Portside New York Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PORTSIDE NEWYORK'S MISSION IS TO CREATE A MODEL FOR NYC'S WATERFRONT FUTURE VIA ADVOCACY AND DIRECT SERVICE. WE DEMONSTRATE HOW THE HARBOR CAN PROVIDE JOBS, GREEN FREIGHT MOVEMENT, EDUCATION, CULTURE, AND RECREATION - AND HOW TO CENTER MARITIME IN NYC WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT. OUR LONG-STANDING GOAL IS TO CREATE A PORTSIDE CAMPUS THAT SERVES THE PUBLIC AND THE WORKING WATERFRONT, A PLACE LARGER THAN OUR HISTORIC SHIP MARY A. WHALEN.
- Income
- $63,964
- Spending
- $57,642
- Reserves
- 8.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 90%
- Highest pay
- $10,000, executive director & founder
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 73% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 8.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $30,662 spent. ONCE AGAIN, OUR TANKER MARY A. WHALEN WAS THE MOST PUBLICLY-ACCESSIBLE HISTORIC SHIP IN NYC WITH TANKERTIME ACCESS TO THE MAIN DECK AND CHILDREN'S EDUCATION CABIN OFFERED MOST DAYS OF THE YEAR. THE AUDIENCE FOR OUR MONTHLY MAY THROUGH OCTOBER COMMUNITY POTLUCK BBQ ON THE SHIP GREW IN NUMBERS AND THE DIVERSITY OF THE ATTENDEES DID TOO. THIS EVENT BRINGS ADULTS AND FAMILIES TOGETHER AND PROVIDES EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ABOUT OUR HISTORIC SHIP AND PORT CONTEXT IN A WELCOMING ATMOSPHERE. WE GREW OUR VISITING VESSEL PROGRAM TO INCLUDE A NEW, DEEP PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HISTORIC SLOOP CLEARWATER WHICH TEACHES ECOLOGY, HISTORY, AND IS ALSO A TRAINING VESSEL. THIS IS A MAJOR BOOST TO LOCAL OFFERINGS AS THERE ARE NO EDUCATIONAL VESSELS SAILING OUT OF ANYWHERE NEAR HERE. THIS PARTNERSHIP IS ONGOING. WE PROMOTED SAILS TO SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY, NARRATED A TALK DURING ONE PUBLIC SAIL, AND COLLABORATED TO CREATE A MULTIMEDIA FILM SCREENING USING OUR SHIP AND THE CLEARWATER. 721 WENT ON 17 PUBLIC SAILS, 360 STUDENTS WENT ON 10 SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS, 132 SAILED ON 4 PRIVATE CHARTERS.PORTSIDE'S CREATED NEW PUBLIC, IN-PERSON, CULTURAL PROGRAMS TO FIND WAYS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, ADDING "BOOKS AHOY" READINGS OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS, A SIP N PAINT EVENT FOR ADULTS, SHAPE NOTE SINGING, AND VIEWING THE SOLAR ECLIPSE. WE PARTICIPATED AGAIN IN THE ANNUAL NEIGHBORHOOD COMMEMORATION OF HURRICANE SANDY (THE BARNACLE PARADE) FOR WHICH WE CREATE MARITIME COSTUMES AND DISTRIBUTE FLOOD PREPAREDNESS MATERIAL. PORTSIDE IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS COMMITTED TO TEACHING STUDENTS AND ADULTS ABOUT FLOODING AND RESILIENCY SINCE SANDY. WE ADDED THOSE DESTRUCTIVE WATERSTORIES TOPICS TO OUR PROGRAM ROSTER AFTER SANDY.PORTSIDE'S 2024 EDUCATIONAL WORK WITH COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES REFLECTS OUR GROWING REPUTATION FOR EXPERTISE IN URBAN PLANNING, WATERFRONT ISSUES, MARITIME PAST AND PRESENT AND THE RICHNESS OF OUR VIRTUAL MUSEUM AT REDHOOKWATERSTORIES.ORG: WE WERE CONTACTED FOR THE FIRST TIME BY COLLEGES OUT OF STATE (UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA AND UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA) TO BE CONTENT ADVISORS FOR URBAN PLANNING/URBAN DESIGN STUDIOS. ALSO, WE WERE THE CLIENT FOR A LOCAL UNIVERSITY (PRATT INSTITUTE) STUDIO ON PARTICIPATORY PLANNING. WE USED THE SAME EXPERTISE FOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION RELATED TO THE REPLANNING OF OUR LOCATION, THE BROOKLYN MARINE TERMINAL (BMT), NYC'S LARGEST LAND ACQUISITION IN DECADES, AND A SITE OF HISTORIC AND CURRENT MARITIME ACTIVITY. WE WERE CONTACTED BY MORE STUDENTS WORKING ON THEIR THESES THAN EVER BEFORE. ONE OF THEM, JORI JOHNSON, CREATED THE HIGHLY-PRAISED DOCUMENTARY "HARBORING HISTORY." WE HOSTED TWO PUBLIC SCREENINGS OF THAT WHICH INFORMED THE COMMUNITY DISCUSSION RELATED TO BMT. WE ALSO ADDED IT TO OUR VIRTUAL MUSEUM WHICH IS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE AVAILABLE TO ALL FREE OF CHARGE. WE CONTINUED GROWING THAT VIRTUAL-MUSEUM. OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WITH YOUNGER STUDENTS SERVED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND HOMESCHOOLED STUDENTS, SERVING PRE-K AND ELEMENTARY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THIS INCLUDED SCHOOLS RETURNING WITH ENTHUSIASM, PLUS NEW SCHOOLS. WE CREATED A NEW PRE-K CURRICULUM RELATED TO TUGBOATS FOR ONE SCHOOL AND LED THE FIELD TRIP. OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES TO AN AREA HIGH SCHOOL AND CADETS FROM SUNY MARITIME COLLEGE WERE HIGHLY PRAISED BY STUDENTS AND STAFF. THESE TEACH INTERDISCIPLINARY STEM TOPICS AND ADDITIONALLY GROW AWARENESS OF HOW TO USE THE WATERFRONT AND NYC FOR PLACE-BASED LEARNING, AND GROW PATHWAYS TO MARITIME CAREERS. WHAT ALSO ACCOMPLISHED THIS WAS OUR OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHEER DELIVERY OF COOKIES AND NEWSPAPERS TO TUGS AND BARGES. THIS REACHED 50 VESSELS, MORE THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS THANKS THESE ESSENTIAL WORKERS, AND OUR VIDEO OF THIS PROVIDES AN EDUCATIONAL, INSIDER VIEW INTO THE WORKING WATERFRONT OF THIS HARBOR. THE VIDEO GOT 5.5K VIEWS ON OUR MAIN FB PAGE (A NEW HIGH), AND MANY THOUSANDS MORE IN PRIVATE FB GROUPS AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA INCLUDING OUR YOUTUBE PAGESITE DISRUPTIONS IN 2023 SHUT DOWN PROGRAMS UNTIL OCTOBER, REDUCING OUR 2024 ANNUAL BUDGET AS DID NOT BEING PAID BY A NYC AGENCY FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL DISCRETIONARY GRANT. 2024 HAD ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES WITH HEALTH ISSUES OF THE STAFF (RESOLVED), ED BEING HIT BY A CAR (MINOR ACCIDENT, BUT DISRUPTIVE; AND ED ALL HEALED), AND DEMANDS OF WORK RELATED TO THE REPLANNING OF OUR LOCATION NOW CALLED THE BROOKLYN MARINE TERMINAL (BMT).
- $25,151 spent. WATERSTORIES PROGRAMS PANDEMIC MADE MOST OF THIS VIRTUAL (V). V-NARRATED HARBOR TOURS AT SUNSET 27,000. TALK WITH FILMMAKER ARCHIPELAGO NY (V620, IRL10). WE GREW OUR V-MUSEUM RED HOOK WATERSTORIES WHICH HAD 19,621 VISITS.
- $1,829 spent. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WE HELPED TELL OUR NEIGHBORHOODS EJ STORY TO THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND IT VIA "TOXIC RED HOOK" TOUR AND FILM; BARNACLE CLIMATE JUSTICE MARCH & RALLY; CREATION OF FINAL NOTICE BK APP BY A YOUTH PROGRAM. OUR V-MUSEUM RED HOOK WATERSTORIES WAS A RESOURCE USED BY ALL 3, AND WE HAD HUMAN INVOLVEMENT IN ALL OF THEM.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 2004.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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