Making Camp Affordable

Tawonga is committed to ensuring your family can experience the magic of Camp!

If the cost of joining a Camp Tawonga program feels out of reach for your family at this time, we are here to help. Below, you can learn about the various financial assistance options that are intended to make Camp affordable for your family.

Our professional office staff is available to help you navigate the best option for your family in a sensitive and confidential manner. If you have a question or concern about Tawonga’s financial assistance process, please contact our Staff Accountant and Financial Assistance Coordinator, Eliza Cohen, at [email protected] or 415.543.2267. She will be happy to answer any questions you have.

Tawonga Financial Assistance: How to Apply

Tawonga Financial Assistance
(Need-Based: Application Required)

Tawonga financial assistance awards or “camperships” are granted anonymously by a small committee of our Board of Directors. Funding comes from thousands of caring individuals, including members of the Tawonga community, the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay, the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, and the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and Sonoma Counties.

To apply for Tawonga Financial Assistance, first register for a Tawonga program and indicate your interest in financial assistance by checking the “Financial Options” box and indicating how much assistance you intend to apply for.
Within two weeks of registering for a program, your financial assistance application will be available to fill out in your CampIn Touch account.

FAQs and Timeline

Payment Plans, Discounts, Grants and Loans

Read below to learn about all of the financial assistance options to consider. Click on the plus sign for each option to read more.

Financial Assistance for Russian Speaking Jewish Families (Need-Based)

Thanks to the Foundation for Jewish Camp, need-based financial assistance is available for Russian Speaking Jewish families attending Camp Tawonga. To apply for this funding, please indicate interest in financial assistance during registration and fill out the financial assistance application. If you have already registered your child and you would like to apply now, please email Eliza at [email protected].

Zero Interest Loans from Hebrew Free Loan

Northern California residents: Hebrew Free Loan provides zero-cost and zero-interest loans for lifecycle events like summer camp (as well as paying for a bar/bat mitzvah, launching a business, purchasing a home, and more) Learn more at www.hflasf.org.

Southern California Residents: The Jewish Free Loan Association is a nonprofit agency offering assistance to people of all faiths facing financial challenges. For more than 100 years, JFLA has provided a helping hand instead of a handout to hundreds of thousands of people through interest-free loans for emergencies, education, developing small businesses, healthcare and life cycle events and more! Jewish Free Loan has a loan fund specifically dedicated to helping Jewish families send their child/children away to summer camp. Loans on average are about $2000 per child. Learn more at www.jfla.org.

Single Parent Family Grant

Thanks to a donor through the Jewish Community Federation, funding is available for single parent families living in the San Francisco Federation service area sending their child to summer or family camp. To apply for this funding, please indicate interest in financial assistance during registration and fill out the financial assistance application by March 1st. If you have already registered your child and you would like to apply now, please email Eliza at [email protected].

Synagogue and Temple Grant (Application Required)

Some Synagogues and Temples offer scholarships for members attending Jewish overnight summer camp. We encourage you to inquire with your own synagogue or temple to see if they are able to provide assistance for your family.

First Time Camper Grant (Need-Blind – Application Required)

First-time camper grants are available through One Happy Camper, PJ Goes to Camp and Sprout Grants —if your camper meets specific eligibility requirements.

2017 North Bay Wildfires Grant

Due to the generosity of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and Sonoma Counties, funding for summer camp is available for families affected by the 2017 Napa/Sonoma wildfires. To apply for this funding, please indicate interest in financial assistance during registration and fill out the financial assistance application by March 1st. If you have already registered your child and you would like to apply now, please email Eliza at [email protected].

JCC Current Member Discount (Opt-In)

If you are a current member of a JCC and this is your family’s first time attending a Tawonga program, then you are eligible to receive a one-time $150 discount towards any Tawonga program. To receive this discount, email a copy of your current JCC member card to [email protected], and we will apply the discount to your account.

Sibling Discount (Automatically Applied)

If you register two or more children, you will receive a 5% discount on the 2nd and 3rd (or more) campers. The discount applies to the lowest costing programs and does not apply to weekend programs. You do not need to apply for this discount; it will automatically be applied to your account.

Interest-free Payment Plan (Opt-In)

Tawonga offers interest-free payment plans to make the cost of camp more manageable. When registering for Tawonga, choose “Payment Plan” to enroll in this option.

We Are Here to Help!

If you have any specific questions about payment plans, discounts, grants and loans, please feel free to reach out to Eliza Cohen at [email protected] or 415.543.2267. She will be more than happy to hear from you.

Testimonials

“Without the support of Camp Tawonga’s financial assistance programs I would have never been able to send my son to camp or have him be a part of the bar mitzvah program. Living in a rural area, our access to Jewish people and culture is limited so having Tawonga in our lives has been the most enriching and wonderful gift I could have ever have hoped for. I am TRULY grateful. Thank you all, for all you do.” – Tawonga parent
“This past summer at Camp Tawonga I was part of the TLI program, and I can say without a doubt that not only did I grow as a leader and learn about myself as a human being, but I had the time of my life connecting with other teens and backpacking in Yosemite. The friends I made in TLI are some of my closest friends even back at home and I know our friendships will continue on for many years. I truly appreciate the donors for allowing me to have these experiences that I cherish and remember fondly each and every day!” – Tawonga camper
“My kids had a fantastic week at camp. It was a week of growth, a week of bravery, of first, of learning to succeed away from home. We would not have been able to make it happen without the financial assistance and I am so very grateful!” – Tawonga parent