Boston Blind Sailing Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
MISSION STATEMENT OF BOSTON BLIND SAILING We are a community of blind and visually impaired sailors and sighted guides working together to sail at a highly competitive level, by: * Promoting autonomy in sailing through training and the use of other senses, * Providing blind access and inclusion to sailing and the wider sailing community, and * Partnering with local, national, and international sailing organizations to expand the sport of blind sailing.
- Income
- $2,524
- Spending
- $1,379
- Reserves
- 27.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
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
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
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 (2)
- $1,273 spent. In 2025 BBS enjoyed another full season of our core programming, conducting weekly practices from May through August at our host center, Boston's Community Boating, Inc (CBI,). These practices usually consisted of various drills, starts and short races. The participation numbers for blind and sighted sailors and volunteers remained on par with 2023 and 2024 levels, but we ended the season with the strongest Boston Blind Open (BBO) Sailing Regatta ever. We are looking to increase participation in all categories in 2026. In 2025 we welcomed Shelby Graham as our new Coach and she brought a new level of energy and enthusiasm to the role. In late May, the Robie Pierce One Design Regatta for Disabled Sailors was held on Western Long Island Sound in New York at the Larchmont Yacht Club. BBS was represented by blind sailors Cailin Currie and Duane Farrar and sighted guide Solomon Marini. On two occasions during the Summer, Duane Farrar, Sam Peirson and Dana Robinson had the pleasure of taking a Visually Impaired Junior sailing with a parent. One Junior was a girl aged 10, and the other a boy aged 14. The girl was already a participant in CBI's Junior Program. The mother of the boy had been told by a Cape Cod yacht club after one day in their junior sailing program that "they couldn't do anything for him." That's when she reached out to BBS. The BBO took place at CBI on September 20. Blind & visually impaired sailors from the Carroll Center's SailBlind Saturday recreational program who had an interest in racing were invited to take part in the regatta. Sighted sailors and tacticians were recruited from BBS, SailBlind and CBI's Tiller Club. Despite some last-minute cancellations and scrambling to fill out the crews, there were six Sonar teams of two blind or visually impaired and two sighted sailors who were treated to a spectacular day of racing and sunny September weather with just the right amount of wind on the scenic Charles River Basin. After six very competitive races, Jason Wallenstein, William O'Donnell and their team of Sam Peirson and Madi Jolly emerged victorious by a single point over Duane Farrar and his team of Lindell Cooks, Solomon Marini and Payton Farrar. Jin Qian and his team of the blindfolded Daniel Graziano, Nolan Cooper and Uyen Nguyen finished just one point behind Duane's team in Third Place. A special shout-out must go to Jin Qian, who didn't know until Saturday morning that he was going to helm in his very first regatta! Not only that, he won his first race! He won two races in all, finishing the regatta nipping at the sterns of two longtime, veteran helmsmen in Jason and Duane. Rounding out the standings were the teams of Willi Fontanez, Mark Russell, Rick Peralta and Gregor Dzialas in fourth, Ginny Duff, Casandra Xavier, Dana Robinson and Gail Boettiger in fifth and Cailin Currie, Tabitha Baskin, Shelby Graham and Peter Fay in sixth. Special thanks to Ginny Duff for traveling to us from Toronto and to Rick Peralta for filling the role of Sighted Tactician for the very first time! And, Dan Graziano, who offered to volunteer for the regatta on Friday and was rewarded for his altruism on Saturday by being tossed into a Sonar with a blindfold slapped on his face! This was also the first regatta for blind sailors Lindell Cooks and Mark Russell, who really had no idea what they were getting themselves into. The same could also be said for first-time Sighted Crews Uyen Nguyen, Gail Boettiger and Madi Jolly. Along with our veteran sighted guides and blind sailors, we are extremely grateful for all of you and thank you for making this the most successful BBO regatta to date! Our Race Committee of Nick Peirson, Pavel Zbitskiy and Karen Bertram had their hands full moving the course around on a challenging Charles River day, as well as monitoring boat rotations after nearly every race. They kept everything running smoothly and ensured we got off six races within our specified time window. Kudos to Nick, Pavel and Karen! We also welcomed two special guest spectators to the BBO. Bill Rapp was a longtime sighted guide from the old SailBlind competitive racing days and Mark Bos was one of our very best blind crews from that same era. They enjoyed watching the racing and hanging out comfortably on the dock and reminiscing with old friends. Following racing, everyone was treated to pizza on the dock, with adult beverages available at CBI's Sips & Sails popup bar. Jason was presented with the David Vieira Memorial Trophy. Dave was Boston Blind Sailing's first President who passed at age 70 in July 2022 and the trophy is named in his honor, as is the post-regatta celebration. Because Dave loved nothing more than a good party!
- $1,273 spent. In 2025 BBS enjoyed another full season of our core programming, conducting weekly practices from May through August at our host center, Boston's Community Boating, Inc (CBI,). These practices usually consisted of various drills, starts and short races. The participation numbers for blind and sighted sailors and volunteers remained on par with 2023 and 2024 levels, but we ended the season with the strongest Boston Blind Open (BBO) Sailing Regatta ever. We are looking to increase participation in all categories in 2026. In 2025 we welcomed Shelby Graham as our new Coach and she brought a new level of energy and enthusiasm to the role. In late May, the Robie Pierce One Design Regatta for Disabled Sailors was held on Western Long Island Sound in New York at the Larchmont Yacht Club. BBS was represented by blind sailors Cailin Currie and Duane Farrar and sighted guide Solomon Marini. On two occasions during the Summer, Duane Farrar, Sam Peirson and Dana Robinson had the pleasure of taking a Visually Impaired Junior sailing with a parent. One Junior was a girl aged 10, and the other a boy aged 14. The girl was already a participant in CBI's Junior Program. The mother of the boy had been told by a Cape Cod yacht club after one day in their junior sailing program that "they couldn't do anything for him." That's when she reached out to BBS. The BBO took place at CBI on September 20. Blind & visually impaired sailors from the Carroll Center's SailBlind Saturday recreational program who had an interest in racing were invited to take part in the regatta. Sighted sailors and tacticians were recruited from BBS, SailBlind and CBI's Tiller Club. Despite some last-minute cancellations and scrambling to fill out the crews, there were six Sonar teams of two blind or visually impaired and two sighted sailors who were treated to a spectacular day of racing and sunny September weather with just the right amount of wind on the scenic Charles River Basin. After six very competitive races, Jason Wallenstein, William O'Donnell and their team of Sam Peirson and Madi Jolly emerged victorious by a single point over Duane Farrar and his team of Lindell Cooks, Solomon Marini and Payton Farrar. Jin Qian and his team of the blindfolded Daniel Graziano, Nolan Cooper and Uyen Nguyen finished just one point behind Duane's team in Third Place. A special shout-out must go to Jin Qian, who didn't know until Saturday morning that he was going to helm in his very first regatta! Not only that, he won his first race! He won two races in all, finishing the regatta nipping at the sterns of two longtime, veteran helmsmen in Jason and Duane. Rounding out the standings were the teams of Willi Fontanez, Mark Russell, Rick Peralta and Gregor Dzialas in fourth, Ginny Duff, Casandra Xavier, Dana Robinson and Gail Boettiger in fifth and Cailin Currie, Tabitha Baskin, Shelby Graham and Peter Fay in sixth. Special thanks to Ginny Duff for traveling to us from Toronto and to Rick Peralta for filling the role of Sighted Tactician for the very first time! And, Dan Graziano, who offered to volunteer for the regatta on Friday and was rewarded for his altruism on Saturday by being tossed into a Sonar with a blindfold slapped on his face! This was also the first regatta for blind sailors Lindell Cooks and Mark Russell, who really had no idea what they were getting themselves into. The same could also be said for first-time Sighted Crews Uyen Nguyen, Gail Boettiger and Madi Jolly. Along with our veteran sighted guides and blind sailors, we are extremely grateful for all of you and thank you for making this the most successful BBO regatta to date! Our Race Committee of Nick Peirson, Pavel Zbitskiy and Karen Bertram had their hands full moving the course around on a challenging Charles River day, as well as monitoring boat rotations after nearly every race. They kept everything running smoothly and ensured we got off six races within our specified time window. Kudos to Nick, Pavel and Karen! We also welcomed two special guest spectators to the BBO. Bill Rapp was a longtime sighted guide from the old SailBlind competitive racing days and Mark Bos was one of our very best blind crews from that same era. They enjoyed watching the racing and hanging out comfortably on the dock and reminiscing with old friends. Following racing, everyone was treated to pizza on the dock, with adult beverages available at CBI's Sips & Sails popup bar. Jason was presented with the David Vieira Memorial Trophy. Dave was Boston Blind Sailing's first President who passed at age 70 in July 2022 and the trophy is named in his honor, as is the post-regatta celebration. Because Dave loved nothing more than a good party!
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 December 2019.
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.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.