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BAYSIDE CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
POTSDAM, NY · EIN 150241025 · Form 990 · FY2024 · Small ($100K-$1M) · baysidepotsdam.org
revenue
$191K
expenses
$186K
net assets
$1.3M
employees
4
volunteers
14
program ratio
87%
mission · from form 990

THE ASSOCIATION SEEKS TO OFFER ATTRACTIVE GROUNDS FOR INTERMENT OF CASKETS AND CREMAINS.

profile · synthesized from sources

BAYSIDE CEMETERY ASSOCIATION is a nonprofit cemetery organization in Potsdam, New York, established in 1865. It maintains over 80 acres of landscaped burial grounds offering traditional casket interments, cremains burial, and natural burials. The cemetery is managed by a board of trustees and relies on perpetual care funds, donations, and volunteer support for upkeep.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Cemetery Restoration and Maintenance
Ongoing multi-year project to restore historic structures, plant trees, and maintain grounds, supported by volunteers and donors.
Natural Burial Program
Offers environmentally friendly interments using biodegradable materials, no embalming, and no burial vaults; available in designated riverside and wooded sections.
The Pines Urn Garden
A landscaped garden for cremains with raised stone markers, accessible walkways, and perpetual care; located near the Raquette River.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Cemetery and Cremation Services 3 activities
    • Offers natural burial options in designated sections
      Provides environmentally conscious burial alternatives in dedicated riverside and wooded areas, allowing for reduced environmental impact through natural burial practices.
    • Operates the Pines Urn Garden for cremation interments
      Designed and maintains a dedicated urn garden near the Raquette River with 150 burial sites, each accommodating one to two cremation urns with raised stone markers. Includes memorial plaque installation on stone columns for individuals whose remains are not available.
    • Provides burial and interment services
      Offers burial plots for caskets and cremains, conducts interments for adults and infants, and provides services for secondary interments and niche placements. The cemetery sells plots in various sections and offers different pricing tiers based on location and type, including standard, urn garden, and natural burial options.
  • Cemetery Preservation and Maintenance Funding 1 activity
    • Maintains cemetery grounds and structures through perpetual care
      Manages perpetual care funds to ensure long-term maintenance of cemetery grounds, walkways, and structures, including ongoing repair of monuments, tree planting, and landscaping. Professional assessments of trees and restoration of historic features such as entrance towers are part of this effort.
  • Cemetery Records and Genealogical Research 1 activity
    • Maintains historical burial records
      Keeps a documented burial database recording interments at Bayside Cemetery up to 2014, supporting genealogical and historical research.
  • Community Stewardship Volunteer Programs 1 activity
    • Organizes volunteer programs for maintenance and restoration
      Engages volunteers in groundskeeping tasks such as raking, planting, and inspection, as well as in monument restoration projects. Includes partnerships with student groups and support for fundraising initiatives.
  • Cemetery Operations and Public Access 1 activity
    • Supports public access and recreational use of the cemetery
      Welcomes the public year-round for quiet recreation such as walking, dog walking, photography, and birdwatching. Provides a public brochure with a map and descriptions to guide visitors through the cemetery’s natural and cultural features.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Designs and maintains culturally and ecologically integrated cemetery landscape
      Integrates natural topography and vegetation with cultural elements such as winding roads, memorials, and tree-lined alleys to create a contemplative atmosphere. The landscape design includes features like the historic entry allee and ongoing tree planting to restore ecological and aesthetic continuity.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$191K
Contributions & grants$62K33%
Program service revenue$74K39%
Investment income$55K29%
Other revenue$18
expenses
Total expenses$186K
Program expenses87%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$51K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.25M
Cash$134K
Investments$1.04M
Liabilities$2K
Net assets$1.25M
Liquid reserves75.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -15.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 9
  • CORY VARNEY — TRUSTEE
  • DONALD DANGREMOND — TRUSTEE
  • FRANCIS CAPELLO — TRUSTEE
  • JOHN WHITE JR — TRUSTEE
  • MARY GILBERT — TRUSTEE
  • MICHAEL GRIFFIN — TRUSTEE
  • PETER CUTLER — TRUSTEE
  • STANLEY MAINE — TRUSTEE
  • SUSAN OMOHUNDRO — TRUSTEE
relationships · 17

Who they work with

  • 7 News (WWNY-TV) Partner — Conducted an interview with a Bayside board member about the cemetery’s natural burial option.
  • A. A. Kingston Middle School Partner — Eighty-five sixth graders toured Bayside Cemetery for educational purposes.
  • Burkum Plant Health & Tree Care Partner — Provided professional tree assessment services for over 400 trees at Bayside Cemetery.
  • Clarkson University Partner — Students from multiple programs and student organizations have volunteered at Bayside for leaf raking, monument restoration, and clean-up activities.
  • Lupini Construction Partner — Contractor that completed the restoration of the southern urn-bearing tower at Bayside Cemetery.
  • New York State Board of Cemeteries Government — Regulatory body that audits the organization and enforces compliance with its constitution and bylaws.
  • New York State Police Partner — Troopers from Troop B in St. Lawrence County assisted Bayside with fall leaf clean-up.
  • North Country Public Radio Partner — Featured Bayside Cemetery’s natural burial option in a news story.
  • Northern New York Community Foundation Funder — Administered the Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund, which granted funds to support the tree assessment at Bayside Cemetery.
  • Potsdam Central School District Partner — Cross country teams and coaches from Potsdam Central School helped with leaf clean-up at Bayside Cemetery.
  • Potsdam Public Museum Partner — Collaborates to maintain and provide access to the Town of Potsdam burial database including Bayside Cemetery records.
  • SUNY Potsdam Partner — Athletic teams (SUNY Potsdam Bears) assisted with leaf-raking duties at Bayside Cemetery.
  • St. Lawrence County Government — Location of The Pines Urn Garden, described as the only landscaped urn garden in the county.
  • St. Lawrence Nurseries Partner — Local nursery from which Bayside purchased Princeton elm trees for planting.
  • Trinity Church Partner — Leaders from Trinity Church were instrumental in founding Bayside Cemetery.
  • Watertown Daily Times Partner — Published a story featuring Bayside Cemetery’s natural burial option.
  • sexton Partner — Point of contact for coordinating volunteer labor and material donations; connects volunteers with project leadership.
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-Based Stewardship
    methodology: community_volunteer_stewardship
    By involving community volunteers in maintenance and fundraising, we strengthen local ownership and sustainable care of the cemetery, because shared responsibility fosters long-term engagement and ensures stewardship that reflects community values.
  • Contemplative Landscape Design
    methodology: rural_cemetery_design
    By designing the cemetery as a park-like, landscaped memorial space with transitional elements like approach driveways and reflective benches, we foster visitation, mourning, and spiritual reflection, because intentionally crafted environments help visitors shift from everyday life to contemplation of loss and meaning.
  • Hybrid Cemetery Model
    methodology: hybrid_cemetery_model
    By integrating natural burial sections within conventional cemetery grounds, we accommodate diverse preferences and values, because offering both traditional and eco-sensitive options in one space increases accessibility and visitation while respecting varying cultural and environmental beliefs about death.
  • Natural Burial Integration
    methodology: green_burial
    By offering natural burial plots using biodegradable materials and prohibiting embalming and vaults, we provide an environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional burial that aligns with ecological values, because this approach minimizes environmental impact and meets growing demand for green end-of-life options.