Cash Donations
The Overfalls Foundation welcomes cash contributions of any amount in order to maintain the Lightship Overfalls (LV-118), to support our rich educational programs and offer community events. Click the button below to make a cash donation.
Annual Sponsorships
The Overfalls Foundation holds several major events each year that provide businesses and individuals with sponsorship opportunities.
The Annual Opening Ceremony held each May as part of the Lewes Maritime Day celebration is hosted in Canalfront Park. The event serves as Lewes’ unofficial summer season opening event and is well attended by people of all ages. Business leaders and politicians are well represented and the event attracts hundreds of guests each year.
Summer Canalside Happy Hours take place monthly in May, June, July and August. These offer members and guests a casual setting and free tours of the ship while they listen to live music.
The Annual Gala offers guests an opportunity to socialize and mingle with local politicians and business leaders while enjoying live music, dinner and dancing.
The Delaware Maritime Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony attracts many influential business leaders and guests from across the State. This well attended event honors those who have served and supported Delaware’s maritime communities.Sponsorships directly support the development of maritime history educational programs, sustain the Delaware Maritime Hall of Fame, and help with the continued restoration and maintenance of the Overfalls and associated facilities. Your sponsorship shows your commitment to the City of Lewes and the surrounding communities. Your sponsorship will entitle you to the following:
- Tickets for sponsored events.
- Recognition on the Overfalls Foundation website for a calendar year.
- Name of your company and sponsorship level will prominently appear on signage at the event.
- Name recognition during the event’s publicity campaign, which includes newspaper articles and radio spots.
- Name recognition in the invitation, program, press releases and more. This will vary by event.
Sponsorship Benefit Levels
| Level | Number of Event Tickets | Event Signage | Press Release | Website | Brochure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum $5,000 & greater | 10 | Yes | Yes | Name, Logo Link | Name, Logo URL |
| Gold $1,000-$4,999 | 4-6 | Yes | Yes | Name, Logo Link | No |
| Silver $500-$999 | 2 | Yes | Yes | Name, Logo Link | No |
| Bronze Less than $500 | 0 | Yes | Yes | Name, Logo Link | No |
Sponsorship Form
If you are interested in becoming an Overfalls Foundation sponsor and would like to discuss further the details of doing so, please complete the attached form below and our sponsorship chairperson will contact you directly.
Our website is currently undergoing maintenance. Contact forms are temporarily unavailable. Check back later!
Vendor Kickback Donations
The Ocean Grill in Lewes offers a donation of 10% of your meal expense to the Overfalls Foundation. All you have to do is write “Overfalls Foundation” at the top of your check when paying for your meal. This “kickback donation” is available year round and for all meals. Ocean Grill is located at 17252 N Village Main Blvd, Lewes. Click here to be directed to their website. The Overfalls Foundation is most grateful to the Ocean Grill for their generous hospitality and donations through this program.
Charitable IRA Rollover
If you are age 70 ½ or older, you can make a tax-free charitable IRA rollover contribution to the Overfalls Foundation. The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015, signed this tax break into law allowing IRA account holders age 70 ½ and to make tax-free gifts from IRAs up to $100,000 to The Overfalls Foundation directly from their IRA account. These gifts can also count toward your Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) for each tax year. To learn more about the advantages of charitable donations speak with your tax advisor or investment counselor. Request an IRA charitable rollover check payable to The Overalls Foundation. We offer sample letters, formatted in MS Word and PDF, to your IRA Administrator to initiate a rollover.
Planned Giving
The Overfalls Foundation offers planned giving opportunities to ensure the Lightship Overfalls is sustained indefinitely. Participants in the program will be designated Navigators and their generosity will be recognized and remembered.
The Overfalls Foundation has completed the nearly impossible task of turning a rust bucket in a muddy hole into a beautifully preserved ship in a setting worthy of the vessel and the crews who served aboard. Your planned gift, which costs you nothing during your lifetime, will build the Overfalls Foundation Endowment Fund and gives you the comfort of knowing that you have made a significant contribution toward preserving this treasure for future generations.
There are many ways to make a planned gift including (but not limited to) the following:
- A bequest in your will
- Gifts of stocks or other assets
- A beneficiary designation on a life insurance policy, 401K plan or IRA
- A life income gift, and
- A charitable lead trust
A key person in this conversation should be your attorney or financial planner to ensure that, while your gift will sustain the ship, it will work in concert with your own personal financial needs.
To Get Started
The Foundation is ready to discuss options with you. Contact the Treasurer at Treasurer@overfalls.org for help in making your gift. Thank you for considering joining us in this worthy cause.
Artifact Donations
The Overfalls Foundation welcomes offers of donated artifacts to help grow the Overfalls Foundation collection. If you have Overfalls, Lightship or regional maritime related items you would like to donate, please send an email to curator@overfalls.org. All items will be seriously considered for donation. Thank you for your generosity.
Please note that due to limited display space and the hundreds of items in our collection, artifacts will be displayed on the ship and in the museum on a rotational cycle and may not always be on display.
Naming Opportunities
Naming Opportunities for Ship Components
| SHIP ITEM | SUGGESTED DONATION |
|---|---|
| Ship’s Canalfront Slip | $300,000 |
| Main Anchor on Shore | $150,000 |
| Fog Horn | $100,000 |
| Ship’s Bell | $75,000 |
| Ship’s Wheel in Pilot House | $50,000 |
| Engine Order Telegraph in Pilot House | $50,000 |
| Rudder | $25,000 |
| Running Lights | $25,000 |
| Galley Range | $15,000 |
| Air Compressor – port | $5,000 |
| Generator | $5,000 |
| Galley Lockers with Art Deco Doors | $3,000 |
| Mess Deck Tables | $2,000 |
| Fuel Tanks | $1,000 |
| Galley Utensils | $1,000 |
| Watertight Doors | $1,000 |
| Portholes | $500 |
| Seaman’s Sewing Kit | $250 |
| Rivets | $250 |
| Memorial Brick | $250 |
Ship part sponsors will receive a signed certificate of ownership suitable for framing, will be listed in the ship’s Honor Roll of donors available here and in the Ship’s Store, and be appropriately honored near the ship in the Area of Recognition.
219 Pilottown Road
P.O. Box 413
Lewes, Delaware 19958
Phone: (302) 644-8050
Copyright ©2025 Overfalls Foundation. All Rights reserved.