Upstate New York Winter Gathering

Registration now open!

Early Bird Registration is available through November 11, 2025

Not an ACA Member? Join today for FREE and get the best rates for this event!

Opening Session

Join us for a panel discussion moderated by Laura Kriegel (Camp Stomping Ground), featuring local community organizations. Together, they’ll explore the importance of camps partnering with community groups—especially those serving youth—and how these collaborations can create meaningful, lasting impact.

Laura Kriegel is a fierce advocate for children and community. A graduate of Columbia University’s School of Social Work, Laura has dedicated her career to building organizations rooted in equity, inclusion, and social justice. In 2015, she co-founded Camp Stomping Ground, a nonprofit sleepaway camp in Upstate New York with the mission to inspire the next generation of radically empathetic decision-makers. Through humble curiosity and restorative justice practices, Laura and her team have created a community where kids and staff from diverse backgrounds collaborate to solve problems, share perspectives, and imagine a more compassionate world. Laura believes that camps are microcosms for the communities we hope to build—places where empathy, accountability, and creativity intersect. She brings that lens to her work as a facilitator, speaker, and community builder, helping groups reimagine what’s possible when we lead with empathy and curiosity.

Afternoon Session:

Fundraising 101-Learn the essentials of building a strong fundraising foundation for your camp. Led by an experienced ACA's Chief Development Officer, this session covers how to identify donors, share your camp’s story, and create simple, effective strategies to grow support and strengthen your mission.

Marna Redding serves as chief development officer, leading business and funds development, growing resources, relationships, and partnerships to expand the work and influence of the American Camp Association. Marna is directly responsible for the design and implementation of strategies to identify funding sources through annual giving efforts, brand alliance, corporate and foundation funding. While not a camp kid herself, Marna resides in upstate New York with her husband and they are proud camp parents of a son and daughter who attend camp in Maine. 

Closing Session:

Camp Hack Micro-Sessions What’s one thing you do that everyone else in the camp world should know about? Sign up to lead a micro-session and share your best idea as we close out the day!-Teach us a Camp Hack!

Schedule:

More details coming soon

Thursday, December 11, 2025

• 8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. – Registration and Check-In  
• 9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Welcome
• 9:40 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Opening Session & Panel Discussion on Community Partners
• 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Session: Roundtable discussions from panel session
• 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. – Lunch
• 1:00 p.m.-  2:15 p.m. -     Session: Fundraising 101
• 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Closing: Camp Hack Micro-Sessions What’s one thing you do that everyone else in the camp world should know about? Sign up to lead a micro-session and share your best idea as we close out the day!-Teach us a Camp Hack!

More details coming soon!

Our event will be held at Camp Stella Maris in Livonia, NY. For 96 years Camp Stella Maris has been a home away from home for campers to try new and exciting things, meet new friends, and challenge themselves. Located just 30 minutes south of Rochester on the shores of Conesus Lake.

Lodging

Camp Stella Maris has limited lodging, but it is available. If you are interested in coming the night before, please email [email protected]

Sponsorship opportunities

• $3,000 Title Sponsor*
• $2,000 Keynote sponsor*
• $1,500 Meal sponsor*
• $750 Session sponsor
• $250 Snack/Break sponsor

All sponsorships come with a table, and logo recognition on signage at the event, and the events web page.

Sponsorships with an (*) also include two minutes to address the participants.

Please contact Kim Fitzgerald, [email protected] with any sponsorship inquiries.