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EXPLORE BUFFALO INC
BUFFALO, NY · EIN 813080055 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A80 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · explorebuffalo.org
revenue
$535K
expenses
$541K
net assets
$-6K
employees
7
volunteers
300
program ratio
82%
mission · from form 990

TO PROVIDE TOURS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN ABOUT AND DISCOVER BUFFALOS GREAT ARCHITECTURE, HISTORY AND NEIGHBORHOODS. THE TOURS ARE GIVEN BY TRAINED VOLUNTEERS AND ARE GENERALLY AIMED AT THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WITH MANY SPECIFIC TOURS AIMED AT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

profile · synthesized from sources

Explore Buffalo Inc. offers educational walking, bus, and interior tours of Buffalo, NY, focusing on the city's architecture, history, and cultural landmarks. The organization serves the general public, with specialized programming for K-12 and college students. Tours are led by trained volunteers and aim to foster community engagement and learning through Buffalo's built environment and heritage.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $37K
    A COMMUNITY PROGRAM, DOOR OPEN BUFFALO WAS PROVIDED WITH FREE PUBLIC ACCESS TO SIGNIFICANT BUILDING INTERIORS. THE VISION WAS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS WITH BUFFALOS HISTORY AND ACHITECTURE. 34 LOCATIONS PARTICIPATED IN DOWNTOWN BUFFALO WITH 5,367 EVENT ATTENDEES. THIS WAS MADE POSSIBLE WITH MANY SPONSORS AND 244 EVENT VOLUNTEERS.
  2. #2 $7K
    OTHER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING SPEAKER SERIES. TOTAL ATTENDANCE OF 2,334 PEOPLE.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

College Group Tours
Curated walking, bus, and interior tours for college students focusing on Buffalo’s architecture, history, and culture, including specialized themes like Silo City and Delaware Park
Door Open Buffalo
Annual community event offering free public access to the interiors of significant historic buildings in downtown Buffalo, with guided access and volunteer support
K-12 Education Tours
Field trip programs for school groups, including tours of Delaware Park, Downtown Highlights, Canalside, City Hall, and Silo City, aligned with state curriculum standards
Narrated Bus Tours
90-minute to 2-hour guided bus tours for groups, covering key areas of Buffalo including Downtown, Canalside, and Silo City
Speaker Series
Educational events featuring talks and presentations on Buffalo’s history, architecture, and cultural heritage
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Guided Historic Site Tours 4 activities
    • Administrative support for Richardson Olmsted Campus tours
      Provides administrative and ticketing support for interior tours of the Richardson Olmsted Campus, facilitating public access to this historic site.
    • Docent-led public tours of Buffalo's architecture and history
      Offers walking, bike, and bus tours led by trained volunteer docents focused on Buffalo's architecture, history, culture, and neighborhoods. Tours include themed routes such as downtown highlights, Olmsted-designed parks, Silo City, and Buffalo City Hall, with group sizes limited to 18 participants for walking tours.
    • Door Open Buffalo community program
      Provides free public access to interiors of significant historic buildings in downtown Buffalo and neighborhood districts, engaging thousands annually. In recent years, the program opened between 19 and 35 buildings per event, with attendance ranging from 3,206 to 6,398 participants.
    • Sacred Spaces tour program
      Conducts specialized tours highlighting the architectural design, stained glass, and historical narratives of Buffalo’s houses of worship, focusing on religious and cultural heritage.
  • Educational Field Trips and Experiential Outings 1 activity
    • Educational programs for students and schools
      Provides curriculum-based educational tours and field trips for K-12 and college groups focusing on Buffalo’s architecture, history, art, and culture. Programs include guided walking tours of downtown, Delaware Park, Canalside, Buffalo City Hall, and Silo City, designed to align with educational standards and group needs.
  • Membership Program Administration 1 activity
    • Explorer Pass Membership program
      Offers a membership program providing year-round access to dozens of walking and bike tours in Buffalo and Western New York, including exclusive events and educational opportunities for members at various donor recognition levels.
  • Architecture and Design Public Education Programs 1 activity
    • Speaker series and educational events
      Hosts a speaker series and other educational programming that engages the public on topics related to Buffalo’s history, architecture, and culture, with annual attendance exceeding 1,900 people.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$535K
Contributions & grants$294K55%
Program service revenue$240K45%
Investment income$8840%
Other revenue$1K
expenses
Total expenses$541K
Program expenses82%
Admin / overhead7%
Fundraising12%
Salaries & benefits$322K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$107K
Cash$89K
Investments$0
Liabilities$113K
Net assets$-6K
Liquid reserves2.0 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +7.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
BRADLEY HAHN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $87K
board members · 18
  • DANIELLE OSSHER — DIRECTOR
  • DUNCAN HEMINK — PRESIDENT
  • EILEEN HEALY — VICE PRESIDENT
  • ELIZABETH COLUCCI — VICE PRESIDENT
  • EMILY CARROLL — TREASURER
  • GARY SZAKMARY — DIRECTOR
  • GERRI KOZLOWSKI — SECRETARY
  • JUDY FALKOWSKI — DIRECTOR
  • JULIE CRANDALL — DIRECTOR
  • KATIE GIBAS — DIRECTOR
  • LYNNE BAKER — DIRECTOR
  • MALKIJAH GRIFFITHS — DIRECTOR
  • MARITZA VEGA — DIRECTOR
  • PATRICK KALER — DIRECTOR
  • ROBERT WETTER — DIRECTOR
  • SEAN OLIVER — DIRECTOR
  • TRISH CHARLES — DIRECTOR
  • WILLIAM HALLETT — DIRECTOR
relationships · 30

Who they work with

  • Arts Service Initiative of WNY Partner — Participates in the Arts Access Pass program administered by the Arts Service Initiative of WNY, allowing pass holders to access Explore Buffalo tours.
  • Assumption Church Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • Brad Hahn Government — Executive Director of Explore Buffalo Inc.
  • Brad Hahn Partner — Executive Director of Explore Buffalo
  • Buffalo Religious Arts Center Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • Central Park United Methodist Church Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • First Presbyterian Church Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • Grady Health System Partner — Integrated food prescriptions into primary care
  • Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • Kelsey Dewey Partner — Operations Coordinator of Explore Buffalo
  • Lipsey Architecture Center Buffalo Partner — Co-operator of Richardson Olmsted Campus interior tours, with Explore Buffalo providing administrative and ticketing support.
  • Lori DeMaria Partner — Education Director of Explore Buffalo
  • Lori DeMaria Partner — Education Director serving as primary contact for school tour coordination.
  • Lori DeMaria Partner — Education Director who coordinates college group tours for Explore Buffalo.
  • Louise Blanchard Bethune Partner — Names donor circle in honor of America's first woman architect and Buffalo icon.
  • Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • Richardson Olmsted Campus Partner — Partner in offering interior tours with Explore Buffalo providing administrative and ticketing support.
  • Sabrina Wroblewski Partner — Marketing & Communications Coordinator of Explore Buffalo
  • St. Adalbert Basilica Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • St. John Gualbert Roman Catholic Church & Diocesan Shrine Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • St. Louis Roman Catholic Church Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • St. Stanislaus B&M Roman Catholic Church Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • Suzanne Ernst Partner — Program Director of Explore Buffalo
  • Trinity Episcopal Church Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • Uniland Development Company Partner — Founding corporate sponsor for the Community Cultural Tour Program.
  • Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo Partner — Partner site featured in the Sacred Spaces tour program.
  • Zoom Partner — Used for virtual components of docent training
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.

  • Cultural Heritage Tourism as Community Engagement
    methodology: heritage_education_through_tourism
    By using guided tours of historically significant sites—including religious buildings, Olmsted parks, and diverse neighborhoods—we foster regional pride and cross-community understanding because immersive, narrative-driven experiences connect people emotionally and intellectually to place and shared history.
  • Curriculum-Integrated Place-Based Learning
    methodology: place_based_learning
    By designing walking tours that align with academic curricula and situate learning in Buffalo’s built environment, we deepen student understanding of history and urban development because real-world, site-specific experiences make abstract concepts tangible and memorable.
  • Volunteer-Driven Experiential Education
    methodology: volunteer_driven_education
    By training volunteers with no prior expertise to lead tours, we produce accessible and authentic public education about Buffalo's history and architecture because community-rooted storytellers enhance engagement and sustainability while expanding reach without scaling overhead.