How to Hire an Executive Director for a Summer Camp
Hiring an Executive Director for your camp is a high-stakes move. This isn’t just your summer leader. This is the person who will shape your organization’s next chapter—balancing tradition and innovation, programming and fundraising, campers and capital campaigns.
Whether you’re a nonprofit day camp, a legacy overnight program, or a multi-site organization preparing for growth, this guide breaks down how to find, evaluate, and hire the right Executive Director—someone who understands camp at a deep level, but also operates like a mission-driven CEO.
Need help ASAP? If your board needed an ED yesterday, jump straight to our Executive Search Services and we’ll fast‑track the process.
Who Should You Hire as a Camp Executive Director?
The best Executive Director candidates aren’t just good at camp. They’ve mastered it—and are ready to lead at a higher level.
Look for “Next-Step” Camp Leaders
Ideal candidates often come from within the camp world. These are people who’ve:
Served as Camp Directors or Associate Directors
Led teams through high-pressure seasons
Developed deep camp intuition—but now want to influence the full organization
They’ve built hiring pipelines, mediated staff crises, and rallied teams in the pouring rain. They’re now ready to focus on fundraising, board strategy, and long-term growth.
Can You Hire from Outside the Camp World?
Yes—but with caution. You might find an exceptional leader from a youth development nonprofit, a school or residential education program, or a community-based or mission-driven organization. That said, camp fluency matters. Summer camp is a unique ecosystem, and the learning curve can be steep. If hiring from outside the field, look for someone with deep operational experience, strong cultural humility, and a willingness to live and learn the rhythms of camp life.
Bottom line: The ideal ED understands camp deeply and knows how to run a nonprofit business.
Why Hire an Executive Director for Your Camp
Many camps launch with pure passion: a scenic property, a hardworking founder, and a small group of volunteers. That setup can carry a program for a few seasons, but growth introduces complexity—multiple program tracks, stricter regulations, and parents who expect year‑round engagement. A dedicated ED provides a single point of vision and accountability so each cabin, safety drill, and social‑media post aligns with the same north star.
Beyond day‑to‑day oversight, the ED becomes the camp’s public face. They court donors, speak at PTA meetings, reassure nervous first‑time parents, and manage a diverse and complex staff that each have unique experiences. When the team knows exactly who drives strategy, staff morale and camper experience both improve because decisions happen faster and communication flows clearly.
Key Benefits of a Camp Executive Director:
| Benefit | Impact on Your Camp |
|---|---|
| Unified Leadership | Aligns program, marketing, and facilities around shared goals |
| Strategic Vision | Expands off-season revenue and plans facility investments |
| Fundraising & Partnerships | Cultivates donors, corporate sponsors, and scholarship funds |
| Operational Excellence | Crafts safety systems and hiring pipelines that scale |
| Parent & Community Trust | Gives families and regulators a reliable, recognized leader |
What Does an Executive Director Do for a Summer Camp
The ED doesn’t run cabins or lead evening programs. They build the foundation that allows everything else to happen.
Off‑season months are fertile ground for an ED’s strategic side: they review budgets, cultivate donors, and oversee facility maintenance. Come June, they morph into conductors orchestrating hundreds of moving parts—from cabin assignments to emergency drills—while still keeping an eye on next year’s recruitment funnel.
Equally important is emotional labor: mediating staff disagreements, comforting homesick campers, and celebrating small wins to keep morale high. A weekly rhythm of open‑door chats and data reviews helps the ED spot burnout and mission drift before they escalate.
Core Responsibilities:
Strategy: Develops long-range plans and ensures mission alignment
Fundraising: Leads donor relations, capital campaigns, and grant strategy
Operations: Oversees finance, HR, risk management, and facilities
Board Partnership: Reports progress, co-leads vision, and ensures governance
Marketing & Outreach: Grows enrollment, builds brand awareness, and deepens community ties
Team Leadership: Hires, supports, and mentors senior staff year-round
Seasonal Snapshot:
| Season | ED Focus |
|---|---|
| Fall | Post-season debrief, strategic retreats, donor stewardship |
| Winter | Hiring pipeline, grant deadlines, updated safety protocols |
| Spring | Facility readiness, staff onboarding, camper orientation |
| Summer | Daily oversight, real-time crisis response, VIP visits |
Where to Hire a Summer Camp Executive Director
Finding a camp ED is part treasure hunt, part reputation game. The ideal candidate might be finishing a contract at another camp, leading an outdoor‑education nonprofit, or managing youth programs for a city park district. Diversify your sourcing so you don’t miss leaders hiding in adjacent sectors.
Start by auditing your employer brand: does your website’s leadership page inspire? Are alumni or parents posting glowing LinkedIn recommendations? A polished digital footprint converts intrigued prospects into enthusiastic applicants more effectively than a generic job ad.
Most great candidates aren’t actively job hunting. You need to show up in the right places—and go directly to the people who are ready for this kind of step.
Where to Post
Indeed (Paid Post): Still the most widely used job board. Boost posts to ensure visibility.
LinkedIn: A must for nonprofit and executive-level searches. Post and proactively source.
ACA Job Board: Trusted in the camp community. Reaches people who already speak the language.
Idealist: High-traffic site for mission-driven professionals across sectors.
JewishJobs.com: Excellent for Jewish-affiliated camps or culturally aligned organizations.
DiversityJobs.com: A top board for reaching candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.
Pro Tip: A strong job post brings awareness. But real results come from personal outreach.
How to Source Passively (CampHire Method)
Use LinkedIn to find seasoned Camp Directors, nonprofit execs, and alumni of leadership programs
Reach out with custom, values-aligned messaging that invites conversation—not just application
Tap into referral networks—your board, staff, and alumni often know who’s ready for the next big step
Analyze live job listings to benchmark against peers and build a competitive position
When Should a Summer Camp Hire an Executive Director?
Hiring late invites chaos. Think visa delays, half‑planned staff training, and rushed parent communications. Begin scouting as soon as you see growth on the horizon: expanding off‑season rentals, new partnerships with schools, or regulatory updates requiring deeper expertise. A nine‑month runway captures post‑summer talent and leaves space for relocation and overlap with outgoing leadership.
Timing also intertwines with budget cycles. Launching a search during year‑end audits or capital‑campaign crunch can strain resources and distract key voices from interview panels. Map the process during a manageable program lull so finance, operations, and governance stakeholders can fully engage.
Founder transition—burnout or planned retirement.
Program diversification—day camps, retreats, or adventure travel.
Increased compliance—new state health codes or ACA standards.
Capital expansion—buildings, trails, or waterfront upgrades.
Board Lens: If leadership is juggling HR paperwork at midnight, it’s ED o’clock.
What Makes a Good Executive Director
Outstanding camp EDs balance trail‑blazing vision with grounded operational skill. They seamlessly shift from strategic planning to plunging a clogged sink without skipping a beat…or losing their cool. Search for storytellers who back anecdotes with data: “We raised return‑camper rates 15% by pairing cabin photos with personal letters.”
Equally vital is partnership style. Healthy boards and EDs share decision rights, trade honest feedback, and champion the same values even under stress. Ask candidates to describe a time they educated a board on program realities or negotiated budget priorities; their stories expose transparency habits and diplomacy.
Camper‑centric mindset—believes magical experiences fuel long‑term impact.
Safety leadership—knows ACA standards inside‑out without stifling fun.
Fundraising finesse—turns alumni campfire nostalgia into pledges.
Mentorship magic—grows 19‑year‑old counselors into confident unit heads.
Operational stamina—embraces checklists for storms, buses, and late‑night health‑center runs.
How to Evaluate Executive Director Candidates
This is not a role for a casual interview process. You need to test for strategic thinking, financial acumen, and leadership maturity. You should also be looking for candidates who thrive in operational excellence and creating a high-quality program. In fact, Clemson did a study on operationalizing high-quality camp programming, which spoke volumes to the importance of this desire among ED’s.
Build a Thoughtful Hiring Experience.
Candidates progress through a series of rigorous evaluation steps. They begin with scenario exercises, such as a budget analysis, donor strategy, or marketing plan walkthrough. From there, they move into final presentations where they pitch either a 90-day plan or a multi-year vision. Panel interviews follow, involving board members, senior staff, alumni, and parent representatives to provide a well-rounded perspective. Finalists are also invited to visit camp, walk the site, and share their observations. The process concludes with deep reference checks to validate past performance in leadership, finance, and crisis response.
Summer Camp Executive Director Salary
This is a senior executive role. Your comp package needs to reflect that level of impact and responsibility. The ACA’s recent Salary & Benefits survey pegs most ED compensation between $60K and $140K, but on‑site housing, retirement contributions, and health insurance often shift the real number. When budget is tight, sweeten the pot with professional‑development stipends, tuition discounts for children, or post‑season wellness time.
Publish salary ranges to attract equity‑minded leaders and discourage mismatched applicants. Remember: under‑paying today may cost more tomorrow in turnover and brand damage.
Base salary benchmarked to region and camp size.
Housing—cabin, house, or local rental allowance.
Health & retirement—coverage comparable to peer camps.
Professional perks—conference travel, coaching, certifications.
Performance bonus—tied to enrollment and Net Promoter Scores.
Salary Range:
$100,000 – $150,000 is typical for mid- to large-size camps
$175,000 – $200,000+ for multi-site, urban, or heavily endowed organizations
Other Key Benefits:
Housing: On-site residence, stipend, or local rental support
Health & Retirement: Full coverage + 403(b) or match
Performance Bonus: Based on growth, enrollment, or fundraising
Professional Development: Budget for conferences, certifications, or coaching
Time Off: Recharge periods post-summer, plus PTO flexibility
Rule of Thumb: ED total comp lands between 6% and 12% of payroll, trending lower as enrollment scales.
Summer Camp Executive Director Training
Leadership longevity correlates with growth mindset. Budget at least 3% of salary for professional development so your ED stays ahead of new safety codes, youth‑development research, and fundraising tools. Pair each off‑site learning event with an internal share‑back—brown‑bag lunch or Zoom session—to cascade insights to managers and counselors.
ACA National Conference—risk management, staff culture, program trends.
Outdoor industry workshops—AORE, NOLS, Leave No Trace trainer courses.
Fundraising certificates—Indiana University or AFP for capital campaigns.
Executive coaching—CampHire offers onboarding packages with mission‑aligned coaches.
A 30‑60‑90‑day onboarding plan aligned to strategic goals bridges classroom theory and camp reality.
Summer Camp Executive Director Search
An unfocused search drains morale and revenue; a structured one builds excitement. Set a public timeline—posting, screening, finalist camp visit—and stick to it so staff, parents, and donors track progress and stay engaged.
Form a nimble search committee (5–7 members) with clear roles: résumé screening, interview panels, reference checks. Cohesive committees reduce duplicated effort and maintain candidate confidentiality.
Profile alignment—camp values, growth stage, leadership style.
Inclusive outreach—sector boards, alumni, passive talent.
Screen & score—behavioral rubrics tied to must‑haves.
Scenario day—observe finalists leading mock staff debriefs or safety drills.
Reference calls—verify crisis management and fiscal stewardship.
Offer & onboarding—clarify goals, mentor pairings, and first 90‑day wins.
CampHire Executive Search manages schedules, scorecards, and candidate care so you can focus on big‑picture vision.
Executive Director for Camp Job Description
Your Job Description (JD) is the storefront window for top talent. Ground it in reality: crisp mission, realistic responsibilities, and transparent compensation. Don’t bury challenges; articulate them as opportunities so candidates self‑select for the adventure ahead.
Include:
Mission snapshot—why the camp exists and whom it serves.
Year‑round expectations—program development, facilities oversight, fundraising.
Key metrics—enrollment targets, budget responsibility, staff retention goals.
Qualifications—ACA standards, youth‑development background, financial acumen.
Compensation & perks—salary range, housing, benefits, pro‑dev budget.
EEO & inclusion statement—to widen your applicant pool.
Grab our editable template and tailor it to resident, day, or specialty camp formats.
FAQs
Can an executive director of a camp be an independent contractor?
Rarely. Control, permanence, and liability concerns classify the ED as an employee in most jurisdictions.
What percentage of a camp staff budget should be the executive director?
Aim for 6–12% of total payroll; the ratio drops as enrollment and operational scale grow.
Does a camp need an ED year‑round?
Year‑round oversight stabilizes enrollment and compliance, but fractional leadership can bridge smaller budgets.
Should the ED live on site?
Residential directors boost response time and community presence. Day camps may omit housing but require off‑hours availability plans.
Can the camp’s founder also be the ED?
Yes—provided a governing board maintains checks, balances, and a clear succession timeline.
Final Word:
This role sets the tone for everything—from camper retention to donor trust to board alignment. A great Executive Director is the single most important investment a camp can make in its future.
If you need help structuring your search, building a candidate pipeline, or crafting a compelling job post, CampHire’s Executive Search team can guide the way. Feel free to schedule a free consultation.
