Interested in Serving on the Board?
Please contact Rick Hansinger. Board members serve 3 year terms, and terms expire in June.
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WHO WE ARE
The Thousand Island
Park Foundation is:
A Not-For-Profit
A registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization
Volunteer Run
Run by a volunteer Board who are residents of Thousand Island Park
Tax Deductible
Able to receive tax-deductible gifts
Community Based
A community organization separate from the Thousand Island Park Corporation
Thousand Island Park
Board of Directors
Executive Committee:
- Rick Hansinger, Chair
- Mike Stedem, Vice Chair
- Christina Nemec, Secretary
- Ned Adams, Treasurer
Corporation Representative:
- Lloyd Withers, General Manager
Frequently asked questions
The Answers to All Your Questions
When was the Thousand Island Park Foundation (the “Foundation”) started?
The Foundation was officially started as a 501(c)(3) entity in June, 2013. In 2016, the Foundation was reformed and its bylaws rewritten.
How and why was the Foundation established?
The Foundation was originally established by the Thousand Island Park Corporation as a public entity to enable events, activities and projects to be funded by philanthropic gifts. The Foundation is entirely independent but coordinates historic preservation and community activities with the TIP Corporation.
The Foundation’s mission and purpose is to provide a philanthropic environment to support and facilitate the educational, cultural, religious and recreational activities of the historical district known as Thousand Island Park. In addition, it serves as an additional resource to preserve the Park’s history, heritage and historical buildings.
The entire community benefits from Foundation efforts; philanthropy enhances the Park experience for every resident, guest, and visitor.
Who owns the Thousand Island Park?
Thousand Island Park has over a century of rich history, tradition and culture that has emphasized education, intellectual development, recreation and spirituality that, along with the magnificence of the St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands, has made it a unique and exciting place to visit, vacation and/or live. Similar to and influenced by the Chautauqua movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Thousand Island Park sought to be a place of respite, intellectual and artistic stimulation, and recreation and family oriented activity.
Thousand Island Park is a private Corporation governed by its Shareholders. Non-shareholders lease from the Shareholders through the Corporation. When the Corporation determines that it needs to make capital repairs, it usually funds the projects through increases to RTS (Rent, Taxes & Service Fee) or through an assessment of all cottage owners.
In contrast, The Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY is a not-for-profit educational center governed by its Trustees
Is the Foundation a not-for-profit entity?
Yes. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Public Charitable organization which is responsible for raising and growing charitable giving to support its mission. It operates with its own Board of Trustees and publishes its financials to Park residents.
To whom does the Foundation report?
Governed by its Board of Directors, the Foundation is an independent entity that reports to the community, the IRS and the NYS Attorney General's Charities Bureau. Because of its special purpose, it operates in cooperation with the Thousand Island Park Corporation.
How does the Foundation determine its activities and projects?
The Thousand Island Park Foundation seeks community input formally and informally. The Foundation’s 2021 survey provided much needed input from Park residents. We also are always listening for event and project ideas that pop up in conversations among neighbors and friends. These are shared in meetings with our Board members. Through this input and our community’s vision, the Foundation works to sustain the historic Thousand Island Park Community.
The Foundation has the express purpose of receiving and holding property to support cultural, historical and educational activities while preserving the history and heritage of Thousand Island Park. All historic preservation work conducted by the Foundation will be done solely within Thousand Island Park as the entire Park is listed on the National Register of Historical Places as the “Thousand Island Park Historic District.”
Does the Foundation interact with other 501(c)(3) organizations within Thousand Island Park?
Yes. Within the Park, there are other 501(c)(3) entities including the Landmark Society, Library, Tabernacle, Yacht Club, Historical Association and Museum, and Rock Ridges.
Each year, the Thousand Island Park Corporation donates to the Foundation. The Foundation oversees the distribution of these funds in the form of mini-grants to the other Park entities based on funding requests from the not-for-profit organizations. The Foundation provides oversight of these grants by requiring financial reporting to the Foundation along with a summary of the use of the previous year’s grant.
