North Carolina 4-H Development Fund

Programs We Support Home 4-H Store Giving News and Events Success Stories Programs We Support Who We Are
Who We Are

The NC 4-H Development Fund, is a non-profit, charitable and educational corporation as defined in Internal Revenue Service code 501(c) 3. It operates under the auspices of the NC Agricultural Foundation, Inc., at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695.

Shop at the 4-H Store

4-H Wristbands
Show your support for the NC 4-H by wearing the new 4-H wristband.
Often the highlight of North Carolina 4-H Congress . . . the Candlelighting Ceremony at Dorton Arena is the culminating event of this week-long 4-H experience, a solemn look back at the year’s work, and quiet contemplation for the year ahead.

Camps & Conference Centers

North Carolina ’s six 4-H Camps and Centers – five residential and one outpost - annually offer enriching camping experiences and educational programs for nearly 10,000 youth. Programs are offered to all youth, ages 6-18, with residential camps, day camps, and specialty camps. If you are not a 4-H’er before you come to camp, you will be when you leave! Campers of all ages can choose from a wide range of camping experiences, including primitive, traditional, and a year-round Conference and Retreat Center with adult as well as youth accommodations in a resort-like environment.

The oldest NC 4-H Camp is Swannanoa, near Asheville , which opening in 1929. Millstone, in the central Sandhills, opened in 1939, Sertoma has served youth since 1919 but became a 4-H Camp in 1985, and Betsy-Jeff Penn was constructed in 1964. The Eastern 4-H Center is our newest facility, dedicated in 2001, and has cabins and facilities still under construction.

canoeing

Camping always has been an important component of 4-H youth development, and supporting North Carolina’s 4-H Camps has been a Development Fund goal since the Fund began in 1960. Camping fees are very low (approximately $350 for one week), yet some youth cannot afford those fees. Providing funds for camperships to give all young people the opportunity to attend camp has been a 4-H Development Fund goal since the Fund was established.

In addition, the Fund wishes to support renovation, repair, and new construction at the camps, since these facilities are not supported by county, state, or federal funding allocations; they must support themselves through user fees and donations.

Recently, the Dot and Fred Wagoner Endowment was established at Millstone 4-H Camp to support repair and renovation needs. North Carolina 4-H has more than 2,000 acres in camps with more than 150 buildings. A NC 4-H Development Fund goal is to create endowments for each camp to support their continuing success.

These camps, in every section of the state, reflect the great diversity in North Carolina ’s geography, ecosystems, and culture. Our programs reflect the unique opportunities provided by each camp’s location, whether in the mountains, the piedmont, sandhills, or in the swamps and estuaries of the Atlantic coastline near the Outer Banks.