Block Island Maritime Funding manages boat donation programs for a growing number of marine-­related nonprofit organizations. These organizations concentrate on maritime education for youth from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Many of our affiliated partners teach boating skills, while others concentrate on marine science, history, boatbuilding and conservation. These organizations offer programs for adults as well, and all are community focused in mission.

Our function is to handle boat donations, so that our partner organizations can concentrate on their respective programs. With our expertise in managing donations, we hope to help other groups avoid the pitfalls that can easily plague a donation program. Donated boats are either put into direct use by an affiliate with a need for that particular boat, or they become part of our lease-to-own program to help raise funds for various charities.

Block Island Maritime Funding generates charitable funds that support a range of marine education focused nonprofits, from youth seamanship and boat building to coastal conservation, and maritime history. By accepting donated vessels and giving them new life, we facilitate opportunities on the water for youth that fosters confidence, community, and a lifelong ethic of stewardship. We are dedicated to connecting the transformative power of the sea with the next generation of mariners, conservationists, and trades people.

RESPECT
We honor the sea, the people it brings together, and the traditions it carries forward. In every interaction — with donors, lessees, partner organizations, and the communities we serve — we lead with dignity, listen with intention, and recognize that the maritime world is richer for its diversity of voices and experiences.

INNOVATION
The maritime world is ancient, but our approach doesn’t have to be. We embrace creative thinking in everything from our lease-to-purchase model to how we connect donated vessels with opportunities, because finding new ways to do good is itself a form of seamanship — adaptive, resourceful, and always with an eye on the horizon.

STEWARDSHIP
We are caretakers — of the marine tradition passed down through generations, of the waterways and ecosystems that sustain it, of the nonprofits whose missions we exist to fund, of every vessel entrusted to us, and of the craftsmanship that makes each boat worthy of a second life. We take that responsibility seriously, and we act accordingly.

HONESTY
We say what we mean and do what we say. With donors, partners, lessees, and the public, we deal in straight talk — about our programs, our finances, and our intentions — because trust is at the core of what we do.

PARTNERSHIP
No organization sails alone. We thrive through deep, reciprocal relationships with marine education nonprofits, boat donors, brokers, caretakers, and the broader maritime community. We show up as committed collaborators, sharing credit, carrying our weight, and investing in the success of those we work alongside.

TRANSPARENCY
We operate with open books and open doors. From how donated vessels are valued and managed to how charitable funds are allocated, we hold ourselves accountable to a standard of clarity that lets donors, beneficiaries, and the public know exactly where their trust — and their boats — are going.