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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE CHAUTAUQUA LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC
CHAUTAUQUA, NY · EIN 161108173 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE B11 · Education · Small ($100K-$1M) · clscalumni.com
revenue
$120K
expenses
$97K
net assets
$280K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

WE SUPPORT THE MISSIONS OF THE CLSC AND THE CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION BY: ENCOURAGING CONTINUED READING OF THE CHAUTAUQUA LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC CIRCLE BOOK LIST BEYOND THE GRADUATE LEVEL; PRESERVING THE TRADITIONS, HERITAGE, BOOKS, BANNERS, AND RELICS OF THE CLSC ALUMNI CLASSES IN ALUMNI HALL, PIONEER HALL, AND THE OLIVER ARCHIVES; PROMOTING MEMBERSHIP AND CLASS INVOLVEMENT IN THE AA THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Alumni Association of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle supports the CLSC and Chautauqua Institution by promoting continued reading beyond graduation, preserving historical artifacts and traditions, and fostering alumni engagement. It maintains heritage sites including Alumni Hall, Pioneer Hall, and the Oliver Archives, and organizes programs such as class reunions, scholarship opportunities, and restoration of historic mosaics.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

AACLSC Docent Tours
Guided tours of Alumni Hall and Pioneer Hall led by alumni volunteers to educate visitors about CLSC history and traditions
Legacy Social
Event honoring CLSC alumni classes celebrating milestone anniversaries of their graduation
The Circle Scholarship for Teachers and Librarians
Four-year scholarship providing tuition, bookstore credits, and access to writing workshops at the Chautauqua Writers’ Center for educators in Chautauqua County
The Kate Kimball Challenge
Reading initiative commemorating the 150th anniversary of the CLSC, requiring participants to read 18 books from the historical CLSC list, one from each decade, plus Chautauqua's Heart
The Mosaic Project
Restoration and preservation of historic tile mosaics in the Hall of Philosophy, originally created by CLSC graduating classes from 1882 to 2000
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Alumni Community Building 4 activities
    • Hosts Open House events during summer season
      Conducts Open House events on multiple Sundays throughout the summer to engage alumni and visitors with the Alumni Association’s activities and spaces.
    • Hosts annual Recognition Week and milestone class gatherings
      Organizes an annual Recognition Week event and special gatherings to honor alumni classes celebrating milestone anniversaries since graduation from the CLSC.
    • Promotes alumni membership and class involvement
      Encourages ongoing engagement of CLSC alumni through class membership, communication, and participation in Association activities throughout the year.
    • Shares class news to maintain alumni connections
      Posts class news submitted by class presidents or designees to foster ongoing communication and connection among alumni.
  • Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
    • Administers scholarships for teachers and librarians
      Provides four 4-year scholarships annually to teachers and librarians in Chautauqua County, New York, enabling recipients to attend a writing workshop each year for four consecutive years.
  • Facility Accessibility Improvements 1 activity
    • Funds construction of accessible entrances to historic buildings
      Raised $3,600, including matching funds, to support the construction of an accessible entrance to the Octagon Building and Pioneer Hall, enhancing accessibility to historic sites.
  • Guided Historic Site Tours 1 activity
    • Offers docent-led tours of Alumni and Pioneer Halls
      Provides guided tours of Alumni Hall and Pioneer Hall, offering visitors access to historical spaces and collections tied to the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC).
  • Local History Preservation and Education 1 activity
    • Preserves CLSC traditions, heritage, and artifacts
      Maintains and safeguards the historical legacy of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, including books, banners, relics, and class records, housed in Alumni Hall, Pioneer Hall, and the Oliver Archives.
  • Summer and Seasonal Reading Programs 1 activity
    • Sponsors the Kate Kimball Challenge reading program
      Administers a 4-year reading initiative requiring participants to read 18 books from the historical CLSC reading list, one from each decade of the CLSC's existence, plus one additional book and Chautauqua's Heart: A History of the CLSC, with commemorative patches to be awarded starting in summer 2025.
  • Uncategorized 3 activities
    • Operates with regular seasonal hours
      Provides public access to its facilities through established seasonal hours, open from 12 to 5 PM on weekdays and Sundays.
    • Restores mosaics in the Hall of Philosophy
      Completes restoration of historic mosaics in the Hall of Philosophy, with completed work on 20 mosaics as of spring 2026, including those from 1882 through 2000.
    • Supports CLSC programming and continuing education
      Has supported the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle for over 125 years by encouraging continued reading and lifelong learning beyond graduation, including participation in the CLSC book list.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$120K
Contributions & grants$66K55%
Program service revenue$43K35%
Investment income$4K3%
Other revenue$2K
expenses
Total expenses$97K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$389K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$280K
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +520.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 2
  • ELLEN CHAMBERLIN — DIRECTOR
  • JOHN FORD — DIRECTOR
relationships · 18

Who they work with

  • CLSC Network — Alumni association supports former students of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle.
  • CLSC Partner — Collaborates to support the continued reading and educational programming of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle.
  • CLSC Class of 2000 Partner — Co-led the mosaic restoration campaign with the Alumni Association, including donor outreach and project coordination
  • Cate Whitcomb Partner — Member of the committee that created the Kate Kimball Challenge.
  • Chautauqua Bookstore Partner — Provides $100 gift certificates to scholarship recipients for purchasing CLSC books.
  • Chautauqua Institution Government — Hosts authors for CLSC events and provides venues for writing classes and recognition activities.
  • Chautauqua Institution Partner — Collaborates to support shared missions, including educational programming and heritage preservation.
  • Chautauqua Institution Partner — Supports the mission of Chautauqua Institution's CLSC programming.
  • Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC) Partner — Primary program partner; the Alumni Association supports CLSC programming and promotes membership beyond graduation.
  • Chautauqua Store Partner — Partners with the Chautauqua Store to offer AACLSC apparel for sale.
  • Chautauqua Writers’ Center Partner — Provides writing workshops that scholarship recipients are required to attend annually.
  • Donna Dominick Partner — Member of the committee that created the Kate Kimball Challenge.
  • Kathy Hurst Partner — Member of the committee that created the Kate Kimball Challenge and designer of the commemorative patch.
  • Living Glass Partner — Tile mosaic restoration services provided by Denise William Stebbins of Living Glass in Westfield, NY
  • Mary Lee Talbot Partner — Author of Chautauqua's Heart: A History of the CLSC and member of the committee that created the Kate Kimball Challenge.
  • Pat McDonald Partner — Member of the committee that created the Kate Kimball Challenge and President of the Alumni Association.
  • Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures Partner — Classmate Sony Ton-Aime has taken a leadership role at Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures, creating a professional connection between the organization and the alumni association.
  • Samantha Busch Partner — Member of the committee that created the Kate Kimball Challenge.
strategies · 4

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.

  • Alumni-Engaged Docent Program
    methodology: peer_powered_education
    By training alumni as volunteer docents, the association strengthens stewardship and public education, because peer-led interpretation deepens community ownership and enhances visitor engagement with historical sites.
  • Alumni-Led Preservation Campaigns
    methodology: community_led_preservation
    By empowering alumni classes to lead donor-funded restoration campaigns, the association advances historic preservation, because decentralized, class-based leadership increases ownership, participation, and fundraising efficacy.
  • Lifelong Learning and Heritage Preservation
    methodology: lifelong_learning_and_heritage_preservation
    By integrating lifelong learning with the preservation of traditions, books, banners, and historic sites, the association sustains alumni engagement, because ongoing intellectual and cultural participation reinforces identity and intergenerational continuity with the CLSC’s mission.
  • Peer-Led Reading Circles
    methodology: peer_led_learning
    By requiring scholarship recipients to form reading circles, the association fosters sustained intellectual engagement and community learning, because peer-facilitated discussion replicates the CLSC’s original educational model and strengthens alumni networks.