Happy Hollow Children‘s Camp
Transformation Challenge Impact Story 

Embarking on a Strategic Planning Journey  

What followed was a year of deep conversations, asking and answering tough questions, and getting to the heart of Happy Hollow’s mission, vision and goals. Some board and staff members were hesitant at first, having participated in strategic planning processes in the past that took time and effort but didn’t go anywhere. Noyed vowed this engagement would be different: “We made a commitment to really make the most of this plan, and I took that commitment seriously.” 

Mapt proved to be the ideal partner in planning, offering a unique approach of coming alongside the organization while still pushing staff and board to move outside their comfort zones. “Mapt became family through the process,” Noyed said. “They spent a lot of time with board, staff and key stakeholders individually, and though they weren’t afraid to push us, I always knew they had Happy Hollow’s best interests in mind.”  

The Transformation Challenge deliverables included a comprehensive discovery session, a competitive landscape review, and development of a five-year strategic plan focused on building a thriving and sustainable organization, increasing awareness and support for the camp’s work, and expanding and deepening camp experiences. Mapt also created a first-year implementation roadmap with specific, actionable steps and contributed a $25,000 check to support the organization in putting its strategic plan into action. 

Encouraging Success in Year One 

In 2024, the Happy Hollow team began to implement the newly developed strategic plan. With Mapt’s support, the team focused on ensuring sustainable funding sources, leveraging the 850-acre campus to help its growth and evolution, developing year-round camp opportunities and revisiting procedures to reflect the youth served. Key improvements included:  

Staff Growth: “Not only were we able to successfully hire for the open positions, but our team has even grown since then,” Noyed said. “It's exciting that people want to work at Happy Hollow and be part of something that we are growing.”  

Enhanced Board Communication: Noyed and team developed a monthly board newsletter with a section dedicated to strategic plan progress. They also implemented the OnBoard platform to house information and increase communication among board members and retention of information and key decisions.  

Increased Internal Collaboration and Morale: Noyed focused on ensuring all staff have a seat at the table and a chance to make their voice heard. “No matter the role, we want our team to feel looped into the bigger picture,” Noyed said. “We’re all working toward a unified mission and vision, and my goal is that everybody feels that mission within them and sees how they're living it through the work that they're doing.” 

Progress Toward Year-Round Operations: Not just a summer camp, Happy Hollow’s Camp 365 offers dynamic programs year-round with opportunities for outdoor education, youth and adult teambuilding, family reunions, youth groups, service projects and volunteer groups.  

Noyed highlights additional positive impacts, including:  

• Refreshed brand identity and marketing foundations  

• Innovative curriculum development  

• Progress in fundraising strategy 

• Enhanced assessment tools  

• Improved staff training  

• Stronger external partnerships  

• Improved risk management  

• Progress in capital planning

• Expanded outreach  

Staying the Course and Navigating Challenges

The strategic planning process was not without hiccups. As a new executive director, Noyed admits she was anxious to hit the ground running and had to make a conscious decision to step back and dive into the planning phase. “It was a lengthy process, and although we knew it would be worth it – and it was – it was challenging at times to trust the journey and not try to jump ahead.” 

Noyed and the Mapt team needed to ensure those close to the organization were open to conversations about change, after so much consistency through the years. “We had to get buy-in and engagement from team members who were leery of change or worried we’d stray too far from our mission,” Noyed said. “There were a lot of spirited discussions, lots of one-on-one conversations. Ultimately, we all realized we were saying the same thing and had the same goals in mind - we just had different ways of getting there or different ways of talking about it.” 

Of course, challenges remain. Happy Hollow has experienced staffing and funding issues in filling summer camps, similar to many other camps in the industry. It’s a small but mighty staff, and as a non-profit, limited resources can be a factor. The camp’s fundraising strategy continues to develop, with board members taking a more active role in securing donors and partnerships. Noyed also sees opportunities for more meaningful community outreach and engagement.  

“We are fortunate to have an amazing board and staff who all have a passion for Happy Hollow and who want to see camp be successful,” Noyed said. “We were not afraid to try new things or work differently. The strategic plan helped shed light on how to bring life back to camp.” 

Looking Ahead and Leading the Way 

Mapt’s partnership proved to be so helpful that Happy Hollow has engaged the team to continue with creation of a year two road map with key action items. “As staff, we're so engaged in the day-to-day work that it can be hard to identify our most pressing needs and tie those back to the strategic plan,” Noyed said. “Having that outside person come in and help make sense of where we're at and where we still need to go - and what the steps are to get there – is incredibly helpful.”  

Reflecting on the Transformation Challenge, Noyed notes changes in her own leadership capabilities as the organization has grown and changed. “More than ever, I’ve realized how much easier it is to lead when we are all focused on the same vision,” she said. “This process has reinforced the importance of listening, collaborating and planning. I am more empowered to make decisions; I am not afraid to make decisions or mistakes and I empower the staff team to do the same.” 

For other organizations experiencing a period of change, or who need a jumpstart on a new path, Noyed highly recommends engaging an outside partner like Mapt. “I’ve never done a strategic plan internally, and I can’t imagine doing so,” she said. “Partnering with an outside organization helped us to get out of our own way and opened the door to new possibilities. We needed to know our limits and to put guardrails on what was important to us and could not change. Working with Mapt helped us to dream big and realize our potential.” 

75 Years – and Counting - of Overnight Success 

The future looks bright for Happy Hollow. “I’ve never seen an organization take a strategic plan so seriously and really make something of it,” said Brittany Krier, Mapt co-founder and managing principal. “This process – with Sara's leadership and an amazing board and staff - has truly transformed the organization and led to incredible change. Happy Hollow is on an exciting journey of growth and we can’t wait to see what comes next.”  

Noyed thinks back to the day she happened to see the Transformation Challenge announcement in her inbox. “I’m so thankful I took the time to read it,” she laughs. “It set us on the path of this incredible journey. Our first year was about foundation setting – we were able to accomplish so much and have already seen the successes of that. Now, we’ll continue to grow and see success in filling camp with high quality, safe programs, especially for youth who need us most. We plan to fill the next 75 years with memories for people who get to experience everything Happy Hollow has to offer.”