Boothbay Sea and Science Center

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
455504690
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
East Boothbay, ME, USA
Phone
2073505357
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Education N.E.C.

Reported finances

Revenue
$556,352
Expenses
$477,223
Assets
$2,005,305
Liabilities
$1,042,498

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PAULINE DION (PRESIDENT, E)

People named in this filing

  • PAULINE DION (PRESIDENT, E)
  • ERIC GRAVES (VICE PRESIDE)
  • JOHN FRENCH (TREASURER)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of the boothbay sea and science center is the advancement of sailing, boating and ocean sciences by minimizing economic and physical obstacles and further to develop independence, self-confidence, teamwork and volunteerism in the participants. To inspire individuals to strenghten themselves and their community through the enjoyment of the sea. Bssc's vision is to provide a community sea and science education center that offers equal and affordable access to the waterfront for youth through sailing, boating, and marine science experiential learning programs and activities not provided by other regional organizations.

What it reported doing in 2025

For 14 summers boothbay sea and science center (bssc) has been putting kids in boats and building a program that teaches them, first-hand, about the sea. Linekin bay and its shoreline are its classrooms. By touching, seeing and doing, kids learn about wind and sail trim, tides and currents, the wide variety of marine organisms that make the bay their home, and the importance of good stewardship of shoreline resources. Bssc continues to develop programs that embrace boating, sailing, and ocean science activities, including summer programs at their linekin bay campus at 12 carter rd in east boothbay, Maine and in 25 schools in 9 Maine counties. Through these programs bssc instills in youngsters not only a deeper understanding of the ocean on which they sail, but also how to safely enjoy, respect, and protect Maine's magnificent and naturally beautiful sea and land so that they remain healthy places to live.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and liabilities are high compared with assets.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 64
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 66.6%; rating input score 67
  • Program expense ratio: 77.6%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $46.79 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 14.2%; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.2; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.52; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.4% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 17.3% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 29.9% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 66.6% of revenue deployed · 77.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $371K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 11/100.