Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Apr 2006.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
69 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
8 people listed on the 990; $91K paid to officers and key staff.
David Sharps’s $87K as Museum Director is at the 81st percentile of top reported officer pay among 2215 $100K–1M arts & culture nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Sharps | $86,635 | $89,524 | $90,940 | $59,987 | $35,000 | $35,000 |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
See The Waterfront Museum executive salaries →Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo
Programs and updates
Offers waterfront access and promotes historic preservation.
Questions for The Waterfront Museum
Your first name shows with your question. The Waterfront Museum answers here, for everyone.
Showboat Performances
Diverse entertainment genres often include music, dance, film, circus, and puppetry. Art displayed on the walls enhance the coastal ambiance. Our focus is to collaborate with ny-based and local arts groups to help anchor red hook as a cultural destination. Admission costs vary from free to $35.
Maritime Education Initiative
The waterfront museum provides free and low-cost maritime education programs year-round in an inspiring and distinctive setting. These include free museum tours twice weekly; school, camp, senior and tourist group visits booked in advance; and research assistance for students, professors, journalists, and historians.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2023 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY23 | End FY23 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $98K | $138K |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $261K | $268K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $111K | $72K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $671K | $634K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $250K | $224K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $420K | $409K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $35K | $18K | $14K | $3K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $8K | $8K | $0 | $0 |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $4K | $2K | $1K | $303 |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $4K | $0 | $4K | $0 |
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $36K | $28K | $5K | $2K |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $1K | $1K | $0 | $0 |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $41K | $33K | $6K | $2K |
| TravelLn 17 | $111 | $0 | $111 | $0 |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $39K | $32K | $6K | $2K |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $8K | $5K | $3K | $637 |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $8K | $4K | $3K | $330 |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $4K | $305 | $4K | $42 |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $188K | $130K | $47K | $11K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 LatestFiled with the IRS Jul 2, 2026 | $273K | $175K | $97K | $635K | 990 PDF |
| FY2024Filed with the IRS Jul 23, 2025 | $301K | $172K | $128K | $538K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 ViewingFiled with the IRS Mar 28, 2024 | $177K | $188K | −$11K | $409K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Jul 13, 2023 | $211K | $156K | $56K | $420K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021Filed with the IRS Oct 11, 2022 | $102K | $146K | −$44K | $365K | 990 PDF |
| FY2020Filed with the IRS Jul 8, 2021 | $74K | $144K | −$70K | $408K | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $176,745 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 7 of 8 board members independent, 2 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $176,745 across 8 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $187,644 across 12 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $633,755 assets, 14 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $409,417 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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