Where Camps Airy and Louise Started
Camps Airy and Louise dreaded only one thing each summer:
paying their international staff.
They love having counselors come from all over the world to their camp each summer, but the payroll process was time consuming and tedious. A temporary SSN and bank account had to be created for each international counselor. They added each counselor to their payroll system, and after the two months of summer, each bank account had to be closed, and the process restarted year after year.
The system was cumbersome for the international staff as well. As young people arriving in a foreign country, it was stressful to physically go to the bank for account setup and closure. If a counselor did not manage to close their account in-person before they left the country, they would be charged minimum balance fees and had a very hard time closing the account from abroad. These complications affected the camp as well, as they devoted the time to help their staff troubleshoot and solve the issues.
Crowded allowed Camps Airy and Louise to digitally
transfer funds with ease
Using Crowded Payroll accounts
With Crowded, Camps Airy and Louise were able to create a new (and much easier) process for paying their international staff. They utilized Crowded’s Per Diem account feature, creating a dedicated account for each international counselor. Each counselor would sign up for a Crowded account at the beginning of the summer, and when it came time for payroll, the camp simply transferred the counselors’ salaries into their accounts.
Per Diem accounts are separate from the organization’s finances. Each Per Diem account is its own bank account, with an account and routing number. Unlike Crowded’s digital debit cards, the camp cannot see the purchases made with the Per Diem account. Counselors receive their paychecks through their Crowded account, and could spend the money using a digital debit card, or transfer the money into their personal bank account abroad. This new process saved a lot of time and stress for both the camp and the staff.
Crowded has been a great partner! Setting up international staff accounts took us hours and hours before, and with Crowded, it’s as easy as uploading a spreadsheet. They were always available when I had questions, and were invaluable in getting the camp set up. Looking forward to next summer!
Using Crowded debit cards
For everyday purchases around the camp, Camps Airy and Louise utilized Crowded’s digital and physical debit cards. They would pre-load a card with a certain amount of money, and give it to a staff member to make a purchase. If there’s any extra cash left on the card, they simply repatriate the funds.
This was especially helpful for Camps Airy and Louise because it meant that they could reduce the amount of petty cash that they kept on hand at camp. For next summer, they plan on ordering a physical card for each department!
Turning Feedback into Product Improvement
Over the course of the first summer of Camps Airy and Louise’s partnership with Crowded, there was open communication about how Crowded could improve their summer camp product. It became clear that the international staff did not like using an external provider to transfer their salaries internationally. The external provider was slow and unreliable.
So, Crowded took this feedback and is developing an in-app international transfer product. Partnering with Visa Direct, Crowded is building a reputable, secure international transfer service to be ready for counselors to use in Summer 2024!
Camps Airy and Louise save 2 weeks a year
since switching to Crowded
set up accounts in person
each international counselor
rejected applications
