New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc
New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) is a Stonington, Connecticut, nonprofit filed as a public charity on Form 990. Formed in 2004, it provides ocean-based experiential education through marine science, sailing, powerboating, adventure sports, and STEM programs for students, schools, families, and communities.
Key facts about New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc
In short: New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc gave $557K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $51K), mostly in Connecticut. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 30-0245251
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $557,329
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- Average grant
- $50,666
- Median grant
- $18,689
- Total assets
- $5,466,813
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (91% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$5.5M
-2.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$557K
-16.2% YoY
Grant Count
11
-15.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$51K
-0.9% YoY
How New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc gives
- Giving fell 25% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
NESS’s stated mission is to empower students with a love of learning and advance academic opportunities through ocean-based experiential programs serving schools, teachers, and families. Its programs combine classroom learning and on-the-water experiences, using marine science and boating to support learning and social-emotional skills. The organization states that its education programs are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and mapped to the Next Generation Science Standards, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning standard set, and Ocean Literacy Principles.
NESS also provides scholarships to participants in its own instructional programs who demonstrate financial need. Its website says school eligibility for scholarships is based on the share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, NESS reported 11 grants totaling $557,329. Grant amounts ranged from $15,200 to $217,712, with a median of $18,689. All itemized grants were designated for tuition discounts. The largest were $217,712 to New London Public Schools, $134,667 to The Friendship School, $47,374 to Groton Public Schools, $31,913 to Natchaug Hospital School System, and $25,000 to Mystic River Magnet School.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc
Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation STEM Education Grant
New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc
Amount
$2,500
Deadline
Rolling / Open
NOAA B-WET (Bay Watershed Education and Training) Program - New England Region
New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Wireless Zone Foundation for Giving Grant
New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
NESS is based in Stonington, Connecticut. In 2025, 91% of its reported grant dollars went to recipients in Connecticut; 3% each went to recipients in Rhode Island, New York, and Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $157K (2020) to $742K (2022). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $557K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was New London Public Schools ($218K). Together the top 10 received $542K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($15,250), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 31 grants of 48 (65%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New London Public Schools New London, CT | Tuition Discount | $217,712 |
| The Friendship School Waterford, CT | Tuition Discount | $134,667 |
| Groton Public Schools Mystic, CT | Tuition Discount | $47,374 |
| Natchaug Hospital School System Mansfield Center, CT | Tuition Discount | $31,913 |
| Mystic River Magnet School Mystic, CT | Tuition Discount | $25,000 |
| Vesta Corporation Norwich, CT | Tuition Discount | $18,689 |
| Frank E Thompson Middle School Newport, RI | Tuition Discount | $18,255 |
| New London Drop-in Learning Center New London, CT | Tuition Discount | $17,949 |
| Our Lady Queen of Angels New York, NY | Tuition Discount | $15,320 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $15,250 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,466,813 | $3,659,158 | $3,816,862 | $557,329 (11 grants) |
| 2024 | $5,629,315 | $4,106,993 | $4,108,030 | $664,800 (13 grants) |
| 2023 | $5,371,275 | $3,562,102 | $3,904,829 | $669,042 (10 grants) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,466,813 | $5,629,315 | $5,371,275 |
| Revenue | $3,659,158 | $4,106,993 | $3,562,102 |
| Expenses | $3,816,862 | $4,108,030 | $3,904,829 |
| Net Investment Income | $12,378 | $3,286 | $4,022 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 2, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 22, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 18, 2023)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 11, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists these directors: Katherine Ballard, Allegra Griffiths, Michael Hennessy, Michael Savage, Peter Wild, Bill Follett, Cal Buxton, Dr. Steven Adamowski, Helen Ann Garten, and Carter Gowrie.
New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc is led by Michael Lobdell, President since 2024 (on filings since 2019); none of the 17 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael Lobdell
President
Chair-Elect → Board Chair, 2023
Board Chair → President, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$20K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Mark Adams
Board Chair
Director → Board Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Allegra Griffiths
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bill Follett
Director
Chairman → Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jane Leipold
Director
Chairman → Board Chair, 2022
Board Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Ballard
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Hennessy
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Savage
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Wild
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cal Buxton
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Gineo
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carter Gowrie
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Helen Ann Garten
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Adamowski
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Larcen
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Costello
Treasurer
Treasurer → Director, 2023
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steve Hazard
Vice Chair
Treasurer → Vice Chair & S, 2020
Vice Chair & S → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (15)
- Former: Eric Isselhardt (2020–2024) — CEO
- Former: Brad Agle (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Yvette Ramos (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Meg Spenlinhauer (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Caitlyn Slivinski (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Kenneth Creary (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Lauren States (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Barbara Scott (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Erica Watson (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Cinda Scott (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Kirby Williams (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: David Whitehead (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Lisa Tepper Bates (2019) — Director
- Former: Margaret Blake (2019) — Director
- Former: Richard Farmer (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $147K, to Dr Eric Isselhardt (CEO).
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 733, Stonington, CT 06378
Phone: (860) 535-9362
Website: https://nessf.org
Frequently asked questions about New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc
How much does New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc give each year?
New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc gave $557K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $665K across 13 grants.
What is New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $18,689, and its average grant was $50,666, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc give grants?
New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc gives mostly in Connecticut: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New London, CT (2 grants), Mystic, CT (2 grants) and Norwich, CT (2 grants).
Does New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Tuition Discount" (11 grants).
Who are New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include New London Public Schools ($217,712), The Friendship School ($134,667) and Groton Public Schools ($47,374), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($15,250), which are not listed by name. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc?
New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc reported $5.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.7M.
What does New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc fund?
NESS’s stated mission is to empower students with a love of learning and advance academic opportunities through ocean-based experiential programs serving schools, teachers, and families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc?
New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check nessf.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc's EIN?
New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-0245251. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching New England Science & Sailing Foundation Inc by hand.
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