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. Please contact our Financial Assistance Manager, Sarah Perna, [email protected]. Sarah can be reached at 415.852.4208 and is happy to answer any questions you may 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.

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.

Russian-Speaking Jewish Families Grant (Need-Based – Application Required)

The Russian-speaking Jewish Outreach Initiative by the Foundation for Jewish Camp provides Tawonga with funds for additional scholarships to Russian-speaking Jewish families. These families should apply through Camp Tawonga’s financial assistance application.

Single-Parent Family Camp Grant

(The Jewish Community Federation has provided Tawonga with funds for single-parent families; priority given for families living in the San Francisco Federation service area: San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties.)

For Single-Parent Moms: (Automatically Applied Subsidy and Need-Based – Application Required for Financial Assistance)
Single-parent mom families will automatically receive a $300 subsidy for attending any one of our six Family Camp Weekends. In addition, single-parent mom families are eligible to apply for additional financial assistance for any of our six Family Camp Weekends. To apply, please fill out and submit Tawonga’s financial assistance application.
For North Peninsula Single Jewish Moms: (Need-Blind – Application Required for Financial Assistance)
The Nashim program at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Foster City invites all North Peninsula single Jewish mothers and their children to explore and deepen their engagement in Jewish life with grants of up to $1,800 which may be applied towards Camp Tawonga fees. To apply, please contact Jeni Markowitz Clancy at [email protected] or 650-378-2777.
For Single-Parent Dads: (Need-Based – Application Required for Financial Assistance)
Single-parent dad families are eligible to apply for this grant to be used toward one of Tawonga’s six Family Camp Weekends. To apply, please fill out and submit Tawonga’s financial assistance application.

New Family Camp Families with Children Six and Under Grant (Automatically Applied)

The Foundation for Jewish Camp has provided Tawonga with funds for Family Camp families with children six years and younger who have never attended Camp Tawonga. These families will automatically receive a $200 subsidy for participating in any one of our six Family Camp Weekends if they indicate they will apply for financial assistance. To apply, please fill out and submit Tawonga’s financial assistance application.

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.

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 10% 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 questions about navigating Tawonga’s financial assistance options, please contact our Financial Assistance Manager Sarah Perna at [email protected] or at 415.852.4208. Thank you!