Capital campaign

The challenge is ON!

The Mabee Foundation has given Wyman a challenge grant to support our capital campaign, but we need YOUR help to make it happen! We need to raise $174,002 in order to receive the challenge grant and by making a donation today, you can help us hit this goal!

Your gift will support improvements to make the dining hall and cabins at Camp Wyman more accessible, inclusive, and energy efficient.

We have Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) tax credits available for eligible donors who make a gift to the capital campaign! 

Qualified donors include corporations, individual partners in a Partnership or shareholder in an S-Corp, individuals reporting income from rental property or royalties, LLC’s, LLP’s, and more. To learn more and find out if your gift qualifies, click here or fill out the form below!

Wyman is a local organization with a national impact, and for nearly 125 years, we have believed in the power of teens and celebrated  their leadership, energy, and determination. That is why Wyman empowers teens, equips adults, and strengthens systems to create more equitable opportunities for all teens. Through Wyman programs, young people create consistent, positive relationships with adults who help them build skills, develop a positive sense of self, and make healthy connections with others and the community. They become leaders, focus on the future, and give back.

As part of our national youth development services, Wyman owns and operates Camp Wyman, a 125-year-old youth camp just 30 minutes from downtown St. Louis. The camp is a centerpiece of the Wyman Leaders program, a leadership and post-secondary access success program serving youth from middle school until completion of their post-secondary programs. This extraordinarily successful program begins with a 3-week residential camp where teens connect with their peers, challenge themselves, and launch their leadership journey. Camp Wyman also serves hundreds of St. Louis non-profits, schools, faith-based groups, and community organizations. Since 1898 more than 1 million children, youth, and community members have forged connections, grown in knowledge, and increased their well-being at Camp Wyman.

The Need

Just as an older home requires “TLC,” so does our historic camp. With 80 acres, 24 structures, and year-round use, maintenance and improvements are vital to safety, operations, and a fulfilling camp experience. Updating the camp water, HVAC, and technology systems are particularly important in the wake of the pandemic. Safe, dependable, and energy efficient systems will better serve the community and be more cost effective and easy to maintain.

As we repair the old systems, we also prepare for the future. Wyman can serve more youth, families, and community organizations with modest improvements to the site. We envision a camp that has greater accessibility – enabling us to serve people of all ages and physical abilities. The camp can be more energy efficient and foster good stewardship of the land, serving as a living laboratory for students of all ages. We can create more inclusion and nurture relationships through the intentional design of spaces and cabins.

The improvements to Camp Wyman will:

• Allow us to serve more individuals and to serve them better
• Reduce costs and the risks of service disruption from unexpected maintenance issues
• Improve the quality of spaces, making the camp more accessible and inclusive
• Create energy efficiency spaces and foster good land stewardship

For more information, please contact Kristine Raterman at 636.549.1235 or Kristine.Raterman@wymancenter.org