Why give to Mathcamp?
The donors in our community each come with their own reasons: some are alumni who are passing the torch, others focus on the transformational power of a five-week summer immersion as a high-impact use of their dollars. No matter what brings you here, we're happy to have you!
By The Numbers
Whenever we make charitable giving decisions, we want to know that our dollars are effective. Let's take a look behind the scenes.
Mathcamp is a stable, thriving organization. Our students and staff return to the program year after year. Over the last decade:
- 53% of our students came for 2+ years, and 15% came for 3+ years;
- 50% of our staff returned for 2+ years, and 35% returned for 3+ years.
Individual donors and family foundations play a huge role in Mathcamp's base of support. Here's a breakdown of our source of revenue over the last 17 years: the green is camper tuition (currently set at $300/week for our online program and $900/week for our residential program), with generous financial aid widely available, and the blue is community donations (which climbed from $30,000 in FY02 to $343,144 in FY18).
Donations of all sizes play a role in that blue column. With a broad base of donors, most of them alumni giving back to the program, small gifts add up and have an impact together. At the same time, Mathcamp is ready to make efficient and effective use of larger gifts to have a profound effect right away.
Why give? Because Mathcamp is small enough to appreciate the impact of each donation, but big enough to be enduring.
What's new at camp?
Mathcamp has had a steady size for the last decade of approximately 120 students per year, and the student body each year is approximately 75% U.S., 10% Canadian, 15% international students. The gender balance has been gradually shifting over time: in 2010, camp was about 26% girls, 74% boys; in 2020, the program was 45% girls, 5% non-binary students, and 50% boys. You can sense the shift in every classroom.
Curious to read more statistics? Check out our Summary Sheet with recent data about camp.
The campers are absolutely as curious, creative, and kind as ever. They take the mathematics at Mathcamp very seriously, diving into both fundamental subjects (like Linear Algebra and Group Theory) and active areas of research (like Cluster Algebras and Algebraic Geometry). We continue to offer a mix of interactive lectures, by-discovery courses, and projects, and recently have added new academic experiences like evening talks in the dedicated Academics Lounge.
The students also take the "camp" part of Mathcamp to heart: they stay cool with liquid nitrogen ice cream, solve evil math problems at relays, do a day-long puzzle hunt, write the yearbook, and sing the alma mater, “Nonabelian,” at the talent show. Each summer, campers (and staff) find unusual ways to surprise one another with new ideas (and mischief): one year, the main lounge occasionally turned into a crime scene (complete with blue tape outlines on the floor), and some mysterious Haberdashers devised a puzzle with origami hats. In the first two years of the pandemic, we adapted to an online version of the program, hosted on our own virtual campus, with all of our favorite traditions and lots of new ones. We returned to a residential program in 2022, with detailed safety protocols to prevent Covid outbreaks, and had a safe and fun summer.
Why give? Because Mathcamp is delivering a consistent, impactful five-week experience of mathematics and community to students, and at the same time finding ways to evolve.
Camper Stories
To really understand the magic of Mathcamp, it's best to hear it directly from the campers.
“ I wish I had found out about Mathcamp many years before I did. I expected to learn a lot of math. I did. What I did not expect to find was a vibrant and loving community of interesting people that I know will stay with me for a very long time and to which I cannot wait to return. ”
Gautam M., Toronto, Ontario
“ I loved Mathcamp so much! It truly was a community where I felt like I belong since I was able to express my passion for math at any time. ”
Jojo S., Sugar Land, Texas
“ I expected Mathcamp to be fun and interesting, but I found it more than that. Mathcamp is where you learn a lot of Math while creating a new and amazing family. ”
Hermon K., Lynn, Massachusetts
Why give? Because Mathcamp changes the lives of incredible kids from all walks of life.
Thank you so much for your support.
