named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Erie Canalway Heritage Award of Excellence
Recognizes outstanding places within the Erie Canalway Corridor that exemplify excellence in heritage preservation, community vitality, and sustainable development.
Erie Canalway Photo Contest
Annual photography contest that highlights the unique character of the Canalway Corridor, with winning images featured in the official calendar and promotional materials.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Local History Preservation and Education 2 activities
- Documentation and dissemination of best practices in heritage preservationProduces written case studies of award recipients and shares best practices and lessons learned to promote replication and learning across the Canalway Corridor, supporting community development and heritage preservation efforts.
- Production and distribution of educational and interpretive materialsProvides online educational resources and interpretive content about the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, including its historical significance as a conduit for people and ideas that contributed to national unity in the early United States.
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Historic Preservation Support Grants 1 activity
- Administering the Erie Canalway Heritage Award of ExcellenceAdministers an annual recognition program that awards one winner and two honorable mentions for places exemplifying excellence in advancing the goals of the Erie Canalway Preservation and Management Plan, using a multidisciplinary jury to review applications and select recipients.
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Historic Site Designation Advocacy 1 activity
- Advocacy and partnership coordination for the Heritage CorridorActs as a convener and advocate, collaborating with federal, state, and regional partners to leverage resources and advance the goals of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, including organizing and participating in major commemorative events such as the 200th-anniversary celebration of the Erie Canal in 2025.
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Photography and Creative Arts Competitions 1 activity
- Annual photo contest and calendar productionOrganizes an annual photo contest, features winning entries in the Erie Canalway calendar, displays them on the organization’s website, and awards winners with calendar copies and additional prizes.
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Recreational Trail Development and Maintenance 1 activity
- Maintenance and public access to trails within the CorridorMaintains public access to hundreds of miles of urban and back-country trails, including the nation's longest continuous pedestrian and bicycle trail, as part of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
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Historic Building Restoration and Preservation 1 activity
- Preservation and maintenance of the Erie Canalway National Heritage CorridorWorks to preserve and maintain the Erie Canal corridor’s historical and natural features, including canals, towpaths, structures, and over 1,400 historic properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places across a 524-mile, 4,834-square-mile corridor spanning 23 counties in New York.
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Watershed Conservation & Stewardship 1 activity
- Resource sharing for Canalway-related initiativesProvides access to resources, funding links, studies, guides, reports, and examples of successful Canalway enhancement projects to support external organizations and communities in their preservation and development efforts.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.86M
Contributions & grants$2.59M91%
Program service revenue$226K8%
Investment income$31K1%
Other revenue$5K
expenses
Total expenses$2.48M
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising2%
Salaries & benefits$982K
Grants paid out$236K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.47M
Cash$1.32M
Investments$0
Liabilities$526K
Net assets$944K
Liquid reserves6.4 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +35.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT RADLIFF | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $154K |
| AIMEE MESSIER | DIRECTOR OF | 40 | $47K |
board members · 15
- BONNEY HARTLEY — MEMBER
- BRAD PACKARD — CHAIR
- CARL BLOWERS — MEMBER
- ERIN TOBIN — TREASURER
- HARRY R SICHERMAN — MEMBER
- JACK LESLIE — MEMBER
- JUDY MCKINNEY CHERRY — MEMBER
- KAL WYSOKOWSKI — MEMBER
- KATE MORSE — VICE CHAIR
- MARILYN HIGGINS — MEMBER
- MARK HETTLER — SECRETARY
- MIKE KEEGAN — MEMBER
- NICOLE MAHONEY — MEMBER
- PAUL NEUREUTER — MEMBER
- SUSAN HERLANDS-HOLLAND — MEMBER
relationships · 32
Who they work with
- Alliance of National Heritage Areas Network — Member of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas, connecting with other congressionally designated heritage areas.
- Canal New York Marketing and Business Alliance Partner — Collaborates with the Canal New York Marketing and Business Alliance on tourism, marketing, and business development in canal communities.
- Canal Society of New York State Partner — Partners with the Canal Society of New York State to protect historic canal sites and promote canal history.
- City of Syracuse Office of Neighborhood & Business Development Government — Jury member was Deputy Commissioner.
- E.M. Pemrick and Company Partner — Jury member was Principal.
- Environmental Design & Research Partner — Jury member from the firm served as Principal and Director of Cultural Resources.
- Erie Canalway Network — Recognizes award recipients as part of the Erie Canalway network
- Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Government — Primary geographic and programmatic focus of the organization's preservation and access efforts.
- Facebook Partner — Uses Facebook as a platform to engage with the public and share historical and organizational updates.
- Landmark Society of Western New York Partner — Jury member was Director.
- Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council Partner — Jury member served as Deputy Director.
- National Park Service Government — Collaborates with the National Park Service on conservation and heritage initiatives.
- National Park Service Government — Email contact for program manager is hosted under partner.nps.gov domain, indicating affiliation with the National Park Service.
- National Park Service Government — Provides oversight and support for national heritage areas, including the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
- National Park Service Government — Recognized as a supporter of the organization's tourism and preservation efforts.
- New York Department of State Partner — Jury member from the Office of Planning, Development & Community Infrastructure participated in award selection.
- New York Power Authority Government — Excludes employees, board directors, or commissioners of the New York Power Authority from contest eligibility due to organizational affiliation.
- New York State Government — Recognized as a supporter of the organization's tourism and preservation efforts.
- New York State Canal Corporation Government — Partner agency that operates, maintains, and promotes the New York State Canal System; featured as a key supporter.
- New York State Canal Corporation Government — Partners with the New York State Canal Corporation on canal operations and promotion.
- New York State Historic Preservation Office Government — Jury member was former Deputy Commissioner.
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Government — Collaborates with the state parks office on recreation, preservation, and community support initiatives.
- New York State Tourism Industry Association Partner — Jury member served as Chief Operating Officer.
- Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation Partner — Jury member served as Director of Tourism.
- Our Ability, Inc. Partner — Jury member served as Vice President of Operations; another jury member was President.
- Parks & Trails New York Partner — Works with Parks & Trails New York to expand and promote parks, trails, and open spaces across New York State.
- Preservation League of New York State Partner — Jury member served as Director of Preservation.
- Riverstreet Planning and Development Partner — Jury member was President.
- Seneca County Chamber of Commerce Partner — Jury member was Executive Director.
- Spinforward, LLC Partner — Jury member was President.
+ 2 more
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.
- Collaborative Stewardship and Resource Amplificationmethodology: collaborative-leadershipBy convening public and private partners across federal, state, and local levels, the organization leverages collective resources and expertise to achieve greater impact in preserving and enhancing the Canalway Corridor, because coordinated leadership multiplies outcomes beyond what any single entity could accomplish.
- Community-Engaged Recognition and Model Replicationmethodology: replication of successful modelsBy identifying, recognizing, and promoting successful community-driven projects within the Corridor, the organization strengthens local ownership and encourages the spread of proven models, because public validation and replication incentives drive sustained heritage development and civic investment.
- Heritage-Driven Community Developmentmethodology: heritage-driven community developmentBy preserving and promoting the Erie Canal corridor’s historic and natural assets as a world-class heritage destination, the organization fosters vibrant, connected communities and stimulates local economic and cultural vitality, because shared heritage strengthens place-based identity and public engagement.