named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Landscape of Hope
Collaborative project with landscape design faculty at Ohio State University to envision a future landscape for Hart Island, supported by a National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America award
Online Burial Database
Provides free public access to an online database of mass burials on Hart Island with navigation tools, augmented reality grave marking, interpretive guides, and custom search capabilities
Traveling Cloud Museum
Creative project documenting Hart Island's history and significance through visual art and storytelling, initiated by founder Melinda Hunt
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Cemetery Records and Genealogical Research 2 activities
- Conducting research and digital documentation of Hart IslandConducts research to map and document burials on Hart Island using drone technology, GPS coordination, and collaboration with academic institutions like Ohio State University’s Knowlton School. Projects include identifying AIDS and COVID-19 burials, developing proofs of concept for individual graves, and preserving historical narratives.
- Operating The Traveling Cloud Museum and online burial databaseProvides public access to an online database of individuals buried on Hart Island from 1980 to the present, including burial records, maps of grave locations, augmented reality features, and storytelling tools to restore the histories of the buried. The platform is mobile-optimized and includes geotiff data embedded into over 68,000 burial profiles.
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Urban Park and Public Space Conservation 1 activity
- Advocating for public access and end of mass burials on Hart IslandLeads advocacy efforts to end mass burials in New York City and transition Hart Island to a natural burial ground, including securing a 2015 class action lawsuit settlement for family visitation, advocating for transfer of jurisdiction to NYC Parks, and promoting the Landscape of Hope plan. These efforts contributed to the 2023 public access launch and a new masterplan for the island.
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Cemetery and Cremation Services 1 activity
- Providing family support and visitation assistanceOffers personal support, navigation tools, and advocacy assistance to families and individuals seeking to locate gravesites of loved ones buried on Hart Island, including help with Freedom of Information Law requests, arranging visitation, and identifying individuals who died of AIDS or COVID-19. Also supports families in appointing agents for disposition of remains with burial on Hart Island.
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Disaster and Line-of-Duty Memorialization 1 activity
- Supporting creative and commemorative projects on Hart IslandSupports storytelling initiatives, including producing the “AIDS Burials on Hart Island” webseries, and has facilitated the construction of commemorative structures such as a wooden gazebo, granite Episcopal Cross, and Peace Monument to honor those buried on the island.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$52K
Contributions & grants$49K95%
Program service revenue$1K3%
Investment income$1K2%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$51K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$22K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$96K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$95K
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +9.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melinda Hunt | President | 25 | $20K |
board members · 2
- Alexandra Barker — Trustee
- Elsie Soto to 624 — Trustee
relationships · 17
Who they work with
- Canada Council for Arts Funder — Funded the Traveling Cloud Museum as an artist project.
- City of New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Government — Provided funding for the AIDS Burials on Hart Island webseries through a contract with Public Health Solutions.
- City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment Government — Provided support for the AIDS Burials on Hart Island webseries through the Made in New York Women’s Film, TV & Theater Fund.
- Council Member Mark Levine Government — Supported funding for the AIDS Burials on Hart Island webseries.
- Department of Parks and Recreation Government — Government agency to which jurisdiction of Hart Island was transferred in January 2023, enabling public access.
- Knowlton School of Architecture at The Ohio State University Partner — Collaborates with The Hart Island Project on the Landscape of Hope project to envision the future design of Hart Island.
- NEH Funder — Provided funding in 2022 to develop mobile navigation tools and an interpretive guide for Hart Island.
- NYC HRA Office of Burial Service Government — Collaborates with the city's burial claims unit to administer burial assistance and allowances.
- NYC Parks Government — Initiated a new masterplan for Hart Island in 2023 following advocacy efforts.
- NYC Women’s Fund Funder — Funded the Traveling Cloud Museum as an artist project.
- National Endowment for the Arts Funder — Approved The Hart Island Project for a Challenge America award to support the Landscape of Hope initiative.
- New York City Council Government — Advocacy efforts led to policy change and funding allocation for Hart Island.
- New York Foundation for the Arts Partner — Administered support for the AIDS Burials on Hart Island webseries in association with the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment.
- New York State Council on the Arts Funder — Funded the Traveling Cloud Museum as an artist project.
- Ohio State University's Knowlton School Partner — Collaborated on developing a proof of concept for the Landscape of Hope plan.
- Picture the Homeless Partner — Collaborated to organize the Interfaith Friends of Potter’s Field, which holds bi-monthly prayer gatherings on Hart Island.
- Public Health Solutions Partner — Contracted organization through which the City of New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene funded the AIDS Burials on Hart Island webseries.
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.
- Commemorative Reclamation to Transform Public Narrativemethodology: commemorative_reclamationBy advocating for Hart Island to become a dignified public space of remembrance, we shift its identity from a site of neglect to one of respect because symbolic recognition enables societal healing and inclusion of marginalized deaths.
- Digital Memorialization and Storytelling to Combat Anonymitymethodology: digital_storytelling_and_memorializationBy creating digital platforms for storytelling, visualization, and public contribution of personal histories, we restore individual identity to those buried on Hart Island because anonymity erodes dignity and collective memory; making stories accessible combats stigma and fosters public empathy.
- Legal Advocacy for Transparency and Family Accessmethodology: legal-advocacy-through-foiaBy using Freedom of Information Law requests to secure burial records and visitation rights, we increase family access and accountability because systemic opacity perpetuates injustice; legal pressure creates leverage for institutional reform.