named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Grimaldo’s Mile
Annual open water swim race event that members can register for at a discounted rate, serving as a goal-oriented challenge for participants.
Group Swims
Community-led freestyle swims at a medium pace parallel to the shore, typically covering 1 mile with regular check-ins, intended for swimmers with prior open water experience.
Intro To Open Water
Hands-on introduction to open water swimming including safety briefing, treading, short-distance swims, and basic sighting techniques for those with basic swimming skills but no open water experience.
Learn To Love Ocean Swimming
Program designed to help swimmers overcome ocean anxiety by building confidence through surf navigation, safe entry/exit techniques, and floating strategies in a supportive environment.
Stroke Technique
Clinic series taught by professional coaches focusing on improving stroke efficiency, endurance, adaptability in choppy conditions, and navigation for open water swimmers.
Yoga on the Beach
Beach-based yoga sessions designed to stretch and prepare the body for swimming, combining restorative poses, swim warm-ups, and breathing exercises.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Professional Membership and Association Benefits 1 activity
- Distributing swim safety equipment and member resourcesProvides free open water safety swim buoys, swim caps, patches, and branded SWAG to members. Distributes CIBBOWS-branded equipment annually and offers access to a members-only newsletter with swim tips and program ideas.
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Community Wellness Movement Classes 1 activity
- Offering beach yoga and mental preparation for swimmersLeads weekly beach yoga sessions using restorative Iyengar yoga, breathwork, and core activation to prepare swimmers physically and mentally for open water swimming. Hosts free, beginner-friendly public yoga classes focused on stretching, toning, and relaxation.
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Ecological Habitat Restoration 1 activity
- Organizing environmental stewardship eventsHosts community beachgrass planting days at Coney Island Creek Park to support local ecological restoration and engage members in environmental stewardship.
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Community Fitness and Aquatics Programming 1 activity
- Organizing open water swimming activities and community gatheringsHosts weekly group swims, weekend programs, and informal gatherings at Brighton Beach for swimmers of all skill levels, fostering community and endurance through structured freestyle swims parallel to shore with regular check-ins. Organizes annual races, member parties, and events including the Grimaldo’s Mile.
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Recreational Boating and Sailing Programs 1 activity
- Promoting water safety and emergency preparednessProvides guidance to swimmers on reporting dangerous watercraft behavior to NYPD Harbor and advises calling 911 in cases of immediate danger. Conducts water safety courses as part of its health and wellbeing programming.
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Competitive and Learn-to-Swim Programs 1 activity
- Providing open water swimming instruction and skill developmentOffers introductory clinics and structured training programs for new or nervous swimmers, covering safety briefings, treading water, surf navigation, fear management, and sighting techniques. Provides stroke technique clinics led by professional coaches using a land-to-water approach, supported by instructional videos and curated materials for ongoing practice.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$55K
Contributions & grants$5K9%
Program service revenue$26K47%
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$56K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$37K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$37K
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -8.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 4
- CHRISTINA GANTCHER — DIRECTOR
- JACQUELINE BRONER — EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
- KAREN POLESHUCK — DIRECTOR
- TERRI GUMULA — DIRECTOR
relationships · 9
Who they work with
- Amy Vernon-Jones Partner — Participating coach in the stroke technique clinic
- Anthony Riscica Partner — Participating coach in the stroke technique clinic
- Christina Gantcher Partner — Yoga instructor leading the July 18, 2026 beach yoga session.
- Grimaldo’s Chair Partner — Used as a reference point and gathering location for swim activities.
- NYC Parks Enforcement Patrol Partner — Provides contact information for NYC Parks Enforcement Patrol as a 24/7 resource for safety enforcement in the swimming area.
- NYPD Harbor Partner — Collaborates with NYPD Harbor for reporting and responding to dangerous watercraft behavior in the swimming area.
- Patricia Sener Partner — Yoga instructor leading yoga on the beach sessions for the organization.
- Team New York Aquatics Partner — Emily Fogle, a CIBBOWS coach, is also a weekend coach with Team New York Aquatics.
- US Coast Guard Partner — Lists US Coast Guard contact information for safety and emergency response in the open-water swimming area.
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 Health Through Recreational Exercisemethodology: community-health-through-recreationBy organizing amateur swimming competitions, physical exercise programs, and water safety education, the organization promotes community wellbeing as a public health intervention, because structured recreational activity increases physical fitness, safety awareness, and collective engagement in health-promoting behaviors.
- Community-Based Safety Culturemethodology: visibility-safety, current-awareness, individual-ability-assessment, community-based safety monitoringBy promoting visibility tools, current awareness, personal ability assessment, and peer reporting of hazards, the organization fosters a culture of shared safety, because decentralized vigilance and individual responsibility reduce risk more effectively than top-down oversight in open water environments.
- Land-to-Water Instructional Progressionmethodology: land-to-water instructionBy teaching swimming stroke mechanics on land before applying them in open water, the organization builds technical precision and swim readiness, because grounding technique in controlled, accessible environments improves retention and safe adaptation to challenging aquatic conditions.
- Progressive Skill-Building for Novice Swimmersmethodology: progressive-guided-entryBy providing guided, incremental support for new open water swimmers, the organization increases confidence and competence, because scaffolded entry reduces fear and builds capacity through experiential learning and peer integration.