Community Sailing New Orleans

What Community Sailing New Orleans does

Community Sailing New Orleans (CSNO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 that began operations in 2020 and operates Louisiana's only community sailing center from the Libby and Robert Alexander Community Sailing Center, a 4,500 sq ft ADA-compliant facility on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans that opened in April 2025. Its core offering is a portfolio of in-person sailing instruction and water-sports programs delivered via a fleet that includes Colgate 26 keelboats, Freedom Independence 20 adaptive keelboats, Z420s, Club 420s, and RHIB safety vessels. Programs span youth (STEM Design+Build+Sail, the three-year Crew to Captain maritime career pipeline, weekly summer camps at $425, and standards-aligned sailing field trips), adults (Sailing 101 at $101, Beyond the Basics at $450, Women in the Wind at $65, the subsidized $50 Tolmas Military Sailing Program, private lessons at $75/hour, and the new Adult Summer Camp), adaptive sailing for people with disabilities, and educator outings. The organization is US Sailing-accredited as a Keelboat School and Community Sailing Center, and has received US Sailing's Martin A. Luray Award (2021) and 10 Years of Hallmark Service Community Sailing Award (2025).

The business model blends fee-for-service program revenue (per-participant pricing between $35 and $450) with a substantial philanthropic and grant-funded base. Revenue streams include Program Fees (camps, adult classes, private lessons, group outings), Donations and Grants (tax-deductible individual giving, a $1,500+ Navigators Circle major-donor tier, a $2,500-$10,000 Boat Naming Program, and foundation support from the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust, Ochsner Children's, and the naming donors Libby and Robert Alexander), and Merchandise Sales through the new CSNO Merch Store. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the self-service FareHarbor booking platform plus on-site delivery, with group and school programs booked through interest forms. Customer segments are horizontal — youth and families, adults, people with disabilities, military veterans and active-duty service members, and schools/educators — anchored by institutional partnerships with Tulane University, Ursuline Academy, the New Orleans VA, Bastion Community of Resilience, Special Olympics Southeast Louisiana, Lighthouse Louisiana, Son of a Saint, and Beignet Fest Foundation. The team is small (5 key staff and a 17-member board), and leadership transitioned in December 2025 with Heather West assuming the Executive Director role.

Name

Community Sailing New Orleans

Legal name

Community Sailing New Orleans, Inc.

Website

https://nolacommunitysailing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Sailing New Orleans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating Louisiana's only community sailing center on Lake Pontchartrain, delivering fee-based and grant-funded sailing instruction, STEM/maritime career programs, adaptive sailing, and veteran programs to youth, adults, schools, and people with disabilities in the New Orleans metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Fee-for-service sailing instruction programs including youth summer camps, adult classes, private lessons, and group outings. Programs range from $35-$450 per participant.
2. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. Major donors ($1,500+) join Navigators Circle. Boat naming program ($2,500-$10,000). Support from foundations including Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust, and others.
3. Merchandise Sales: CSNO Merch Store selling branded sailing apparel including t-shirts, hats, hoodies, and sunglasses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Community Sailing New Orleans operates as Louisiana's only community sailing center, providing sailing instruction and water sports programs for youth, adults, military veterans, and people with disabilities on Lake Pontchartrain. Programs include youth summer camps, STEM-based sailing curricula, a three-year Crew to Captain maritime career development track, adult learn-to-sail and certification courses, military sailing clinics, adaptive sailing clinics, and corporate/group outings. The organization delivers programs from the newly opened 4,500 square-foot ADA-compliant Alexander Community Sailing Center using a fleet of keelboats, dinghies, and adaptive equipment.

Product overview

Community Sailing New Orleans operates as Louisiana's only community sailing center, offering a unified platform of sailing programs and services. The core offerings include youth programs (STEM Design+Build+Sail, Crew to Captain Maritime Career Development, Summer Camp, and Field Trips), adult programs (Sailing 101, Beyond the Basics, Women in the Wind, Tolmas Military Sailing Program, Private Lessons, and Group Outings), and adaptive sailing for people with disabilities. Additional services include membership Access Pass, merchandise store, boat naming program, and facility/event rentals. The organization operates from the Alexander Community Sailing Center with a fleet of Colgate 26s, Freedom Independence 20s, Z420s, Club 420s, and RHIB safety vessels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Libby and Robert Alexander Community Sailing Center: The permanent headquarters facility opened in April 2025 - a 4,500 square-foot, two-story ADA-compliant building located at 101 N. Roadway St. in New Orleans.

Products and services

• STEM Design+Build+Sail

Quantifiable outcome

• Served over 2,400 people from 2020-2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Tulane UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTulane University Sailing Team uses CSNO as home base. Z420 and Club 420 dinghies are used by Tulane sailors for practices and regattas. Boat naming program specifically for Tulane sailing families. Received $2.75M donation for new Community Sailing Headquarters.
• Ursuline AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrsuline Academy Sailing Team uses CSNO facility and fleet. Z420 and Club 420 dinghies are used for practices and local regattas. Boat naming program for Ursuline sailing families.
• Lighthouse LouisianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for adaptive sailing programs serving people with disabilities.
• New Orleans VAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with VA to expand access to Tolmas Military Sailing Program for veterans.
• Bastion Community of ResiliencemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner serving military members and families, providing sailing opportunities for veterans.
• Special OlympicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSNO trains the Southeast Louisiana Special Olympics Sailing Team and offers adaptive sailing clinics.
• Son of a SaintmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal nonprofit that transforms lives of fatherless boys; partnered with Crew to Captain program for youth development.
• US SailingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited Keelboat School and community sailing center affiliated with US Sailing. Provides certification programs (Basic Keelboat, Level 1 Instructor).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Son of a Saint: New Orleans-based nonprofit that mentors fatherless boys; direct partner of CSNO's Crew to Captain program. Relevant as a referral/ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.

Direct peers

• Sail Newport: Nonprofit community sailing organization in Newport, RI offering youth, adult, and adaptive programming on Narragansett Bay. Closely mirrors CSNO's model of public access sailing combined with member services.
• Community Sailing Center (Burlington, VT): Nonprofit community sailing center on Lake Champlain providing youth/adult lessons, adaptive sailing, and summer camps. Direct comparable in program structure, US Sailing accreditation, and mission focus on access.
• Downtown Sailing Center (Baltimore): Baltimore nonprofit providing accessible sailing instruction, youth programs, and adaptive sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. Direct peer in mission to make sailing accessible regardless of background.
• Treasure Island Sailing Center: San Francisco-based nonprofit community sailing center offering youth, adult, and adaptive sailing instruction on San Francisco Bay. Highly comparable in mission, programming mix, and nonprofit structure to CSNO.
• Sail Sand Point: Seattle-based nonprofit community sailing center on Lake Washington serving youth, adults, and adaptive sailors. Direct comparable with similar fleet, instruction model, and community-driven mission.
• The Center for Wooden Boats: Seattle nonprofit maritime heritage and sailing center offering public access boating, youth/adult instruction, and adaptive programs. Direct peer in community-based sailing education.

Emerging players

• Jubilee Sailing Trust: UK-based charity operating adapted sailing vessels for disabled and non-disabled sailors. Direct comparable to CSNO's adaptive sailing and disability inclusion mission, though operating in a different geography and at larger vessel scale.
• National Ability Center (Park City): Nonprofit providing adaptive outdoor recreation including sailing instruction for people with disabilities. Comparable in adaptive programming mission and grant-funded operating model.

Broad incumbents

• US Sailing: National governing body for sailing in the U.S. and the accrediting body for CSNO's Keelboat School. Relevant as a partner, certification issuer, and awards body (Marty Award, Hallmark Service Award), not a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nolacommunitysailing
• Instagraminstagram.com/communitysailingnola
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-sailing-new-orleans-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Sailing New Orleans