The Donors Who Made $1 Million Possible!

We are incredibly excited to announce that we made our first grant to Camp Ma-He-Tu in January 2026, having reached the $1 million mark at the end of 2025. We wish to thank the following donors who made this possible. Their generosity has ensured a lifetime income for Ma-He Tu.

*Contributions made in lieu of gifts to a person, including memorial donations, are attributed to the giftee.

Up to $999

Anonymous donors (3)

Adams, Janet

Anderson, Judith

Anderson, Robert

Baumann, Katherine

Baumann, Kathy & Stephen

Bourn, Ward

Brandt, Dottie

Brozynski, Janet

Burk, Cyd

Cedfeldt, Bill & Millie

Cerny, Pat

Claase, Sylvia

Cooper, Lee

Crecca, Laurie

Crummy, Janel

DeVoe, Joanne

DiMeo, Donna

Dunlap, Barbara Jane

Dyer, Esther

Dyer, Luther

Fletcher, Nancy

Fox, Fred & Denise 

Grady, Linda

Gotwalt, Nancy

Hagerman, Janet

Harrison, Nancy

Helpern, Mary

Jones, Estelle Clausen

Jones, Frieda

Juvet, Elizabeth

Kranz, Claire

LaCorte, Carol

Langergaard, Linda

Langland, Janice

Lanka, Elizabeth

Lindgren, Kristen

Ludwig, Walter

Malone, Arniqua

Maningo, Florence

Maningo, Sheryl

Marsala, Carol

Mazzaccaro, Dawn

McCafferty, Amy

McGinn, Tracey

McNally, Kathy

Meehan, Carole

Mohrman, Gayle

Murray, Lisa 

Noonan, Margaret

Norgren, Peter

Norgren, Sandra

Norris, Paul

Petriccione, Enid & Pasquale

Price, Diane

Roach, Melissa

Rogosch, Joan

Romano, Julie

Romell, Kristin

Russo, Jennifer

Schumacher, Joy

Schumacher, Rev. Fred

Sharrock, Madeline

Soroye, Katie

Stoeber, Kristin

Stone, Bobbi

Sutherland, Elizabeth

Symons, Edith & Bernie

Syrdahl, Peter & Karin

Tiedemann, Nancy

Timmes, Betty

Tings, Janet

Tubbs, Lisa

Werner, Erik

Watts, Martha

$1,000 to 4,999

Ahrens, Wilma

Buerk, Dorothy

Chiaravalle, Sue

Conlon, Faith

Croyder, Harry & Joan

Gregory, Donna & Bob

Hughes, Dani

Johnson, Vicki

Juvet, Tracey

Kulik, Roz & Dan

La Borde, Nicole

Lebonitte, Tom

Meyer, Hannelore

Mitchell, Andrea

Morris, Brian

Orr, Bonnie

Peterman, Betty

Pilka, Jody

Riano, Jessina

Roper, Pat

Shafonda, Karen

Stadtmueller, Lynda

Steketee, Lynne

Van Norman, Paulette

$5,000 to 9,999

Bowen, Jess & Chris

DeServio, Eileen

Flaherty, Tom & Michelle

Gamble, Linda

Harling, Joanne & John

Messiah Lutheran

Messiah WELCA

Morris, Adrienne

Muenzen, Ruth

Schumacher, Marion & Marty

Skaggs, Frances

Symmes, Faith & Keith

Vizzini, Jim & Emma

$10,000 to 19,999

Bahnsen, Jane

Bionda, Jeanette

Dyer, Ruth

Hrdlicka, Joanne

Swedberg, Jean & John

Anonymous

$20,000 and above

Croyder, Page

Lindgren, Mary & Andy

Morris, Claire & Mark

Nurge, Peter & Kathy

Ziegler, Joan (Bequest)

The JEM Fund

Thrivent Choice Designations

Kathy Carpenter

Sue Chiaravalle

Page Croyder

Carol DeLong

Ronald & Ellen Dircks

Nicole La Borde

Claire & Mark Morris

One Million Dollars!

This is me, my son, and my granddaughter Sasha, Ma-He-Tu incoming class of 2032!  Okay, I can’t guarantee that she will want to come, but I know for certain that Ma-He-Tu will be there if she does. How? Two good reasons.

First, Ma-He-Tu continues to enjoy operational excellence that results in girls and young women wanting to come every summer.  Second, over the past 12 years we have successfully created an Endowment Fund that will give Ma-He-Tu financial security for future generations - including my granddaughter’s granddaughter.

My mother sent me for the first time in 1964. 68 years later, Ma-He-Tu will still be going strong when Sasha is able to come, and for decades after that. Our Endowment Board - Claire Chin Morris, Ruth Hrdlicka Muenzen, Nicole La Borde, Adrienne Morris, and I are incredibly grateful to each and every donor who has helped create this Fund.  Some of our donors have passed on, but they leave behind a permanent, continuing legacy.  As of this writing, we have reached $1 million in investment assets.  If we remain at that level as of December 31 we will begin making annual distributions to Ma-He-Tu's operating board, $10,000 to start.  What an accomplishment for our little camp!

And because success came sooner than we thought, we made a bold new goal: to grow to $2 million and then distribute 3% every year. That's a whopping $60,000, which will grow on its own and keep pace with inflation.  I expect to still be alive to see it.

If you would like to be part of this effort, and leave a lasting legacy, there are many ways you can help.  Monthly and annual contributors, including the many who made and fulfilled pledges when we just started out, spurred our growth enormously.  Employer matches and Thrivent Choice are other great cash options.  Then there is future gift planning, such as estate bequests and insurance designations.  Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing, which manages our investments, can also accept gifts of stock and real estate, which may offer tax benefits. See our How to Give page for more information.

Thank you, and may God continue to bless Camp Ma-He-Tu!

Page Croyder

A Hearty Thank You!

As of this posting the Endowment has climbed over $900,00 in assets.  We thank all of you responded to Claire's plea to push us to $1 million.  The Endowment Board officially voted this month to begin regular distributions to Ma-He-Tu when we reach that magic million mark.  The amount of distributions will rise as the Endowment continues to increase.

One recent donor, Betty Lanka, wrote the following:

 "This donation is in honor of my 75th anniversary since starting as a camper at Ma-He-Tu, followed by counselor and assistant director (1950-1960). Hope we can keep going many more years."

Thanks to Betty and all of you, that hope is a reality!

OCTOBER 2024

The Endowment Fund has received two significant gifts that have pushed our assets to nearly $900,000.  One is from Peter and Kathy Nurge, who were previously featured in a Donor Memories posting after they provided another generous gift to boost our Challenge Grant drive.  Their latest gift was in memory of Marie “Nursie” Nurge, the legendary Ma-He-Tu nurse who patrolled and cared for Ma-He-Tu for decades.

The other gift came from the estate of Joan Rutz Ziegler, who so generously remembered Ma-He-Tu in her will.  Joan and her older sister Nancy (both pictured here on Nancy’s wedding day) attended Ma-He-Tu in the 1950s.  

Nancy remembers that they didn’t have cars then, so they took a long bus ride from the Bronx to attend.  Now Nancy lives less than 30 minutes away! She also remembers not wanting to go each summer, then not wanting to come home.  Both sisters attended one of the early Women in the Woods together.  Nancy served as Joan’s executor, and we are grateful to them both for their permanent contribution to Ma-He-Tu.

August 2023

Ten Year Anniversary

This month we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Camp Ma-He-Tu Endowment Fund, with $675,000 raised to date. Congratulations, donors - and many, many thanks. We hope to reach $700,000 very soon.  As the Ma-He-Tu leaf says, Onward and Upward!

May 2021

$600,000 and Growing!

Thanks to the incredible faithfulness and generosity of our donors, Ma-He-Tu's endowment fund now exceeds $600,000!  We continue to push towards our ultimate goal of $1 million.

If you are making estate plans, or have an old car or unwanted piece of real estate that you would like to donate, please keep us in mind.  Our endowment fund is managed at Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing (formerly InFaith Community Foundation), which can assist you with these kinds of donations.  Please see our 'How to Give" page for contact information.

January 2017

A Successful Challenge Grant!

The 15-month Challenge Grant awarded to the Foundation by the JEM Fund closed on December 31, 2016. We are pleased to report that due to the spectacular support of our donors we raised $141,000 that will be matched dollar for dollar. This means a net increase of $282,000 for Ma-He-Tu’s endowment fund, and represents 94% of the maximum amount that was possible, far exceeding our expectations.

THANK YOU. Thank you to all who have supported us these past three years, whose generosity and love of Ma-He-Tu and our brother camp Trexler have made the dream of an endowment fund a reality. God bless you!