Urgent Message From Kanuga President

Dear Friends of Kanuga,

This is one of the most important communications from Kanuga in our history.  Please take the time to read, pray, and respond immediately

Due to COVID-19 precautions, Kanuga is now closed and will reopen when we know the pandemic has passed.

Over the past few days, all schools coming to the Mountain Trail Outdoor School as well as all groups in March and April coming to the conference center have cancelled.  These cancellations will result in over $1,000,000 in lost revenue for Kanuga.

We are not in a financial position to withstand this revenue loss. The executive team and trustees are considering every option to preserve Kanuga for an exciting summer season and many seasons thereafter.  Registrations for Summer Guest Periods as well as Camp Kanuga are ahead of last year.

Before the pandemic, Trustees for Kanuga Conferences and the Kanuga Endowment worked to address operating concerns.  In the fourth quarter, we reduced staff.  In addition, the Boards agreed to utilize unrestricted investment funds to pay down debt.  A work-out plan to strengthen Kanuga was enacted. An exciting program redesign is being developed.  Since the Great Recession, however, we have no operating cash reserves.  This reality has made our reliance on our line of credit unsustainable.  Our work out plan also outlines how to pay that line off and begin developing cash reserves over the next several years.

Coronavirus has changed everything for us, but faced with this difficult situation, Kanuga can still be the incredible place we know and love if you act now.

That means to support housekeepers, guest services, and others whose jobs are in peril short term by providing wage assistance, health care insurance, and in some cases, housing; our senior leadership has even offered to give up their salaries during this time. Because we do not have operating reserves and because the work out plan has not had time to reduce the line of credit sufficiently, our boards, gathered here last week, are acting boldly and asking you to help.

For every increased gift or new gift to the Annual Fund made NOW, the boards will match your gift up to $300,000 through unrestricted investment funds.

We must collect our Annual Fund NOW for Kanuga to meet its obligations during this critical time.  An envelope is enclosed or your online gift makes a difference immediately: kanuga.org/giving/.

I am hopeful that all who love Kanuga and the ministry that we do through our camps, will support this effort.  The youth who will come here this summer need you.  I look forward to your generous response.

From the pines upon the mountain,

Michael R. Sullivan