named programs · 7 · from sources
What they call their work
Adirondack Family Book Festival
Family-friendly literary event featuring book readings, author signings, and storytelling activities promoting literacy and community engagement.
Blues at Timbuctoo
Concert series combining live blues music with historical storytelling about Black homesteading in the Adirondacks in the 1840s.
Dreaming of Timbuctoo
Educational initiative exploring the history of Black settlers in the Adirondacks before the Civil War and their struggle for voting rights and freedom.
Freedom Story Project
Oral history program collecting and sharing short-form narratives centered on personal experiences of freedom and justice.
Hands-on History
Interactive field trips and teacher professional development programs that bring historical themes of justice and equity to life for students and educators.
John Brown Day
Annual commemoration of John Brown’s life and legacy through remembrance events and educational activities at the John Brown Farm.
The Long Table
Community dinner event designed to foster inclusive dialogue and connection through shared meals and facilitated conversations.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
-
Historic Site Public Programming 4 activities
- Co-hosts cultural and educational events at John Brown FarmPartners with organizations such as the Adirondack Diversity Initiative and NYS Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to co-host birding, speaking, and art events at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site.
- Hosts The Long Table annual benefit dinnerHosts an annual inclusive community dinner titled "The Long Table" at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site to foster dialogue, connection, and reflection through shared meals.
- Hosts annual Blues at Timbuctoo concert and conversationProduces an annual music and storytelling event each fall that highlights the history of Black families homesteading in the Adirondacks in the 1840s, attracting diverse audiences to the John Brown Farm.
- Organizes annual John Brown Day eventHosts an annual commemorative event at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid, NY, featuring educational and remembrance activities focused on John Brown’s life and legacy.
-
-
Film Festival and Screening Programming 1 activity
- Co-sponsors film screenings and community dialoguesCo-sponsored seven synchronized screenings of “The Librarians” across the North Country as part of community engagement efforts, fostering public dialogue around social justice themes.
-
-
Public Awareness and Educational Outreach 1 activity
- Conducts freedom education and human rights programmingEngages the public in freedom education and human rights through lectures, exhibits, performances, community conversations, and oral history projects such as the Freedom Story Project, which collects public narratives on justice and freedom.
-
-
Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Hosts annual Juneteenth celebrationOrganizes an annual Juneteenth event at a historic site that brings together advocates to reflect on inclusive community strategies and the ongoing pursuit of racial justice.
-
-
Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
- Hosts artist residencies and cultural programmingOffers a two-week funded residency program in the Adirondacks for creatives across disciplines, including public performances and educational outreach such as school presentations; hosts exhibitions and artist talks like "Hands That Nurture."
-
-
Literary Events & Workshops 1 activity
- Organizes the Adirondack Family Book FestivalHosts an annual family-centered literary festival in Lake Placid featuring author readings, story walks, hands-on activities, and educational talks for children and families; expanded from a one-day event and held for five consecutive years.
-
-
Educational Field Trips and Experiential Outings 1 activity
- Provides educational programming and field trips at historic siteOffers hands-on history field trips, teacher professional development, and place-based learning programs for students of all ages at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site, including collaborations with schools such as Friends Seminary and SUNY Plattsburgh.
-
-
Local History Preservation and Education 1 activity
- Serves as official Friends Group for John Brown FarmServes as the official New York State Friends Group for the John Brown Farm State Historic Site since 2016, responsible for its preservation, interpretation, promotion, and programming as a site of conscience and human rights.
-
-
Uncategorized 2 activities
- Leads John Brown America250 initiativeLaunched and runs "John Brown: America250," a yearlong campaign to reframe John Brown's legacy in connection with the U.S. Semiquincentennial, featuring discussions, events, and public programming on equality and historical reckoning.
- Produces the "Dreaming of Timbuctoo" exhibit and programDeveloped and circulated the traveling "Dreaming of Timbuctoo" exhibit on 19th-century land grants for Black New Yorkers, installed in museums, schools, universities, and a penitentiary, with a permanent installation at the John Brown Farm since 2016.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$276K
Contributions & grants$276K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$480%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$293K
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead21%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$78K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$35K
Cash$19K
Investments$0
Liabilities$2K
Net assets$33K
Liquid reserves0.8 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +48.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARTHA SWAN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $69K |
board members · 15
- ADAM STEWART — BOARD MEMBER
- BENITA LAW-DIAO — BOARD MEMBER
- BRAD RAY — BOARD MEMBER
- DAVID BLIGHT — BOARD MEMBER
- ERICA LEWIS BLUNT — VICE PRESIDENT
- GARRETT MARINO — BOARD MEMBER
- HADLEY KRUCZEK-AARON — SECRETARY
- JEFF JONES — PRESIDENT
- JERILEA ZEMPEL — BOARD MEMBER
- JOSEPH HENDERSON — BOARD MEMBER
- JUSTIN OLIVER — BOARD MEMBER
- LEWIS HUGHES — BOARD MEMBER
- MARK RYAN — TREASURER
- MARTIN TYLER — BOARD MEMBER
- RENAN SELGADO — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 21
Who they work with
- Adam Robinson Partner — Website manager for John Brown Lives! participating on panel in Westport screening.
- Adirondack Almanac Partner — Collaborated by publishing an article about the John Brown America250 initiative.
- Adirondack Diversity Initiative Partner — Co-hosts birding and speaking events at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site.
- Adirondack Explorer Partner — Collaborated with or was referenced by Adirondack Explorer in coverage of the Adirondack Family Book Festival.
- Adirondack Explorer Partner — Highlighted the launch of the "John Brown America250" initiative in a published article.
- Colgate University Upstate Institute Fellowship Program Partner — Collaborates with the Colgate University Upstate Institute Fellowship Program to host student visits and discussions on civic engagement.
- Friends Seminary Partner — Hosted student visits from Friends Seminary at the John Brown Farm for educational programming on history and belonging.
- Hillary Hollister Hinge Partner — Library director participating in panel for Westport screening.
- John Brown Farm State Historic Site Partner — Official Friends Group responsible for programming and promoting the site
- John Brown Project Partner — Partnership to organize the John Brown: America250 initiative, based in Torrington, Connecticut, where Brown was born
- Lake Placid News Partner — Published reporting on the "Loving Our Country" listening project.
- Magpie Partner — Partnered with the folk duo Magpie on a coordinated program with Minerva Central School.
- Minerva Central School Partner — Collaborating with JBL! and the folk duo Magpie on a joint educational and cultural initiative.
- NYS Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Partner — Co-hosts a birding event at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site.
- NYSCA Government — John Brown Lives! is a grantee of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), receiving public funding to support its programs.
- Naj Wikoff Partner — Authored a column in the Lake Placid News about the "Loving Our Country" listening project.
- National Park Service Network — Network to Freedom partner through the National Park Service.
- SUNY Plattsburgh Partner — Hosted student participation in the "Loving Our Country" listening project.
- Shawndel N. Fraser Partner — Community collaborator and artist whose work is featured in the "Hands That Nurture" exhibition hosted by John Brown Lives Inc.
- The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience Network — John Brown Lives! is a member of this international network focused on connecting past struggles for justice with present-day human rights movements.
- University of Rochester Partner — Hosted student participation in the "Loving Our Country" listening project.
strategies · 5
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.
- Arts-Integrated Historical Educationmethodology: arts-integrated history educationBy integrating arts into historical learning, the organization deepens public engagement with social justice, because creative expression transforms research into emotional and personal understanding, making history accessible and actionable.
- Community-Engaged Dialogue for Justicemethodology: community-engaged-dialogueBy convening diverse stakeholders—educators, artists, scholars—through dialogue rooted in local history, the organization fosters equity and justice, because collective sense-making across perspectives builds shared understanding and motivates civic action.
- Historical Activism Modelingmethodology: historical-activism-modelBy modeling contemporary activism on John Brown’s historical example, the organization promotes social justice and human rights, because reflecting on radical moral courage inspires individual action and collective change through mechanisms of awareness, kinship, and reflection.
- Listening as Civic Practicemethodology: listening-as-civic-practiceBy centering face-to-face, one-on-one listening conversations, the organization advances civic renewal, because humanizing abstract policy debates through personal stories of belonging and care fosters empathy and motivates engagement with justice issues.
- Place-Based Humanities for Civic Engagementmethodology: place-based-educationBy using historic sites and local history as living classrooms, the organization fosters justice-oriented education and public dialogue, because physical and historical context deepens emotional and intellectual engagement with issues of human rights and equity.