Whispering Hope Ranch Foundation

Our mission is to improve the lives of children with special needs through the wonder of camp, the beauty of nature, and the power of the human-animal connection. There are more than 325,000 children in Arizona with special health care needs, more than 12,500 experiencing foster or out-of-home care, and only one camp facility designed and built from the ground up to accommodate their diverse needs—Whispering Hope Ranch.

Nestled in the cool pines of Payson and serving children throughout the state with any developmental, medical, physical or emotional disability, Whispering Hope Ranch is more than a camp. It's a place of possibilities, acceptance and community. Camp is a powerful experience for children with special needs, giving them a sense of independence, self-confidence, strength during difficult times, and improved medical compliance.

The heart of the Ranch experience is the healing that happens between campers and our gentle animal residents, many of whom also live with disabilities. Animal interaction and equine-facilitated programs have a wide range of benefits for children with special needs. Our 45-acre ranch was designed and built expressly for those with special needs and can accommodate up to 164 participants per camp session. The ability to ride horseback in an adapted saddle, feel weightless in our special wheelchair swings, and participate in sports they often have to watch from the sidelines. The ability to change their narrative from “I can’t” to “I can!”

Give hope. Get the Credit!

Provide a six-day camp experience for a child with special needs with your $800 tax credit donation or a three-day camp experience with your gift of $400.

Website: whisperinghoperanch.org