The Power of Belonging

Jenny Tzortzos, Community Outreach Coordinator, Camp I Am Me

A few months ago, I led a seminar on Planned Giving at the incredible Arlington Heights Library. I met incredible individuals that work at nonprofits from all around the area. I handed out some cards, and like a good networker I tried to reach out to whoever was interested in talking more.

Jenny Tzortzos was one of the few people that said, “Sure we can talk after the seminar.” I thought we would delve deeper into planned giving, because who doesn’t love to talk about things like donor advised funds = )

The conversation was way more interesting than that! Between the cause and Jenny’s passion I knew I had to write an article about the amazing work her organization is doing for child burn survivors.

And it was a masterclass in fundraising! From handwritten notes, and impact stories, to relationship building.

Camp I Am Me began in 1991, started by three fire chiefs who had already made a meaningful mark by helping pass legislation requiring smoke detectors in homes. After that success, they asked a simple but powerful question: what more can we do? That question led to the creation of a camp for young burn survivors, a place designed not just for healing, but for connection.

At the time, it had a different name. A more clinical one. Burn Camp.

Years later, they asked the campers to rename it. What came back wasn’t branding or marketing jargon, it was identity.

Camp I Am Me.

As Jenny explained, “They’re all themselves. They were just dealt a bad hand and look a little different than everyone else. But they’re still the same person.”

That idea sits at the center of everything they do.

For many of these kids, life shifts in an instant. As Jenny put it, “A burn injury doesn’t just

affect physical health. It changes how you see yourself and how the world sees you.”

Camp I Am Me creates a space where that weight is lifted. Kids arrive surrounded by others who understand their experience without explanation. There’s no staring, no uncomfortable questions, no need to hide. They can simply exist as themselves.

And when that happens, something powerful begins to take shape.

Kids open up, try new things, and laugh more easily. They build friendships that don’t require context or backstory. Confidence starts to return in a way that feels natural and contagious.

What’s just as remarkable is what happens after they leave.

They come back.

Not just as campers, but as counselors, mentors, and leaders. Jenny told me that roughly a third of their counselors were once campers themselves. “We can’t get rid of them,” she said, laughing. “They just keep coming back to help the next group.”

That kind of return isn’t just loyalty. It’s transformation. When someone experiences that level of impact, they want to be part of creating it for someone else.

What makes this even more powerful is that every program is offered at no cost to families. Camp, travel, programming—it’s all covered. There are no financial barriers standing in the way of a child having a life-changing experience.

That kind of accessibility requires more than good intentions. It requires a community that believes in the mission and shows up consistently to support it.

That support comes from everywhere, fire departments that have been involved since the beginning, corporate partners, families, and a steady base of smaller donors giving what they can month after month. As Jenny put it, “We’ll take whatever they want to give us.”

In fundraising, it’s easy to focus on major gifts, but this is a reminder that consistency matters. Those smaller gifts build a foundation. They create stability. They allow an organization like this to say yes to every child who needs it.

Jenny approaches that responsibility with a level of care that stands out. She writes handwritten notes to her recurring donors, something simple, but increasingly rare. It’s not a tactic; it’s a reflection of how she values relationships.

That approach led to one of the most meaningful moments she shared with me.

A former board member had drifted away from the organization after a falling out. Jenny reached out with a handwritten note, not to ask for anything, but to acknowledge her impact and the role she had played in building the organization.

“I told her she was part of the steppingstones to what we are today.”

The response was immediate and emotional. The woman came up to her at the next event, gave her a hug, and broke down in tears. Shortly after, she made a $10,000 gift to support a young adult program. The following year, she funded an entirely new family camp initiative.

All from one note.

It’s a powerful reminder that people don’t just give to organizations. They give to relationships, to meaning, and to the feeling that what they’ve done matters.

Camp I Am Me has also expanded its reach beyond Illinois, building partnerships with other burn camps across the country. Survivors now have opportunities to participate in programs in places like Wisconsin, Indiana, St. Louis, and even as far as British Columbia. These experiences deepen connection and open new doors for growth.

Even with that expansion, the heart of the organization remains the same.

It’s about creating a place where kids feel seen. Where they can rebuild confidence without pressure. Where they can look around and realize they are not alone.

I spend a lot of time talking about strategy, fundraising, and how organizations grow. Those things matter. But conversations like this are a reminder of what sits underneath all of it. Incredibly impactful hard work.

Camp I Am Me isn’t just running a program. They’re helping kids rediscover who they are, and in many cases, who they can become. And when those same kids come back year after year to guide the next group, you know something powerful is happening.

Camp I Am Me is more than a camp. It’s a community and a support system where confidence grows and leadership develops naturally.

For more information check out their website:  www.ifsa.org

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I help nonprofits raise more money through education, coaching, and strategic planning. I also lead high-impact professional development, coaching programs, and retreats for companies of all sizes. If you’re ready to strengthen your fundraising strategy, turn board members into advocates, or build a comprehensive legacy giving program, let’s talk.