A Legacy That Lives On

Widjiwagan Endowment Surpasses $10M

YMCA Camp Widjiwagan reached a historic milestone in 2025 when its endowment became the first among YMCA camps to surpass $10 million.

By year’s end, Widji’s endowment totaled $11.96 million. Its 149 individual funds form an engine of long-term sustainability unmatched among the YMCA of the North’s camps. How Camp Widjiwagan reached this point is a story in itself — a testament to the generosity of donors over more than six decades.

This milestone also offers an opportunity to reflect on how endowments strengthen YMCA camps and sustain the mission of YMCA Camping. Widji’s remarkable growth demonstrates how generosity can ensure the continued impact of the Widji Way.

The endowment gets its first gift

This story begins in the late 1800s with a family of immigrants newly arrived in Minnesota.

Nearly 70 years before the endowment was created in 1962, Frank and Laura Nelson immigrated to St. Paul from Denmark. Soon after arriving, they discovered the St. Paul Area YMCA and its mission to strengthen spirit, mind, and body.

Believing deeply in those values, Laura Nelson walked her three young sons — George, Ralph, and Marshall — to the Downtown St. Paul YMCA and enrolled them as members. That simple act began a relationship with the YMCA that now spans five generations.

A family grows with the YMCA

Marshall Nelson remained connected to the YMCA for more than 80 years. Other family members followed his example, serving as staff, volunteers, and leaders. Marshall’s sister, Tina, married Ted Gray, who served as director of Camp Widjiwagan from 1940 to 1945 during World War II.

Over time, Frank and Laura Nelson’s children and grandchildren built their own connections to the YMCA through Camps Widjiwagan and St. Croix. Across generations, family members attended camp as campers, Voyageurs, staff members, and health professionals.

Ned Therrien, a grandson of Frank and Laura, reflected on the family’s connection:

“The YMCA and camps are so important to young people. My experiences working at Widji influenced my life and led me to spend 32 years with the U.S. Forest Service.”

Details of the Fund

In 1962, the family discussed how best to honor Frank and Laura Nelson. Marshall suggested establishing a Camp Widjiwagan Endowment Fund and made the first gift — $20,555 — creating the St. Paul Area YMCA’s first endowment fund designated for Camps Widjiwagan and St. Croix. The fund still exists today with an unaudited market value of $192,769.

Today, 149 endowment funds valued at $11.96 million support Camp Widjiwagan. The endowment provides nearly $400,000 annually — about 11% of the camp’s yearly budget — supporting scholarships, advanced trips, canoe fleet maintenance, camp upkeep, and wilderness adventure program infrastructure.

Donors can start a named endowment fund with a gift of $10,000 or more, and contributions of any size can be made to existing funds.

Amanda Schroder DeLong, senior director of major and planned giving, explains: “For some donors, knowing their gift is a long-term investment in camp is especially meaningful.”

What began with Frank and Laura Nelson’s belief in the YMCA has grown into a legacy of generosity, leadership, and opportunity that continues to support life-changing wilderness experiences for young people.

The endowment is a long-term source of sustainability that helps make Camp possible year after year. Each year, a portion of the endowment is distributed to support camp operations — almost six percent of the total budget in 2026. Because the endowment is built from decades of donor generosity, its size varies camp by camp, which means the support it can provide varies as well.

For Widjiwagan, this translates to nearly 2 months of operating expenses.

What remains constant is its purpose: to strengthen camps, keep programs accessible, and provide reliable resources no matter what any single year brings. The endowment is a foundation for the future — one that grows as more donors invest in the mission.