Zion's Camp at Far West Foundation

Zion's Camp at Far West Location and Background

In the heart of historical northwestern Missouri, Zion's Camp at Far West (ZCFW) is 120 acres of beautiful trees, rolling hills, and an unrivaled experience for youth and adults.

"This was the best girl's camp of my life," said one 2013 inagural attendee from a local church congregation (see video links above).

Zion’s Camp at Far West (ZCFW) was initially conceived and developed to:

• Provide youth (12 to 18 years of age) a rural camp experience
• Allow youth to experience the beauty and history of northwestern Missouri
• Encourage youth to explore thier own spiritual, physical, and social development
• Share opportunities to understand and embrace activities not normally experienced by youth outside of rural areas such as archery, hiking, outdoor cooking and other camp skills, ziplining, and many other outdoor activities.

The camp was started in the spring of 2013 on 120 acres of privately owned property. Volunteers by the hundreds came to the camp on scheduled workdays to carve a camp out of wild and undeveloped property.

Within minutes of ZCFW are well-known historical sites such as The Far West Temple Site, Haun's Mill, and Adam-Ondi-Ahman. Within an hour of the camp are The Independence Vistitor's Center, The Frontier Trails Museum, The Truman Library, and The Historic Liberty Jail.

ZCFW hosted nearly 2000 campers, leaders, and visitors during the spring, summer, and fall months of 2013 and 2014.

An Exciting Move Forward in 2015!

After developing a crude camp and managing its use in 2013-2104, a 501(c)3 public charity was formed: Zion's Camp at Far West Foundation.

ZCFW will welcome members of all faiths and be open to community events that would benefit from the facilities, atmosphere, and mission of the camp.

The camp currently has only a few amenities that would be considered standard with most developed youth camps. The purpose of the ZCFW Foundation will be to further develop the camp, and then fund and continue to operate the camp under the board and operating leadership of the public charity. The organization intends to solicit funds to support $4.4 million of improvements over 3 or 4 phases within 36 months. 

First-Round Objectives and Use of Funds

It is the intent of Zion's Camp at Far West Foundation to raise $1.5 million with its first-round funding efforts.

Those funds will be used to secure the property, build roads, acquire tents and platforms, and improve previous amenities and activity areas. Most of this will be done prior to June 1, 2015 and plans to execute these improvements are in place.

The ZCFW Foundation board of directors has and will continue to operate the camp by nearly identical values and standards espoused by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The camp serves members of The LDS Church and enthusiastically welcomes all who live Christian values and share a love for the great outdoors!

IMPORTANT information about Zion's Camp at Far West Foundation

Zion’s Camp at Far West Foundation (ZCFW) is a board-directed public charity that chooses to operate its camp according to the standards and values of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), particularly as those standards and values relate to recreational properties. All patrons of and donors to ZCFW should be aware that Zion’s Camp at Far West Foundation is not affiliated with or owned in whole or in part by the LDS Church. Its board members are not directed by or accountable for board decisions to leaders in local LDS Church congregations or any other regional, area, or national organizational or decision making body of the LDS Church. In short, Zion’s Camp at Far West Foundation is an independent and privately funded organization with its own corporate bylaws and organizational mission.

Further information:

www.ZionsCampFW.org-- To see and download a detailed donor prospectus.

Patrick Rainey, President--patj.rainey@gmail.com--816-507-8244

David Jensen, VP--d.w0byu@gmail.com--816-728-4004

Becky Welbern, Treasurer--rwelbern@cook-cpa.com--816-665-9560

Please feel free to contact us for questions about ZCFW!