About Us
Your Purpose is Our Passion
Learn how a simple knot birthed the idea for a passionate group to come together to work for you.
Where it all started
A tale tied to trust
The bowline knot found its humble beginnings on the high seas where sailors trusted this knot to tie down the main sail, thereby keeping the bow of the ship always pointed in the right direction. The bowline knot is renowned for it's simplicity to use, yet powerful strength under pressure, never yielding as tension grows.
In the same way, we've created a foundation built on trusts with our camps who know that they have a partner to keep the ship pointed in the right direction with our team.
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Our purpose
Passion for Camp
Today, the team at Bowline HQ is living out the same purpose in the camping and outdoor adventure space that the bowline knot has had since its inception: be a trustworthy parter to keep the ship moving in the right direction. Our focus is empowering camp leaders with accessible, affordable and modern back office solutions and CFO support so they can win back their time to investing into campers and administrative tasks.
Our Game Plan
Charting the Course
Every camp and outdoor adventure brand is unique in people, programs, and processes. We assess every engagement on an individual basis and custom tailor the best solutions to fit each unique situation. We pull from a variety of cloud-based softwares and easy to use platforms that leverage technology in powerful ways saving time, improving information flow, and providing actionable insights critical to for camps and outdoor adventure brands to thrive.
Our Passion
What We Love
Our team is passionate about numbers (we sure are in the wrong line of work if we aren't), but even more than that we are passionate about being partners in purpose. What we mean by that is we have a heart to see lives transformed by experiences outdoors, and we believe there's no better place for young people to experience the outdoors than in the context of camp. We define success as winning back meaningful amounts of time to the leaders and staff that focus on connecting with kids in camps everyday.
Our Values
What Fuels Our Approach in Serving Camps
Leading by Serving
We believe that in the same way camps lead campers through service, we lead our clients by serving their leaders, owners, and teams.
Campers First
We filter each decision we make for our camps through a simple question: does this serve the camp well, and therefor serve the campers?
Innovate
We believe that the highest use of your time, talent, and resources is focusing on campers. We innovate in order to win back that time for you.
Better
We believe in "better", not status quo. We work to that end by constantly evaluating areas of improvement and implementing solutions.
What People Ask
Quick FAQ
We regularly get asked a multitude of questions since most camps have never worked with a partner like Bowline before. While we can't list them all, here's a snapshot of some of the most frequent inquiries.
Is my camp too small to work with you?
Great question! The answer is emphatically no. We have a very scalable model that creates value from the smallest of camps (but often biggest in heart) all the way to very large camp operations. The beauty of a technology forward process is that we scale to the level that best meets the need presented, and our pricing model scales as well.
How do you charge?
We don't believe in a "one size fits all" model. We individually assess and create a service model that meets the needs of each camp in a unique way, and as such will provide a monthly fixed fee proposal based on that scope of work.
I have a CPA. Do I have to get rid of them?
No way! While we have a very efficient system for handling tax matters, we are happy to work alongside your current CPA providing them all the info and books they need to serve you well. Our focus is first and foremost operational efficiency and improvements to the everyday back office, an area most traditional CPA's don't typically focus. We are a complimentary service to them.
Do you work with non-profit camps?
Not only do we work with non-profits, but we have a specialist on our team just for them! We love working with non-profit camps and have a intricate understanding of the complexities that arise when working with them.
Do I have to pay for an evaluation?
Nope! We perform a baseline evaluation of the current books and operations at no cost to any camp interested in working with us.
That said, we do have deep dive assessment services that are paid that give you a thorough road map and game plan should you be interested in a more comprehensive service such as that. Fill out our connect card to learn more about these services!
Do you replace UltraCamp or Campminder?
We do not. We actually work to use the features and data in these platforms to enhance data flow to camp decision makers for performance reporting and planning.
Book A Discovery Call
We always begin with a call to learn about your camp's unique history, processes, team, and needs. We then tailor and propose a plan that fits you and serves you in the best way can.