EIN: 30-0245251 · STONINGTON, CT · Data spans: TY2018–TY2024
Most recent filing: Tax Year 2024.
A more recent filing may not yet be published.
Sailing's public record, made legible. All numbers come directly from this organization's own sworn 990 filing. Patterns are computed from years of filings — not assessments or judgments.
Read trends in context: compare like with like, note the filing year, and treat major disruptions (like 2020–2021) as discontinuities rather than a continuous baseline.
Missing or N/A does not always mean absent. It can mean the item was not disclosed on that form, not collected on that filing type, or not available for that year.
$4,106,993
$4,108,030
$5,629,315
$3,727,300
85 W-2 employees reported (Form W-3, most recent filing — contractors and volunteers excluded) · TY2024 · 990
Total compensation, benefits & payroll taxes (Part IX)
TY2024$2,408,559
Full cost to employ everyone — wages + employer benefits + payroll taxes. Not officer pay alone.
~$28,000 per employee ⓘ — average across 85 W-2 employees; includes benefits & payroll taxes; part-time and seasonal staff counted at full weight.
Named officers/key employees (Part VII‑A) show reportable compensation only and are already included in the Part IX total above. They are not additive.
Named staff org comp sums to $917,069. The remaining $1,491,490 is unlisted staff labor cost — includes benefits & payroll taxes for all employees, not any one person's salary.
Professional & consulting fees (Part IX, line 11)
TY2024$260,743
Payments to outside firms and independent contractors — not included in the Part IX labor total above. Combined with the labor total, full people cost is $2,669,302.
Functional Expense Allocation (Part IX)
TY2024$4,108,030total functional expenses
80.5%
Program services
$3,308,779
10.2%
Management & general
$418,443
9.3%
Fundraising
$380,808
Source: Form 990, Part IX, line 25. A higher program-service percentage generally indicates more mission-directed spending.
Historical Trends
Revenue vs. Expenses
Net Revenue / Operating Margin
Net Assets
Revenue Trend
| Tax Year | Period | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net Revenue | Net Assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TY2018 | Before 2020 | 990 | $3,213,541 | $3,378,718 | -$165,177 | $3,573,791 |
| TY2019 | Before 2020 | 990 | $3,309,950 | $3,420,010 | -$110,060 | $3,477,024 |
| TY2020 | 2020–2021 | 990 | $2,698,770 | $2,966,920 | -$268,150 | $3,215,263 |
| TY2021 | 2020–2021 | 990 | $3,618,390 | $2,913,629 | $704,761 | $3,932,483 |
| TY2022 | 2022+ | 990 | $4,082,474 | $3,954,282 | $128,192 | $4,039,204 |
| TY2023 | 2022+ | 990 | $3,562,102 | $3,904,829 | -$342,727 | $3,713,592 |
| TY2024 | 2022+ | 990 | $4,106,993 | $4,108,030 | -$1,037 | $3,727,300 |
Revenue trend is a filing-history view. It helps you compare operating periods, not infer the club's live condition today.
Revenue Breakdown (Part VIII — most recent year)
Form 990, Part VIII — Statement of Revenue. Includes, but is not limited to: Line 1 = contributions and grants (including member dues reported as contributions). Lines 2a–2f = program service revenue (activities that directly further the organization's exempt purpose). Line 3 = investment income. The specific mix varies by organization type. Source: the organization's own sworn filing.
| Line | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 11a | INSURANCE RECOVERIES | $16,787 |
| 12 | Total revenue | $4,106,993 |
| 1c | Fundraising events | $378,740 |
| 1e | Government grants (contributions) | $169,500 |
| 1f | All other contributions, gifts, grants | $1,674,409 |
| 1g | Noncash contributions included in 1a-1f | $105,627 |
| 1h | Total contributions and grants | $2,222,649 |
| 2a | SCHOOL PARTNER PROGRAMS | $897,299 |
| 2b | SUMMER CAMP | $578,113 |
| 2c | COMMUNITY PROGRAMS | $365,946 |
| 2f | Total program service revenue | $1,841,358 |
| 3 | Investment income | $3,849 |
| 6c | Net rental income or (loss) | $1,547 |
Most revenue is reported in a single category this year. That can be normal for some org types; see the source filing for detail.
Endowment (Schedule D, Part V)
$150,000
Ending endowment balance as of TY2024
Ending balance — 5-year trend
TY2020
$132,698
TY2021
$144,925
TY2022
$125,197
TY2023
$144,326
TY2024
$150,000
TY2024 rollforward
Allocation
1%
Permanent endowment
Source: Form 990, Schedule D, Part V. Endowment funds reflect the organization's long-term investment reserves.
Balance Sheet (Part X)
TY2024| Line | Description | BOY | EOY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Total assets | $5,371,275 | $5,629,315 |
| 26 | Total liabilities | $1,657,683 | $1,902,015 |
| 33 | Total net assets or fund balances | $3,713,592 | $3,727,300 |
Source: Form 990, Part X, Balance Sheet.
Officers & Key Staff (Part VII)
How to read this section
This is not a full staff directory. It is the subset of people the organization had to disclose in Form 990, Part VII (the officer, director, trustee, key employee, and highest-compensated employee section of the filing). Why this matters: a missing name does not mean a person was not employed or involved.
Total Volunteer Board Hours/Week (Selected Year): 38
Hours per week are self-reported by each officer on Form 990, Part VII. They are not verified.
Officers and directors as reported on Form 990, Part VII. These are typically unpaid, elected positions. If an officer receives compensation, it will appear in the Paid Staff tab.
Operationally, this section is most useful for understanding disclosed leadership structure, compensation visibility, and board labor — not for reconstructing the full staffing model of a club.
| Name | Title | Hours/Week | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALLEGRA GRIFFITHS | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| MICHAEL HENNESSY | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| DR STEVEN ADAMOWSKI | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| BRAD AGLE | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| MICHAEL SAVAGE | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| HELEN GARTEN | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| PETER WILD | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| BILL FOLLETT | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| CAL BUXTON | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| CARTER GOWRIE | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| BRIAN GINEO | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| YVETTE RAMOS | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| JANE LEIPOLD | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| STEVE HAZARD | VICE CHAIR | 2 | Volunteer |
| MICHAEL LOBDELL | PRESIDENT & | 2 | Volunteer |
| MARK ADAMS | BOARD CHAIR | 2 | Volunteer |
| KEVIN COSTELLO | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| DR STEPHEN LARCEN | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
| KATHERINE BALLARD | DIRECTOR | 2 | Volunteer |
Programs (Part III — most recent year)
Form 990, Part III — Statement of Program Service Accomplishments. These are the activities that directly further the organization's exempt purpose. Expenses, grants, and revenue are as reported in the organization's own sworn filing.
NESS'S OPEN ENROLLMENT SUMMER PROGRAMS ARE FOR STUDENTS AGES 4-17. THE PROGRAMS RUN FOR 11 WEEKS FROM JUNE THROUGH AUGUST AND ARE STAFFED BY FULL-TIME AND SEASONAL EDUCATORS. STUDENTS CAN REGISTER FOR JUST ONE WEEK OR THE ENTIRE SUMMER. THESE PROGRAMS COMPRISE UNIQUE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THAT INCLUDES WEEKLY THEMES AND EMBEDDED SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING ELEMENTS, AND ARE DESIGNED AROUND AGE-BASED…
NESS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF ALL AGES TO PARTICIPATE IN HANDS-ON, EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAMS. VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS RECREATION DEPARTMENTS, PARTNER WITH NESS TO BRING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO THEIR CLIENTS. NESS ALSO OFFERS ADULT SAILING PROGRAMS, WHICH INCLUDE BEGINNER AND INTERMEDIATE CLASSES. FAMILIES CAN ALSO EXPERIENCE NESS PROGRAMS THROUGH PA…
Governance & Transparency Signals
The IRS Form 990 is a sworn disclosure document — not just a tax return. Beyond financials, it captures governance policies, compensation practices, and relationships between insiders and the organization. Every category below comes directly from that filing. When a field is blank, it is often because this form type doesn’t require it, or the org doesn’t meet the threshold that triggers disclosure. That context is itself worth knowing.
Conflict of Interest Policy
Form 990, Part VI — Line 12a
Governance data not available for this organization’s most recent filing year. This can occur for newly filed returns not yet in the corpus, or for organizations whose XML filing did not include Part VI.
Whistleblower Protection Policy
Form 990, Part VI — Line 13
Governance data not available for this organization’s most recent filing year.
Officer & Key Employee Compensation (Part VII)
Form 990, Part VII — Named individuals with reportable compensation
Part VII requires individual disclosure of all officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and the five highest-compensated employees earning above the reporting threshold. The individuals listed here are from the most recent available filing.
| Name | Title | Comp from Org |
|---|---|---|
| DR ERIC ISSELHARDT | CEO | $170,000 |
| DR ERIC ISSELHARDT | EXEC. DIR. E | $169,409 |
| DR ERIC ISSELHARDT | PRESIDENT | $165,802 |
| DR ERIC ISSELHARDT | CEO | $164,638 |
| DR ERIC ISSELHARDT | CEO | $146,686 |
| MICHAEL LOBDELL | PRESIDENT & | $23,954 |
| MICHAEL LOBDELL | CEO | $22,961 |
| MICHAEL LOBDELL | PRESIDENT | $20,563 |
Compensation shown is reportable compensation from this organization only, as disclosed in Part VII. The $150,000 threshold is significant context: most volunteer-run sailing clubs report $0 for all officers. When professional staff — a General Manager, Executive Director, or Harbor Master — earns above that level, it signals an org operating more like a business than a volunteer collective. That’s not inherently good or bad: a $12M club with 45 full-time employees may well need a $200K GM. But a $400K club paying its Commodore $180K warrants scrutiny.
Independent Compensation Consultant
Schedule J, Part I — Organizations filing when comp exceeds $150K
No independent compensation consultant reported for the most recent year with Schedule J data (2023). Executive pay was set through internal board processes — a compensation committee, comparison to prior years, or board vote — without outside benchmarking. This is common and not inherently concerning for organizations paying market-rate salaries. It becomes more notable as compensation levels rise and the board’s judgment becomes harder to validate externally.
Equity-Based Compensation
Schedule J, Part II — Per-person compensation detail
No equity-based compensation reported — expected for a nonprofit. Nonprofits cannot issue ownership stakes because they have no shareholders. In the for-profit world, equity aligns executive incentives with long-term value creation; the nonprofit analog takes different forms (retention bonuses, deferred comp) but not equity. Zero percent of organizations in the sailing and yacht club corpus report this. If any did, it would immediately raise questions about whether the arrangement is consistent with tax-exempt status.
Related-Party Transactions (Schedule L)
Schedule L — Transactions with Interested Persons (officers, directors, their families, controlled entities)
Schedule L requires disclosure of loans, grants, and business transactions between the organization and its own insiders — board members, officers, key employees, and their family members or entities they control. Nonprofits are not prohibited from transacting with insiders, but they must disclose it, follow fair-market-value standards, and document that the transaction benefited the organization, not just the insider. These disclosures exist because self-dealing is the most direct way nonprofit assets can flow to those in control.
No related-party transactions found in our data for this organization. Schedule L is only required when transactions occur — absence means none were reported, not necessarily that none occurred.
Schedule O — Supplemental Information (most recent year)
Organizations use Schedule O to provide additional explanation for answers given on the main 990 form. These are direct excerpts from the filed document.
FORM 990, PART XI, LINE 9
SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS REVENUE -726,682 FUNDRAISING EXPENSES NET AGAINST REVENUE 46,118 FUNDRAISING EXPENSES NET AGAINST REVENUE -46,118 SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS EXPENSES 726,682
FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 15A
IN SETTING COMPENSATION FOR MANAGEMENT, THE HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE COMPARES COMPENSATION LEVELS WITH POSITIONS HAVING SIMILAR RESPONSIBILITIES AT OTHER NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. THE HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMPENSATION THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET, WHICH IS REVIEWED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND APPROVED BY THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 19
THE 990 AND ALL RELEVANT FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION IS MADE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 11B
A COPY OF THE 990 IS REVIEWED BY THE CFO, AUDIT COMMITTEE AND THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRIOR TO FILING.
FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 12C
THE POLICY OF THE ORGANIZATION IS THAT DIRECTORS AND MANAGEMENT DISCLOSE ANY ACTUAL OR POSSIBLE CONFLICT OF INTEREST RELATIONSHIP OR TRANSACTION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. THE BOARD THEN DETERMINES WHETHER A CONFLICT OF INTEREST DOES IN FACT EXIST, AND IF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST DOES EXIST, WHETHER THE BOARD WILL PERMIT THE DIRECTOR OR MANAGER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RELATIONSHIP OR CONFLICT OF INTEREST TRANSACTION.
Mission
THE FIRST PROGRAM OF ITS KIND, NESS IS ACCREDITED BY THE NEW ENGLAND ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES (NEASC). NESS OFFERS A STEM- BASED CURRICULUM THAT BUILDS LEADERSHIP, TEAMWORK, CONFIDENCE, AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS THROUGH MARINE SCIENCE, SAILING, POWER BOATING, AND ADVENTURE SPORTS. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IS AT THE CORE OF OUR APPROACH, FOSTERING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND AGENCY THROUGH HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND REFLECTIVE PRACTICE. EVERY NESS LESSON IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT POSITIVE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND ACADEMIC OUTCOMES, CAPITALIZING ON THE INHERENT BENEFITS OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. OUR PASSIONATE EDUCATORS STRIVE TO CULTIVATE A LOVE FOR LEARNING AND EMPOWER STUDENTS TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY, REINFORCING CLASSROOM STUDIES AND NURTURING LIFELONG LEARNING SKILLS. THESE STRATEGIES ARE ESPECIALLY CRUCIAL FOR YOUNG ADOLESCENTS TRANSITIONING FROM THE FAMILIAR TERRAIN OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO THE MORE COMPLEX LANDSCAPE OF HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE THOUGHTS OF FUTUR
As stated in the organization's 990 filing.
IRS Source Filings
Source filings are IRS e-file records in XML (Extensible Markup Language) format — a structured data standard used by the IRS for electronic filing. If you open one of these links, it will look like code. That's not an error — that's what XML looks like. Harbor Commons processes this raw XML and presents the structured, readable view you see above.
Why this matters: the XML is the receipt. Harbor Commons is the reading layer on top of that receipt. If you ever need to verify a number, wording choice, or disclosure, the source filing is where to check.
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📡 Filing Signals (6 total)
Trends and shifts computed from this organization's own public filings across all available years. Signals highlight where numbers changed — not whether those changes are good or bad. Only people with inside knowledge of this organization can interpret what these signals mean.
Signals describe filing history, not the club's live operating state. The newest filing may still lag current reality by many months.
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