Buffalo Maritime Center Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
272467764
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Buffalo, NY, USA
Phone
7168810111
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Swimming & Other Water Recreation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$968,800
Expenses
$911,763
Assets
$1,931,345
Liabilities
$185,514

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

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANNE CONABLE (PRESIDENT)
  • JOANNE HUDECKI (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • DR JOHN MONTAGUE (PRESIDENT EMERITUS)
  • JOE KOESSLER (PRESIDENT EMERITUS)
  • BRIAN TRZECIAK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • BRIAN TRZECIAK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $100,399 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The buffalo maritime center's mission is to inspire meaningful connections and life lessons through community boatbuilding, preserving maritime cuture, and exploring the waterways of western New York.

What it reported doing in 2025

Seneca chief voyage: the buffalo maritime center's replica of the erie canal boat seneca chief embarked on the bicentennial voyage, commemorating governor dewitt clinton's historic 1825 journey from buffalo to New York harbor. A buffalo maritime center crew , comprised of staff and volunteers, navigated the 33-day voyage, departing from buffalo's commercial slip - the western terminus of the erie canal - and traveling to pier 26 in New York city. The boat docked at 28 ports along the erie canal and hudson river before reaching New York city for the official commemoration of the canal's opening - 200 years after govenor clinton's inaugural trip. This historic journey invited buffalo and communities across New York state to honor the past while envisioning the future.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 73% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 58
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 69
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 61.9%; rating input score 62
  • Program expense ratio: 63%; rating input score 63
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.09 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 20; 20th 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: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 5.9%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.12; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.2% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 12.3% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.6% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 61.9% of revenue deployed · 63% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $574K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $100K · 21 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 20/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 47/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 34/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 35/100.