irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $297KEVENTS AND GENERAL PROGRAMS AT THE MUSEUM AND ALSO EDUCATIONAL CHARTERED BOAT TRIPS ON THE PECONIC BAY AND GARDINER'S BAY TO SEE THE HISTORICAL OFFSHORE LIGHTHOUSES OF SOUTHOLD TOWN, INCLUDING BUG LIGHT, ORIENT POINT AND LITTLE GULL LIGHTHOUSES.
- #2 $20KLAND AND SEA RECEPTION, AN EVENT TO INTRODUCE THE PUBLIC TO THE LOCAL TASTES OF THE EAST END. A GALA RECEPTION PRIOR TO THE OPENING OF THE MARITIME FESTIVAL.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Bug Light Cruise
Educational chartered boat trips on Peconic Bay and Gardiner's Bay to view historic offshore lighthouses, including Bug Light, Orient Point, and Little Gull Lighthouses.
Children's Discovery Area
Hands-on educational space for young visitors featuring a saltwater aquarium with 850 native species, microscopes, knot-tying activities, and historic maritime artifacts.
Exhibitions Program
Rotating exhibitions on maritime history and culture, including shows on Frank Mundus, baymen of Peconic Bay, oystering in Greenport, and Indigenous perspectives on water and place.
Keep Bug Light Shining Campaign
Multi-phase capital campaign to restore the historic Long Beach Bar Lighthouse (Bug Light), beginning with stabilization of the foundation and construction of a new dock and access ramp.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
- Digitizing museum collections for public accessConducts an ongoing digitization effort to make the museum’s collection accessible online, with new materials routinely added to expand digital availability.
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Hosting community events and cultural programmingProvides a cultural space for the local community through events such as the Land and Sea Reception gala, participation in Suffolk County’s 250th anniversary celebrations, and other public programs that highlight local tastes, history, and maritime festivals.
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Arts and Cultural Workforce Training 1 activity
- Offering volunteer and internship opportunities in maritime heritage preservationEngages volunteers and interns in projects related to maritime heritage, offering unpaid internships requiring a minimum commitment of one day per week. Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter outlining interests and learning goals, and receive professional experience and a letter of reference upon completion.
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Marine and Coastal Education Programs 1 activity
- Providing hands-on public education in marine science and traditional maritime craftsOffers interactive programming including a children’s discovery area with an 850-gallon saltwater aquarium featuring native species, interpretive signage on estuary ecology, seasonal marine biology and conservation programs, weekend blacksmithing demonstrations in a working replica of a late 19th-century blacksmith shop, and learning stations on maritime traditions.
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Membership Program Administration 1 activity
- Providing membership benefits and incentivesOffers museum memberships that include free admission, a 10% discount on Bug Light Cruise and Guided Tour tickets, 10% off at the gift shop, early access and discounts to select ticketed events, and two museum-branded baseball caps at the $125 membership level.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Hosting rotating exhibitions on maritime heritage and local culturePresents site-specific and thematic exhibitions that explore regional maritime history, Indigenous perspectives, and environmental themes, including work by Shinnecock artist Courtney M. Leonard, an exhibit on shark hunter Frank Mundus (inspiration for Quint in _Jaws_), bay men of Peconic Bay, oystering in Greenport, the 1938 Hurricane and Sandy, drone photography of marine life, recovered artifacts from the Rye Cliff ferry, and UpSculpt environmental art installations.
- Maintaining and restoring the Long Beach Bar 'Bug' LighthouseOwns, maintains, and restores the Long Beach Bar 'Bug' Lighthouse through capital campaigns and ongoing infrastructure projects, including a $880,000 effort to stabilize its rockpile foundation and construct a new dock, access ramp, and wave-mitigation structures. A major phase of construction is anticipated for completion by mid-2026 to enable visitor access during summer cruises.
- Operating educational boat cruises to offshore lighthousesConducts weekly educational chartered boat trips on Peconic Bay and Gardiner's Bay from June through October, visiting historical offshore lighthouses such as the Long Beach Bar 'Bug' Lighthouse, Orient Point, and Little Gull Lighthouses. Cruises operate on Saturdays and include rescheduling options for missed trips via ticket credit rollover.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$577K
Contributions & grants$410K71%
Program service revenue$162K28%
Investment income$5K1%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$387K
Program expenses89%
Admin / overhead7%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$112K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$539K
Cash$115K
Investments$237K
Liabilities$4K
Net assets$535K
Liquid reserves10.9 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +87.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 12
- ANGELA SPATORCIO — BOARD MEMBER
- CHRISTOPHER SCOTT — BOARD MEMBER
- DAVID ABATELLI — BOARD MEMBER
- DEAN DIMOTSIS — BOARD MEMBER
- ELLEN JAFFE — BOARD MEMBER
- ERIN KIMMEL — EXECUTIVE DI
- JAMES SHUFORD — BOARD MEMBER
- JOAN RIPLEY — VICE CHAIR
- KAREN SAUVIGNE — SECRETARY
- NIKOS KAPLANOV — BOARD MEMBER
- SARAH SANDS — CHAIRMAN
- TIM LEITCH — TREASURER
relationships · 13
Who they work with
- 1840 Schoolhouse Museum Partner — Co-located historic education site adjacent to the Village Blacksmith Shop.
- Brett Curlew Partner — Partners with diver Brett Curlew to exhibit artifacts salvaged from the wreck of the Rye Cliff ferry.
- Chesterfield Associates Partner — Marine construction firm leading the Rock & Dock renovation at the Long Beach Bar Lighthouse.
- Courtney M. Leonard Partner — Collaborates with Shinnecock artist Courtney M. Leonard on a site-specific exhibition centered on Indigenous perspectives and environmental resilience.
- David Robert Gardiner Foundation Funder — Provided a matching grant for the Rock & Dock renovation project at Bug Light.
- Empire State Development’s Regional Economic Development Council Capital Funds Program Funder — Provided $139,000 in matching funds for the Rock & Dock renovation project at Bug Light.
- Ferrin Contemporary Partner — Collaborates to present artwork by Courtney M. Leonard in the BREACH exhibition.
- John Polak Photography Partner — Provides photography for the presentation of Courtney M. Leonard's artwork in the BREACH exhibition.
- Paul Kreiling Partner — Curates the immersive installation _Stories from Our Working Waterfront: A Map of Micro-Histories_.
- Suffolk County Government Partner — Collaborates on the Suffolk 250 commemorative events and programming.
- Suffolk250.org Partner — Partner organization coordinating the Suffolk County 250th anniversary celebrations.
- United States Coast Guard Government — Maintains the light at Bug Light as a Federal Aid to Navigation while the East End Seaport Museum maintains the structure.
- UpSculpt Partner — Collaborates with UpSculpt to display environmentally focused artwork in the museum's Children’s Room.
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.
- Community-Engaged Heritage Preservationmethodology: community-engaged heritage preservationBy involving volunteers, interns, local mariners, and residents in hands-on preservation projects, the museum fosters stewardship of maritime heritage because active participation strengthens community ownership and ensures cultural continuity.
- Ecosystem-Based Environmental Educationmethodology: ecosystem-based interpretationBy curating living exhibits that reflect local marine ecosystems and using art to address pollution, the museum promotes environmental stewardship because connecting visitors to real species and ecological relationships fosters responsibility and action.
- Experiential and Living History Educationmethodology: experiential-educationBy using hands-on demonstrations, live replication, and on-water excursions, the museum teaches maritime heritage because immersive experiences create deeper engagement and retention than passive observation alone.
- Indigenous-Centered Curation and Place-Based Interpretationmethodology: Indigenous-centered curationBy centering Indigenous perspectives through site-specific art and storytelling, the museum deepens public understanding of maritime landscapes because it grounds history in cultural continuity, place, and lived experience.