Donate to Sanborn Camps

Sanborn Western Camps/Colorado Outdoor Education Center is a non-profit 501c3 organization.  All donations are tax deductible. Gifts of cash or marketable securities are welcome.  Contributions may be sent to Jerry McLain, Director of Development, Sanborn Camps, P.O. Box 167, Florissant, CO 80816    Jerry will be happy to answer questions (719) 748-3341 

In 2008, we received a $5000 grant from REI Gives to purchase backpacks and tents specifically for our leadership and service-based wilderness trips.  We wish to thank REI for its generous support of our programs, and to thank all of our donors for their continued support of the Sanborn Western Camps mission.



The SANBORN 60 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN 2008--2010  

When Sandy and Laura founded Big Spring in 1948, they had a big dream.  In the aftermath of World War II, they dedicated their lives to creating a place and a program where young people could learn the skills of living together in the natural world.  Now, sixty years later, their dream is as vital and their vision as compelling as it was in 1948.  Research is supporting what they knew intuitively—young people now need, more than ever, the opportunity to spend time in the natural world and to learn to live together. 

Those of us who have been fortunate enough to share or to have our children share a piece of Sandy and Laura’s dream understand the magic of camp.  We know that sleeping under the stars, climbing Fourteeners and living in a community dedicated to friendship and fun changes and enriches the lives of those who come here.  We also know that the camp experience is as important, if not more important, to young people now as it was in 1948. 

As we look ahead to our next sixty years, we are committed to preserving the Sanborn experience for generations to come.  We have embarked upon our first ever Capital Campaign, “Sanborn 60: Preserving the Experience, Advancing the Vision”.  The goals of this campaign are to help support the renovation and rebuilding of camp facilities and to make camp more available to all children by increasing the resources of the Sandy Sanborn Scholarship Fund.  We invite you to join with us in helping to keep the dream alive.   In addition to the Capital Campaign, Sanborn Western Camps and Colorado Outdoor Education Center have two annual funds: 

THE SANDY SANBORN SCHOLARSHIP FUND 
The Scholarship Fund provides tuition assistance to deserving young people who could not otherwise attend Big Spring or High Trails. Awards are also made to schools which attend High Trails Outdoor Education Center to enable low-income students  to participate in the residential program with their classes. In addition to contributing to the general scholarship fund, it is also possible to provide the tuition for a specific camper selected by the Scholarship Committee and to receive information and reports about that camper’s experience at Big Spring or High Trails.  

THE PROGRAM EXCELLENCE FUND  
This unrestricted fund is used to help outfit our activities and trips with first-class equipment, to support facility improvements, to hire and train an outstanding staff, and to maintain the overall quality of the camp and outdoor education programs.  Income from this fund is used to supplement other camp revenues and to help keep tuition as reasonable as possible.