“My experience here was life changing. Being around your wonderful staff and all these awesome young adults has changed my perspective on life. I will leave here a better person. ”
For nearly eight decades, Westminster Woods has been a place where memories are made, lives are transformed and belief is deepened. Whether through the laughter, wonder and discovery during a school field trip, the life-changing encounters with Christ and community during summer camp or the peaceful retreats experienced by guest groups, every moment here is an extension of the vision that began in 1946.
We want this rich history of transformation and connection to live on for years to come. But, in order to do so, we need your help to enhance our infrastructure. We lovingly refer to our campus as ‘rustic’ and if you’ve visited in the past few years you might’ve noticed that there are big projects that we need to tackle in order to ensure that rustic doesn’t become ‘disrepaired’. Maintaining our forest and infrastructure is a vital part of ensuring that we can continue our terrific programming.
This year, as you consider your end-of-year giving, we invite you to reflect on the legacy we’ve built together and dream with us about what the future holds. By donating today, you are helping us preserve the cherished memories of our past while planting seeds for an even brighter future.
Help us to reach our year-end giving goal of $40,000 by December 31st!
All donations to Westminster Woods are tax-deductible. If you have questions about donations, please contact us at 707-874-2426 or info@westminsterwoods.org.
Ways to support the Woods
Become a Redwood Sustainer
Redwood Sustainers are donors who commit to making a monthly donation to the Woods. This program is beneficial to both donors and the Woods alike. For donors, it allows you to donate a small amount at a time so you never have to plan for a large sum coming out of your bank account. For the Woods, monthly gifts help us plan for the whole year with a greater knowledge of how much income to expect from donations. Choose “Donate Monthly” on our donation form to become a Redwood Sustainer today!
Make an In-kind donation
We use a lot of stuff at the Woods and gladly accept donations of new or used tools, equipment, and supplies. Our most pressing need at the moment is camp vehicles which help us respond to maintenance calls, move material around the property, shuttle people up the hill, and respond to emergencies. Having working vehicles is a vital part of ensuring that our programs run smoothly! Click below to view a partial list of items that we need.
If you are interested in making an In-Kind donation, contact Chris Rhodes at chrisr@westminsterwoods.org or (707) 874-2426 ext. 632
Share your woods story
“I came as a kid in 6th grade and the experience was just like I remembered. Great staff, great food. We had a wonderful time. Thank you for giving us memories that will last a lifetime!”
Westminster Woods serves thousands of participants each year. Whether they come as part of a school field trip, with their church for summer camp, on their own, or with a conference group, we know the memories of their time here live on in their hearts forever. Our programs are rooted in a rich history, and we are honored to accompany our participants through various life stages—from their first camp experience to finding community later in life. We provide a sanctuary for transformation and a home away from home for generations of campers.
We know the experience you have at Westminster Woods is truly powerful—and so are your words. If you're unable to contribute financially, we invite you to share your Woods story with others. Visit our Facebook and Instagram pages to share our fundraising posts. Add a short note about how the Woods has impacted you and ask that your community supports Westminster Woods with a donation.
Where do your donations go?
When you donate to our general fund, your money goes where it is needed most. With a camp as old as Westminster Woods, our facilities and grounds are in need of consistent tending. Financial contributions or donations of tools, supplies, and time help us complete much needed repairs and improvements to our site. Learn more about the projects that donations helped us complete in 2024 and our planned projects for 2025 below.
Fire Fuel Reduction Work
Westminster Woods is nestled in the heart of the California redwoods, which means we're constantly mindful of the fire risk and the importance of maintaining the forest to protect against wildfires. Year-round, our B&G crew clears fallen trees from the roads. During the summer months, they focus on cutting down and removing dead and diseased trees. Fallen trees are bucked up and turned into woodchips for our roads. Trees with the girth of an arm are cut into firewood-sized pieces and stored for later splitting. The remaining slash is either burned during the rainy season or chipped to keep the forest safe and healthy. While much of this work is done in-house, funding from the Bohemian Collective has allowed us to bring in professional sawyer crews. These crews provide additional staff and equipment, enabling us to work more efficiently and care for larger sections of our forest. When you donate to the Woods, you help our Building and Grounds crew ensure the long-term health and vitality of this beautiful forest.
Infrastructure Improvements
The majority of our buildings were constructed in the 1970s and 1980s, and they continue to serve our community almost every day. Donations play a crucial role in allowing us to make necessary repairs and improvements, ensuring these aging buildings continue to meet the needs of our guests.
What did donations help us accomplish in 2024?
Bathroom Upgrades: In 2024, you spoke, and we listened — our bathrooms were in need of significant upgrades! We received consistent feedback that the stalls were too short, so we renovated the majority of our bathrooms, adding larger stalls with taller doors. We also gave the interiors a fresh coat of paint. Now, we’re down to just one bathroom left to renovate! These types of larger scale improvements are only possible with donations.
Kitchen Improvements: Due to the age of our infrastructure, we often face unexpected repairs. When addressing these issues, we aim to not only repair but also improve our facilities so they can continue supporting our programs for generations to come. This year, our kitchen required several surprise repairs, which led to some exciting upgrades! Our 15-gallon tilt skillet, used daily in our kitchen, broke down. While replacing it with a new unit would have cost around $20,000, we found a gently used 30-gallon tilt skillet for just $9,500. We even retrofitted it to run on propane instead of natural gas, and the entire kitchen crew is thrilled with the improvement! In addition, our walk-in freezer got a new condenser/evaporator unit, making it more efficient and colder, while the walk-in fridge received a new compressor. We also installed a brand-new electrical panel in the kitchen, a major upgrade that’s both safer and more reliable. Having a dedicated pool of donations allows us to make these necessary repairs and strengthen our infrastructure without taking funds away from our core programming.
Cabin Upgrades: Thanks to donations from last year’s year-end campaign, we’ve been able to renovate one more cabin to include an interior bathroom! This means that three of the twenty-nine cabins on campus now include bathrooms (along with fresh paint, new bunk beds and other repairs).
What will donations help us ACCOMPLISH in 2025?
Cabin Improvements: We aim to continue upgrading our cabins until each one has its own ‘facility’. A full cabin renovation costs a total of $25,000 in materials. Each year we hope to upgrade at least two cabins, a project that is mad significantly easier to complete with donations.
Homestead Renovations: Our beloved Homestead, which has been home to many of the most special moments of camp for decades, urgently needs a new roof. But that’s not all! We’re also planning to install skylights, update the lighting with new fixtures, replace the carpet, and add new fans to create a brighter, more comfortable space. Thanks to donations made last year, we’re halfway to our goal of raising $30,000 for this important project.
Small But Mighty Repairs: Beyond our major projects, there are countless small repairs, from our gaga ball pit that has a permanent tilt to our cobb bench that needs resurfacing, that we have on our list to tackle in the upcoming year. Many of these projects are on hold only because of the material cost. Your donation will go directly toward helping us provide a safe, welcoming environment for each guest!