Affordable Summer Camp for all Families
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Stitcher App (search for CampHacker)
Tiered Pricing is a model where camps (usually non-profits but we did discuss how this would work at a private camp) show two or three levels of pricing for each session.
N.B.: this is not the usual "early bird" prices that camps use to entice their families to pay early and therefore help with the cash flow through out the winter. As we discussed in the show, Early Bird prices can still work.
Usually camps come up with a 3 tier pricing structure based on some approximation of these calculations.
Tier 1: Current Price (adjusted for inflation every year)
Tier 3: (We'll come back to Tier 2 - honest) The true cost of running camp as if it was a for-profit business. Some of the factors in arriving at this price include: the cost of depreciation on all buildings and vehicles; the cost of maintaining the buildings and land in such away that their value grows at the rate of the local real estate market (I have heard that this means spending as much as 4% of the current value of the property and buildings PER YEAR in maintenance and capital projects); the cost of staff salary if they were being paid by a for-profit business; and the cost of operating without any grants or donations
Once you have these numbers you can split the difference to come up with Tier 2.
**Please note: to calculate your true cost of camp (Tier 3) we INSIST you consult your accountant. We profess to be not-accountants.
(Did I just set a record for the most use of parentheses in a CampHacker Blog post? It'll be close)
Frost Valley Y's Tiered Pricing Explanation for Camp Families
Why 3 Tuition Fees?
Frost Valley serves families with different abilities to pay.
Tuition A and B more accurately account for true costs, including wear and tear and depreciation. This program is voluntary, and in no way influences the experience children receive. 100% of the additional fees from A & B rates fund facility replacements and improvements.
Tuition C is our historically subsidized rate, and does not reflect the true cost of operating.
There’s no difference in the camp experience for your child!
Our goal is to make Frost Valley YMCA Summer Camp affordable to everyone through camperships. Please email info@frostvalley.org for more information.
Last season's registration form: http://www.frostvalley.org/camp/overnight-camps/camp-wawayanda/2013-summer-camp-dates-rates-2/
Would you ever consider Tiered Pricing for your camp?