irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $73KTOURS & LECTURES
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Guided Public Tours
Regularly scheduled 45-minute tours of the historic Bowne House, highlighting its 17th-century origins, revolutionary-era history, and significance in religious freedom and abolitionism.
Public Workshops and Events
Hosts educational workshops (e.g., cursive handwriting, embroidery) and special events such as Independence Day celebrations to engage the community with historical themes.
School Field Trips
One-hour guided tours for students of all ages focusing on Flushing history, religious liberty, and the Underground Railroad; includes curriculum-aligned lessons and hands-on engagement with artifacts.
StoryMaps: Underground Railroad
Interactive multimedia project tracing networks of Quaker homes, free Black communities, and abolitionist activity linked to the Underground Railroad in Flushing.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Historic Site Public Programming 2 activities
- Host public events and historical commemorationsOrganizes special events such as the America250 celebration and the 250th-anniversary commemoration of the Declaration of Independence, featuring live historical readings, craft activities, and guided tours to engage the public with local and national history.
- Offer guided tours and educational programs at Bowne HouseProvides regular guided tours of Bowne House, including period rooms, historical narratives, and archival materials, with additional options for customized and group tours by appointment. Offers educational programs for students of all grade levels, including field trip tours and curriculum-aligned lessons on early Flushing and the Bowne family.
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Local History Preservation and Education 2 activities
- Maintain and present museum and archival collectionsOperates a museum with approximately 5,000 original objects, including English and American furniture and decorative art, and maintains an archive documenting the Bowne and Parsons families’ history and civic activities, accessible to researchers by appointment.
- Produce digital educational content and blog seriesProduces and publishes blog series that chronicle John Bowne’s fight for religious freedom using original journals and letters, highlight artifacts from the museum collection, and profile signers of the 1645 Flushing Town Charter, providing accessible public history education.
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Historic Site Designation Advocacy 1 activity
- Advocate for historic preservation and recognitionSecured NYC Landmark designation for Bowne Street Community Church and is recognized by the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom as a historic site with documented ties to the Underground Railroad, the only such site in Queens.
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Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
- Conduct workshops in historical crafts and skillsOffers a cursive handwriting workshop series for teens and adults, as well as beginner embroidery workshops teaching foundational stitches, with scheduled sessions held periodically throughout the year.
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Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
- Engage volunteers and support multilingual accessRecruits volunteers to support operations and enhance visitor experience at Bowne House and collaborates with community partners to translate directions into Spanish, Korean, and Chinese to improve accessibility.
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Historic Garden Preservation and Support 1 activity
- Maintain historic grounds and plant specimensManages Weeping Beech Park, the site of the first Weeping Beech Tree in America and its surviving sister trees, and presents historic plant specimens such as the Japanese maple at Bowne House for public visitation.
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Historical and Genealogical Research 1 activity
- Operate an interactive multimedia platform on Underground Railroad networksRuns an interactive StoryMaps platform that traces connections related to the Underground Railroad, including Quaker homes, free Black communities, churches, and abolitionists linked to the New York Vigilance Committee.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$164K
Contributions & grants$150K92%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$13K8%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$155K
Program expenses98%
Admin / overhead2%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$44K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$611K
Cash$104K
Investments$494K
Liabilities$0
Net assets$611K
Liquid reserves46.2 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +30.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 5
- CHARLOTTE T JACKSON — TRUSTEE
- JEREMY WOODOFF — TRUSTEE
- KATHLEEN SCIORTINO — TRUSTEE
- ROLAND WADE — TRUSTEE
- WELLINTON CHEN — TRUSTEE
relationships · 10
Who they work with
- Asian/American Center of Queens College Partner — Collaborated to translate visitor directions into Spanish, Korean, and Chinese.
- Center for the Study of African American Life Funder — Jointly administers the Network to Freedom Grant that supported the StoryMaps project.
- Eventbrite Partner — Platform used for ticket sales for public events.
- Eventbrite Partner — Uses Eventbrite for ticketing and event registration.
- National Park Service Government — Recognizes Bowne House as part of the Network to Freedom for its documented ties to the Underground Railroad.
- National Park Service Network — Member of the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program.
- New York City Department of Education Partner — Aligns field trip lessons with NYC social studies curriculums and collaborates with instructors from NYC schools.
- New York State Board of Regents Government — Chartered the Bowne House Historical Society, providing official recognition and oversight.
- Queens Historical Society Partner — Collaborates on historic site interpretation, with Kingsland Homestead serving as the society's headquarters.
- bownehouseeducation@gmail.com Partner — Point of contact for tour scheduling and group reservations.
strategies · 3
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-Driven Historical Reconstruction and Accessibilitymethodology: community_participatory_historyBy using geospatial mapping and community engagement to reconstruct Underground Railroad routes and partnering with academic centers for multilingual access, the organization fills gaps in the historical record and broadens public access because inclusive, locally grounded research and interpretation strengthen both accuracy and community relevance.
- Experiential and Hands-On Learning for Historical Engagementmethodology: experiential_learningBy providing hands-on craft workshops and educator-led guided tours using primary sources and storytelling, the organization increases visitor engagement and understanding because experiential methods make historical concepts more accessible and memorable than passive observation alone.
- Thematic Historical Education on Religious Liberty and Abolitionmethodology: thematic_historical_educationBy focusing interpretive and research programming on the Bowne family’s roles in religious freedom, abolition, and the Underground Railroad, the organization deepens public understanding of these movements because connecting to specific historical actors and local legacies makes abstract ideals more tangible and educationally impactful.