named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
General Admission Fossil Collecting
Public fossil collecting program where visitors receive a guided tour, tools, and fossil ID card; allows guests to collect and keep fossils from Devonian-period rock layers
Guided Group Tours
Educational fossil-collecting excursions for school groups, scouts, camps, and organizations; includes age-appropriate instruction, tools, and fossil identification
Junior Geologist Expeditions
Specialized fossil-collecting programs for younger participants, combining education and hands-on discovery in a supervised outdoor setting
Private Expeditions
Two-hour personalized fossil-collecting tours for small groups (2–10 people), led by staff scientists; includes guided exploration of high-yield fossil sites and a field guide
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Recreational Boating and Sailing Programs 1 activity
- Engage members with off-season accessGrants members exclusive access to visit the fossil park during the offseason, outside regular public operating hours.
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Children's Themed Birthday Parties 1 activity
- Host special events and birthday partiesOrganizes fossil-collecting birthday parties and special events for children and families, featuring guided expeditions where guests can keep all collected fossils. Private events are available by reservation, with refund policies requiring cancellations at least 72 hours in advance to avoid charges.
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Nature Preserve Management and Public Access 1 activity
- Operate public fossil park and nature reserveManages a 54-acre fossil park and nature reserve open seasonally from June through September, offering general admission with 20-minute guided tours every 30 minutes. The site operates in most weather conditions, canceling only for severe events such as storms, lightning, wildfire smoke, or extreme temperatures.
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Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 1 activity
- Provide guided fossil-collecting experiencesOffers guided fossil-collecting tours led by trained staff and volunteers, including 2-hour private expeditions and customizable group tours for schools, scouts, camps, and other organizations. Participants are guaranteed to find and keep fossils, with tools, ID cards, and on-site assistance provided. Tours are available by reservation any day of the week and accommodate diverse groups, including those with special needs.
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Event and Program Registration Management 1 activity
- Support visitor access and accommodationsAccommodates late-arriving visitors by placing them in the next available tour up to 2:45 pm; denies admission after that time. Offers full refunds when programs are canceled by the organization and processes refunds for unused online tickets if requested within five business days of the scheduled visit.
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Uncategorized 4 activities
- Encourage post-visit engagement and documentationInvites visitors to submit photographs of their fossil finds from the Penn Dixie site for review, supporting ongoing community and scientific engagement.
- Facilitate public fossil collecting and specimen retentionProvides all general admission visitors with unlimited fossil collecting opportunities during operating hours, allowing them to keep all fossils and geological specimens they find. Basic tools and souvenir cloth bags are included at no extra cost, with garden trowels and buckets provided free for groups with children aged 12 or younger.
- Offer private and group reservations with flexible schedulingProvides private expeditions and guided group tours by advance reservation, adaptable to group size and needs, including shorter durations when necessary. Requires changes to group counts and cancellations to be submitted at least 48 hours in advance to avoid full fees.
- Rent fossil-collecting toolsOffers daily rental of fossil-collecting tool sets for $10 per set, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at check-in.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$409K
Contributions & grants$146K36%
Program service revenue$250K61%
Investment income$5K1%
Other revenue$8K
expenses
Total expenses$433K
Program expenses75%
Admin / overhead21%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$311K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.28M
Cash$143K
Investments$0
Liabilities$41K
Net assets$1.23M
Liquid reserves4.0 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -18.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHILIP STOKES | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $65K |
board members · 12
- ALASDAIR GILFILLAN PHD — DIRECTOR
- ALLEN BENNETT — DIRECTOR
- DAVID COMSTOCK — DIRECTOR
- JENN BABCOCK — SECRETARY
- JOSEPH KCHODL — DIRECTOR
- KYLE GAWRONSKI — CHAIRTREASURER
- LILLIAN LOS — DIRECTOR
- MARIE CUMMINGS — DIRECTOR
- PAUL CHINNICI — DIRECTOR
- RJ FRIEDMAN — DIRECTOR
- SCOTT MAZE — DIRECTOR
- WILL PHILIPPS — DIRECTOR
relationships · 59
Who they work with
- Aquarium of Niagara Partner
- Blasdell Rod & Gun Club Partner
- Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Partner — Partners with the library's V.I.P. program to offer buy-one-get-one-free general admission for library cardholders.
- Buffalo Association of Professional Geologists Partner
- Buffalo Geological Society Partner
- Buffalo Raceway Partner
- Buffalo State Earth Sciences Partner
- Earth Dimensions, Inc. Partner
- East Hill Foundation Funder
- Ecology & Environment Partner
- Erie County Funder — Major funder of Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve programs and operations.
- Erie County Government — Government supporter of Penn Dixie and cultural organizations in Erie County
- Erie County Government — Offers discounted admission to Erie County residents and participates in the county's 'Thank A Vet' Discount Program.
- Evans Bank Partner
- Evenhouse Printing Partner
- Explore & More – The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum Partner
- Federal Aviation Administration Government
- Ford Foundation Funder
- Garman Family Foundation Funder
- Google Partner
- Graycliff Partner
- Hamburg Chamber of Commerce Partner
- Hamburg Development Corporation Government
- Hamburg Gaming Partner
- Hamburg Historical Society Partner
- Hamburg Lions Club Partner
- Hamburg Rotary Partner
- Hamburg Sunrise Rotary Partner
- Harold C. Brown & Company Partner
- M&T Bank Partner
+ 29 more
strategies · 2
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community Participation via Inclusive Access and Discovery Ownershipmethodology: community_science_engagementBy lowering barriers to participation—through free tool access, flexible scheduling, and inclusive volunteer training—and allowing visitors to keep discovered fossils, the organization fosters broad community engagement because personal agency and reduced logistical obstacles increase accessibility and motivation to participate.
- Experiential Learning through Hands-on Fossil Engagementmethodology: experiential_learningBy engaging participants in hands-on fossil collecting and field-based expeditions, the organization enhances understanding of earth science and paleontology because direct, sensory-rich experiences deepen learning and sustain interest more effectively than passive instruction.