Trustees of Sailors' Snug Harbor

What Trustees of Sailors' Snug Harbor does

The Trustees of the Sailors' Snug Harbor in the City of New York (SSH) is a private operating foundation established by the 1801 will of Captain Robert Richard Randall, recognized as one of the oldest secular philanthropies in the United States. The organization's mission is to provide financial assistance to retired mariners who meet strict eligibility criteria: at least 2,555 verified days on water with a minimum of 1,825 days on U.S.-flagged vessels, age 60 or older or disabled/unfit for duty, demonstrated financial need, and U.S. citizenship or residency. Approximately 17,500 eligible mariners have been assisted since inception.

The Trust's core product is the Financial Assistance Program for Mariners, which delivers support through direct vendor payments covering rent, insurance, car expenses, and other essential living needs. Beneficiaries must first access public entitlements such as VA benefits, Medicaid, and SNAP before receiving Trust assistance. The Mariner Outreach Program operates nationwide, connecting mariners with local social work professionals to assess needs and coordinate support, replacing the Trust's historical residential facilities on Staten Island (1833-1976) and in Sea Level, North Carolina (1976-2005).

The organization's economic model is endowment-based, not commercial. A 1975 Court Decree requires the Randall Endowment to be preserved in perpetuity at $24,520,531, reflecting the value of formerly held Manhattan real estate that was divested between 1974 and the mid-1980s. No revenue is publicly disclosed and there are no commercial pricing mechanisms. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees including a President (Capt. Timothy Ferrie), Vice-President (Douglas Stevenson, Esq.), Treasurer (Capt. Steven Bendo), Secretary (Rev. Dr. Greg Stovell), Executive Director/Governor (Capt. James McNamara), and additional trustees. The Trust also maintains historical archives (on permanent loan to SUNY Maritime College's Stephen B. Luce Library) and an art collection (held by the Noble Maritime Collection).

Name

Trustees of Sailors' Snug Harbor

Legal name

The Trustees of the Sailors' Snug Harbor in the City of New York

Website

https://thesailorssnugharbor.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1801

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Trustees of the Sailors' Snug Harbor is a 220-year-old New York operating foundation that provides direct financial assistance to retired U.S. mariners nationwide via the Mariner Outreach Program, funded by the Randall Endowment preserved in perpetuity under a 1975 Court Decree.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Trustees of the Sailors' Snug Harbor is a private operating foundation that provides need-based financial assistance to eligible retired mariners (U.S. citizens/residents, typically 60+ or disabled, with at least 2,555 verified sea days including 1,825 days on U.S.-flagged ships). Assistance is delivered as direct vendor payments covering rent, insurance, car expenses, and other essential living costs, after mariners have first accessed available public entitlements such as VA benefits, Medicaid, and SNAP. Services are accessed nationwide through the Mariner Outreach Program, with social work professionals connecting mariners locally, and the program is sustained by a perpetual $24,520,531 Randall Endowment established under a 1975 Court Decree.

Product overview

Trustees of Sailors' Snug Harbor is a charitable foundation offering a single unified financial assistance program for eligible retired mariners. The program provides direct vendor payments to cover essential living expenses including rent, insurance, and transportation costs. Mariners must access available public entitlements such as VA benefits, Medicaid, and SNAP before receiving Trust assistance. Social work professionals may connect with mariners locally to assess eligibility and coordinate support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Assistance Program for Mariners

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Noble Maritime CollectionminorOthersThe Noble Maritime Collection in Staten Island maintains SSH's art collection. Their current exhibit can be viewed at noblemaritime.org/dailylife/. The collection was gathered over the organization's 200-year history.
• SUNY Maritime College Stephen B. Luce LibraryminorOthersSSH's archives are on permanent loan to the Stephen B. Luce Library at SUNY Maritime College. An online viewing portal for some of the collection is available at maritimedigitalcollections.com.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN): An umbrella organization coordinating and supporting maritime welfare charities worldwide — broader in scope than SSH but serving the same mariner-welfare mission space and representing a network-level comparable to a single-foundation operator.

Direct peers

• The Marine Society of the City of New York: A New York-based charitable organization providing relief and support to sea captains, mates, pilots, and mariners and their families — directly comparable to SSH in mission, target population, and geographic origin, and explicitly listed as a peer on SSH's own Links page.
• Sailors' Society: An international maritime welfare charity delivering support to seafarers and their families, including financial hardship grants — directly comparable to SSH's mission of direct financial relief to mariners in need.
• Seamen's Church Institute (SCI): A New York-founded maritime welfare nonprofit serving active and retired merchant mariners through housing, social services, and pastoral care — comparable in mission to support mariners, geographic roots, and operating model as a charitable organization rather than a commercial entity.
• Mission to Seafarers: An international Anglican charity providing welfare support to seafarers worldwide, including financial assistance, chaplaincy, and family support — directly comparable in mission focus on mariner welfare, though operating at a broader global scale.
• Seafarers' House: A Port Everglades-based nonprofit serving the practical and humanitarian needs of visiting and retired seafarers — comparable as a charitable organization providing material and welfare assistance to the maritime community.
• Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea): A Catholic charity providing welfare, pastoral, and practical support to seafarers across major ports globally — directly comparable as a faith- and welfare-oriented mariner assistance organization serving retired and active seafarers.

Others

• SUNY Maritime College Foundation: A maritime educational institution that already houses SSH's archives at the Stephen B. Luce Library — not a direct welfare peer but a closely affiliated institutional stakeholder in the U.S. maritime community that supports education of future mariners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sailorssnugharbor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-trustees-of-the-sailors-snug-harbor-in-the-city-of-new-york

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Trustees of Sailors' Snug Harbor