Friends of the Desbrisay Museum
Publicly funded institution · Bridgewater, Nova Scotia · BN 118932961RR0001 · Public Amenities
Source: T3010 return, FPE 2024-12-31. Split of total expenditures ($21,779) as filed with the CRA.
Friends of the Desbrisay Museum is a charitable organization based in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, classified by the CRA under public amenities. It appears on the charity register the way hospitals, universities, and other publicly funded bodies do — to issue tax receipts — rather than as a donation-driven charity in the usual sense. In its fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, it reported $22K in revenue and $22K in expenditures.
Its funding that year was roughly 53% from government. Government funding is the majority of its budget. In 2024, 2 other registered charities reported granting it a combined $14.
Compared with 521 public-amenity institutions of similar size, its share of spending on mission — charitable programs plus grants to other charities — ranked above 42% of peers.
It reported gifts to 1 qualified donee totalling $12K in 2024, the largest being $12K to Town of Bridgewater - Desbrisay Museum. Revenue has grown substantially over its filings on record here, from $13K in 2020 to $22K in 2024. Its filed list of directors and trustees shows 6 names.
In its own words
To fundraise and support the desbrisay museum which is located in the town of bridgewater nova scotia. Organize information sessions on historical and cultural events in lunenburg county.
Ongoing-program description from its T3010 filing, verbatim.
The ledger, 2020–2024
| Year | Revenue | Spending | Programs | Fundraising | Gifts out | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $22K | $22K | $6,042 | $677 | $12K | $7,803 |
| 2023 | $285K | $286K | $8,613 | — | $276K | $7,256 |
| 2022 | $32K | $30K | $30K | — | — | — |
| 2021 | $15K | $14K | $527 | — | — | $5,834 |
| 2020 | $13K | $12K | — | — | — | $4,699 |
Revenue printed in red where the year ran a deficit. Fiscal years by period end.
Money between charities, 2024
Granted $12K to 1 qualified donee:
- Town of Bridgewater - Desbrisay Museum$12K
Received $14 from 2 charities:
As reported on the donors’ own T3010 qualified-donee schedules.
What it pays
- Total compensation, all staff$2,360
Schedule 3 of its 2022 return. The CRA discloses bands, not names or exact salaries.
Directors & trustees (2024)
Joanne Hadley (director chair); Jim Houghton (director vice chair); Christine Bell (director secretary); Bonny Houghton (director treasurer); John Elliott (director); Heather Rafuse (director).
As listed on its 2024 return.
Check the source
Every figure on this page is from Friends of the Desbrisay Museum’s own T3010 filings, published by the Canada Revenue Agency. Verify against the CRA’s charities listing (search BN 118932961RR0001), or read how we compute the receipt.