Helping Children Attend Camp
At the Allen Bass Fund our mission is providing financial assistance to eligible children so they can experience the rewards, challenges and friendships of attending Camp Bil-O-Wood, located near Blind River, Ontario, Canada.
Who is Allen Bass?
The Allen Bass Fund takes its name from the two lakes – Allen and Bass – that embrace Camp Bil-O-Wood, a traditional summer youth camp located near Blind River, Ontario, Canada. Begun in 1987, the Allen Bass Fund is supported by generous donations from Camp Bil-O-Wood alumni, families and friends.
The Fund's primary purpose is to give financial assistance to eligible children who wish to attend Camp Bil-O-Wood. No staff members or owners of Camp Bil-O-Wood serve on the board of the Allen Bass Fund. Board members hold their annual meeting each August at Camp Bil-O-Wood on the last Saturday of the camping season. The Fund is incorporated in the State of Illinois, U.S.A., and is organized as a 501(c)(3) entity as defined by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
How to Donate
Donate by Check
Since it started in 1987 the Allen Bass Fund has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships to scores of needy campers through the generosity of its donors. If you would like to donate – any amount would be appreciated – mail your check, payable to the Allen Bass Fund, to:
Douglas Fulle
Treasurer, Allen Bass Fund
418 South Bayshore Drive
Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Donate via PayPal
The Allen Bass Fund also offers its donors an online giving option through PayPal. By clicking the "Donate" button below, donors can make a credit card donation to the Allen Bass Fund through the secure PayPal website. Donors do not need a PayPal account in order to use this option.
apply for a scholarship
The Allen Bass Fund (ABF) offers a limited number of financial need-based scholarships for Campers to attend Camp Bil-O-Wood. Each application is reviewed individually by the ABF Board.
Would you like to apply for a camper scholarship to Camp Bil-O-Wood? Please familiarize yourself with the following information before you apply online by clicking the button below.
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Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible to increase their chances of receiving an award. Deadlines and corresponding notification dates are as follows:
Early Awards:
Application Deadline: January 31, 2025
Notification Date: February 28, 2025
Rolling Basis Consideration:
Applications received between February 1 and March 15, 2025
Notification Date: April 15, 2025
Applications received between March 16 and April 15, 2025
Notification Date: April 30, 2025
Final Deadline:
The final deadline to apply is April 15, 2025. Applications received after this date will not be considered. Please note that funding varies from year to year and is dependent on the number of applicants. Funding may be limited after February 1, 2025.
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In order for your scholarship application(s) to be considered, an online account profile for each camper applying must be created through the Camp Bil-O-Wood website. The Camp Bil-O-Wood website can be found at www.bil-o-wood.com. Please contact Camp Bil-O-Wood with any questions regarding setting up your account profile.
Please complete the application in its entirety. Any omission of information could delay or may disqualify the application for consideration. PLEASE COMPLETE A SEPARATE APPLICATION FOR EACH CAMPER.
For Parents of Younger Campers (Ages 7-9):
If your child is between the ages of 7 and 9 and may find it difficult to express themselves in writing, we encourage you to ask them the questions on the application and transcribe their responses. It is important that the answers genuinely reflect your child’s thoughts and feelings, not yours.
Regardless of age, all applicants should keep their responses concise, with a maximum of 200 words per question. For younger campers, we are not concerned with grammar or punctuation—focus on capturing their authentic perspective.
Thank you for taking the time to help your child share their voice!
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The ABF Board evaluates each application with a strong emphasis on the applicant’s financial need. Please inform us of any extenuating circumstances that may impact your situation. Beginning this year, we will award scholarships in the amount up to 25%, 50%, or 75% of the total camp fee, not including camper spending. We ask that you indicate on the application form which level of scholarship you are requesting. To help as many families as possible, we ask that you request the amount you believe you NEED in order to send your child(ren) to camp. Please be aware that scholarship awards may be less than the tier requested based on relative need and available resources.
Additionally, the Board considers the applicant’s (Camper’s) capacity to contribute to the Camp Bil-O-Wood community positively. Please note that financial scholarships are not available to relatives of the Camp Bil-O-Wood owners.
If you have any questions or want to discuss your application, please contact the ABF Board. Use the “Contact Us” form at the bottom of this page to submit your inquiries.
Allen Bass Fund board members
The Allen Bass Fund is a non-profit, charitable organization governed by a voluntary board of directors.
Officers and board members of the Allen Bass Fund are:
President: Emmanuel Boulukos, Indiana
Vice President: Will Kline, Tennessee
Treasurer: Douglas Fulle, Florida
Secretary: Charlene Webber, Tennessee
Jr. Director: Henry Fisher, Illinois
Member: Will Barnwell, Michigan
Member: Allie Brawley, Michigan
Member: Chanelle Crouch, Michigan
Member: Mike Drysdale, Minnesota
Member: Michele Folk, California
Member: Tim Johnson, Georgia
Member: Kristine Mazzei, California
Member: Jeff Sloan, Pennsylvania
Member: Chris Zuzelski, Michigan