographic market — though secular rather than faith-based.
• Camp Tekakwitha: Catholic residential youth camp in Wisconsin. Operates the same product category as CYC: week-long Catholic overnight camps with faith formation, traditional camp activities, and tiered pricing/scholarship funding. Directly competes for the same Upper Midwest Catholic family demographic.

Regional players

• Camp Tanadoona: YMCA-operated overnight camp in central Minnesota. Similar size, geography, and program structure to CYC (week-long sessions, traditional activities, ACA-accredited). Secular but competes for the same Minnesota family demographic.
• Camp Courage: Minnesota-based residential camp operated by Courage Kenny (part of Allina Health). Comparable scale and Minnesota geography, but specialized for individuals with disabilities. Useful peer for understanding nonprofit camp operating models in the same region.

Emerging players

• Camp Westminster on Higgins Lake: Episcopal-affiliated residential summer camp in Michigan. Comparable faith-based overnight programming with traditional summer activities, similar nonprofit operating model, and similar small scale — overlaps with CYC's niche of denomination-sponsored youth camps.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/517496284985438
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catholic-youth-camp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Catholic Youth Camp