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THE DOWNTOWN SAILING CENTER INC

"Where Sailing is for Everyone"

aka DSC   |   Baltimore, MD   |  www.downtownsailing.org
GuideStar Charity Check

THE DOWNTOWN SAILING CENTER INC

EIN: 52-1867434


Mission

The Downtown Sailing Center provides quality education and life enriching programs that promote self-esteem and teamwork through the joy of sailing.  The Downtown Sailing Center is committed to promoting an environment of inclusiveness and accessibility, especially to youth, persons with disabilities, and those with limited opportunity.

Ruling year info

1994

Executive Director

Mr. Doug Silber

Main address

1425 Key Hwy Suite 110

Baltimore, MD 21230 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

52-1867434

Subject area info

Boating

Community recreation

Community service

Job creation and workforce development

STEM education

Population served info

Ethnic and racial groups

Economically disadvantaged people

People with disabilities

Adults

NTEE code info

Community Recreational Centers (N31)

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

The Downtown Sailing Center is a non-profit located in Downtown Baltimore. Our goal is increase access to the water through quality education and life-enriching programs. The DSC has seven distinct programs including adult education, junior education, accessible education, racing, cruising, recreational sailing and outreach education. We provide quality education and life enriching programs that promote self-esteem and teamwork through the joy of sailing. The Downtown Sailing Center is committed to promoting an environment of inclusiveness and accessibility, especially to youth, persons with disabilities, and those with limited opportunity.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Community Programs for Baltimore City Youth

We work with area schools - Wolfe Street Academy and Bay Brook Elementary-Middle School - to provide sailing, STEM, and Ocean Literacy Education.

We also host a workforce development program in conjunction with YouthWorks where Baltimore teens learn to sail, learn to become sailing instructor leaders, and learn how to work

Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups
Economically disadvantaged people

Sailing is a powerful way for people with disabilities to push their limits. The Downtown Sailing Center (DSC) has sailboats that do not require the ability to move about the boat. Paraplegics, people with MS, and even a triple amputee have solo-sailed here. In addition, specially designed, servo-equipped sailboats can accommodate people with even more severe mobility restrictions.
The DSC is committed to providing access to sailing regardless of physical ability. The DSC's docks are equipped with accessible ramps, Hoyer lifts and plenty of room. The parking lot has accessible parking and wheelchair-accessible restrooms. The DSC also has two different kinds of accessible sailboats, the Sonar 23 keelboat (used by the U.S. Paralympic Sailing Team) and the Access 303, a one- or two-person non-capsizable dinghy that can be adapted with a sip and puff steering system or an electronic joystick. Finally, to make accessible sailing actually happen, the DSC hosts three types of accessible programs:
Access-Ability Sailing(http://www.downtownsailing.org/Default.aspx?pageId=650085)  offers individuals with disabilities the opportunity to sail one or two Saturdays each month from April through August. At the end of each summer, these participants are invited to the DSC for a party and fun regatta, theYa'Gotta Regatta(http://www.downtownsailing.org/Default.aspx?pageId=650087) .
Freedom Accessible Camp(http://www.downtownsailing.org/Default.aspx?pageId=650086)  is a tuition-based summer camp for youth with disabilities.
Partnership programs work with organizations that serve people with disabilities and other organizations, such as churches, synagogues, temples, community centers and youth groups, through our community outreach programs(http://www.downtownsailing.org/Default.aspx?pageId=628765) . Hundreds of people with disabilities sail at the DSC each summer through these programs.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities

Baltimore's Inner Harbor is ideal for day sailing. On most summer afternoons the city generates its own breeze on the harbor, which is protected from waves or rough seas. For a little more wind, you can explore beyond Ft. McHenry to the Key Bridge. All Downtown Sailing Center (DSC) members (except social members) can enjoy weekly recreational sails from late April through the end of October.

Population(s) Served
Adults

The Downtown Sailing Center is an accredited US Sailing school that provides courses for all sailing levels. Our comprehensive curriculum helps every student reach their full potential through a balance of structure and individualized attention. We have various course from beginner to advanced sailing on keel boats and dinghies, cruising courses, and powerboat courses. These courses are for anybody that interested in taking them.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Where we work

Awards

Outstanding New Program 1997

U.S. Sailing

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

We have a motto that sailing is for everyone

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.
  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection

Financials

THE DOWNTOWN SAILING CENTER INC
Fiscal year: Dec 01 - Nov 30
Financial documents
2022 Financial Statement November 30, 2022
done  Yes, financials were audited by an independent accountant. info

Revenue vs. expenses:  breakdown

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info
NET GAIN/LOSS:    in 
Note: When component data are not available, the graph displays the total Revenue and/or Expense values.

Liquidity in 2023 info

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

0.62

Average of 0.86 over 10 years

Months of cash in 2023 info

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

1

Average of 3.2 over 10 years

Fringe rate in 2023 info

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

22%

Average of 15% over 10 years

Funding sources info

Source: IRS Form 990

Assets & liabilities info

Source: IRS Form 990

Financial data

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

THE DOWNTOWN SAILING CENTER INC

Revenue & expenses

Fiscal Year: Dec 01 - Nov 30

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

Fiscal year ending: cloud_download Download Data

THE DOWNTOWN SAILING CENTER INC

Balance sheet

Fiscal Year: Dec 01 - Nov 30

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

Fiscal year ending: cloud_download Download Data

THE DOWNTOWN SAILING CENTER INC

Financial trends analysis Glossary & formula definitions

Fiscal Year: Dec 01 - Nov 30

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

This snapshot of THE DOWNTOWN SAILING CENTER INC’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.

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Business model indicators

Profitability info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation -$16,171 $64,187 $62,987 -$25,727 -$39,718
As % of expenses -2.8% 10.5% 9.2% -3.5% -4.6%
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation -$73,329 $1,306 $1,487 -$63,196 -$132,823
As % of expenses -11.6% 0.2% 0.2% -8.1% -13.9%
Revenue composition info
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) $608,417 $674,168 $743,973 $715,888 $824,459
Total revenue, % change over prior year -17.0% 10.8% 10.4% -3.8% 15.2%
Program services revenue 29.3% 22.3% 26.6% 30.9% 27.9%
Membership dues 29.0% 24.2% 30.1% 35.5% 36.1%
Investment income 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2.0%
Government grants 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
All other grants and contributions 41.6% 51.8% 43.3% 33.7% 24.6%
Other revenue 0.1% 1.7% 0.0% 0.0% 9.4%
Expense composition info
Total expenses before depreciation $574,588 $610,376 $680,986 $741,615 $863,472
Total expenses, % change over prior year -18.9% 6.2% 11.6% 8.9% 16.4%
Personnel 56.7% 56.8% 59.5% 61.0% 52.7%
Professional fees 3.6% 3.5% 3.1% 3.7% 2.9%
Occupancy 15.0% 14.1% 12.6% 11.6% 10.4%
Interest 0.7% 0.9% 1.2% 1.5% 1.5%
Pass-through 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
All other expenses 23.9% 24.7% 23.7% 22.2% 32.5%
Full cost components (estimated) info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Total expenses (after depreciation) $631,746 $673,257 $742,486 $779,084 $956,577
One month of savings $47,882 $50,865 $56,749 $61,801 $71,956
Debt principal payment $30,442 $0 $102,591 $0 $347
Fixed asset additions $0 $92,395 $0 $55,037 $0
Total full costs (estimated) $710,070 $816,517 $901,826 $895,922 $1,028,880

Capital structure indicators

Liquidity info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Months of cash 0.9 5.0 3.4 7.4 1.0
Months of cash and investments 1.0 5.1 3.5 7.5 6.2
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets -1.7 -1.5 -1.3 -3.0 -3.8
Balance sheet composition info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Cash $44,699 $255,004 $193,485 $457,348 $75,524
Investments $3,000 $3,440 $3,490 $3,221 $369,275
Receivables $910 $0 $0 $5,000 $11,625
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) $1,272,528 $1,340,092 $1,353,633 $1,408,670 $1,418,217
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) 62.2% 61.9% 64.6% 64.8% 68.2%
Liabilities (as a % of assets) 29.6% 51.3% 44.4% 67.5% 80.2%
Unrestricted net assets $308,969 $375,275 $376,762 $313,566 $180,743
Temporarily restricted net assets $65,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Permanently restricted net assets $0 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Total restricted net assets $65,000 $0 $0 $0 $0
Total net assets $373,969 $375,275 $376,762 $313,566 $180,743

Key data checks

Key data checks info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Material data errors No No No No No

Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

Executive Director

Mr. Doug Silber

Doug's has recently returned to the Baltimore based non-profit “Downtown Sailing Center”, which he helped to found 30 years ago, and has been involved with and supporting ever since. He came back as Executive Director this spring to help steer the organization as we deal with aging infrastructure that puts our community outreach and accessibility programs, which serve over 1,000 persons each year, along with a diverse membership, adult, and youth programming, and serves as a community center that partners with dozens of community groups and hospitals.

Number of employees

Source: IRS Form 990

THE DOWNTOWN SAILING CENTER INC

Officers, directors, trustees, and key employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation
Other
Related
Show data for fiscal year
Compensation data
Download up to 5 most recent years of officer and director compensation data for this organization

There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.

THE DOWNTOWN SAILING CENTER INC

Board of directors
as of 02/20/2024
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board of directors data
Download the most recent year of board of directors data for this organization
Board chair

Mr. H. Martin Fetsch

Downtown Sailing Center

Term: 2023 - 2026

Christopher Rossi

SC&H

Michael McNamara

Transworld Business Advisors

Michael Oh

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Jean Holcombe

Retired

Alexandra Moylan

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

Margaret McKee

Pessin Katz Law

Meredith Storm

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

Charles Emrich

U.S. Department of Treasury

Michael Johns

Taylor Equipment Distributors

Richard Condon

Retired

David Marrow

J Port Annapolis

Michael Campbell

Healing on the Bay

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 9/8/2023

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

No data

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 09/08/2023

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.