Case study - Payroll
A key admin left in June.
Payroll never missed a beat.
A privately owned Maine camp lost a key administrative team member right as 180 seasonal staff were arriving. Because they already ran Gusto and we specialize in camp payroll, we picked it up in days and ran it through the season.
Camp profile
Who we were working with.
- Location
- Maine
- Type
- Traditional co-ed overnight camp
- Ownership
- Privately owned
- Years operating
- 113 years
- Full-time staff
- 6
- Seasonal staff
- More than 180
- Revenue streams
- Summer camper tuition
- Common spend
- Seasonal staff payroll, staff onboarding, operational supplies, program purchasing
The challenge
Right during the critical ramp-up period in June, just a few weeks before the first seasonal payroll disbursement was due, a key administrative team member unexpectedly departed. With nearly 180 seasonal staff arriving for the summer, leadership faced an immediate administrative gap. The camp was already using Gusto, but they lacked the internal capacity and specialized knowledge to handle seasonal onboarding, multi-state tax setups, and payroll execution without pulling leadership away from summer preparation.
The solution
Bowline stepped in to provide seamless mid-season payroll support. Gusto is one of our preferred payroll partners and our team works exclusively in camp accounting and payroll workflows, so we integrated as a natural extension of the camp's existing team. With no system reinstall and no setup friction, we assumed full administrative responsibility in a matter of days.
How we did it
The implementation.
Workflow continuity audit
Ran a fast review of the camp's active Gusto setup, pay schedules, and seasonal employee roster as soon as the June call came in.
Turnkey administrative transition
Took over seasonal staff onboarding, direct deposit configuration, state tax withholdings, and pay run approvals just weeks before the first paycheck date.
Dedicated seasonal support
Acted as the interim payroll department through the peak summer season, answering employee questions and making sure every disbursement landed.
Results
Zero payroll disruptions
Every seasonal pay run went out on time across all 180+ staff members throughout the summer.
Frictionless integration
Preferred Gusto partner status let us step in immediately, skipping standard setup and onboarding delays.
Protected leadership focus
Camp directors stayed fully focused on camper safety, staff training, and summer operations during a high-stakes transition.
Deep camp specialization and preferred Gusto partner status let Bowline take over payroll in June with no runway, guaranteeing uninterrupted pay for nearly 200 seasonal employees while leadership kept their attention on the summer.