Conserving Carolina logo

Conserving Carolina

Public charity · Grantmaker Hendersonville, NC EIN: 56-6449365 Website

To protect, restore, and inspire appreciation of the natural world.

Key facts about Conserving Carolina

In short: Conserving Carolina gave $12.8M across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $12.8M), mostly in South Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

EIN
56-6449365
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$12,806,177
Grants made (2025)
1
Average grant
$12,806,177
Median grant
$12,806,177
Total assets
$49,403,165
Primary geography
South Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$49.4M

+7.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$12.8M

+30665.6% YoY

Grant Count

1

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$12.8M

+30665.6% YoY

About Conserving Carolina

Based on IRS filings

Conserving Carolina is a public charity focused on Environment & Animals, based in Hendersonville, NC. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $49.4M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $12.8M. Net investment income was $567K.

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from Conserving Carolina

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

3states

Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.

Cities

AshevilleCharlestonEmoryGertonHorseshoeRaleigh

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$5M$10M$15M1 grant2019 0 grants2020 0 grants2021 Total only2022 4 grants2023 1 grant2024 1 grant2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $4K (2022) to $12.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $12.8M.

Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top recipient in 2025

The Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy: $12.8MThe Saluda Grade TrailsConservancy$12.8M

The largest 2025 recipient was The Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy ($12.8M).

Grant Size Distribution

6 grants across all recorded years

5<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M1$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 5 grants of 6 (83%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
The Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy Charleston, SCNC Trails System planning, contruction, promotion, and maintenance$12,806,177

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$10M$20M$30M2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$49,403,165$45,847,147$44,267,373
Revenue$21,581,120$6,527,633$11,185,137
Expenses$17,823,254$5,654,094$6,428,663
Net Investment Income$566,651$388,213$311,932

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 14, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 19, 2023)
  3. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
  4. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Conserving Carolina is led by Kieran Roe, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 26 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Kieran Roe

    Executive Director

    On filings since 2019

    40 hrs/week

    $89K (2019) → $130K (2025)

  • Susan McHugh

    President

    Board Member → Vice President, 2023

    Vice President → President, 2025

    On filings since 2021

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tom Dobbs

    Finance Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    30 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Amos C Dawson III

    Board Member

    Past President → Board Member, 2021

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Connie Backlund

    Board Member

    President → Board Member, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Shuford Ford Smith

    Board Member

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ken Shelton

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Carol Lee Roberson

    Secretary

    Board Member → Secretary, 2025

    On filings since 2022

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Christy L Blakely

    Board Member

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • David Nelms

    Treasurer

    Board Member → Treasurer, 2025

    On filings since 2023

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Debi Whitmire

    Board Member

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kathy Klepfer

    Board Member

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Stratford Douglas

    Board Member

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Demi B Loftis

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Madelon Wallace

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mark Campanini

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Micheal Egan

    Vice President

    Board Member → Vice President, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • David Scherping

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jane Lawson

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jeffrey Jennings

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lynn Carnes Pitts

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Owen Carson

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Suzanne Hale

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Thomas Blair Craven

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tim Bell

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Woody Platt

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (33)
  • Former: David Humphrey (2019–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Lee Mulligan (2020–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Patrick Cafferty (2020–2024) — President
  • Former: Rafael E Bravo (2022–2024) — Secretary
  • Former: Tanya Marie Pender (2022–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: C Yates Pharr (2023–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Charlotte Sullivan (2023–2024) — Treasurer
  • Former: Timothy Dressner Bell (2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Rick Merrill (2019–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Anita Goetz (2021–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Erika Hincke (2021–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Janet Killian (2022–2023) — Development Director
  • Former: Carole Bartol (2019–2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Elizabeth Dibbit B Lamb (2019–2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Elizabeth Liz Dicey (2019–2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Genien Carlson (2019–2022) — Treasurer
  • Former: Mark Byington (2019–2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Mike Egan (2019–2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Rebecca Barnes (2019–2022) — President
  • Former: Brad Reedy (2020–2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Pat Cafferty (2021–2022) — Vice President
  • Former: C Yates Barr (2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Mark Tooley (2019–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Mary Jo Padgett (2019–2021) — Secretary
  • Former: Bob Cannon (2019–2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Diana Richards (2019–2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Kent Wilcox (2019–2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Mark Robson (2019–2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Ryan Cannon (2019–2020) — Treasurer
  • Former: Steve King (2019–2020) — Board Member
  • Former: David Efird (2019) — Board Member
  • Former: Fred Weed (2019) — Board Member
  • Former: Greg Greiner (2019) — Board Member

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Kieran Roe — Executive Director: $130KKieran RoeExecutive Director$130K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $130K, to Kieran Roe (Executive Director).

Frequently asked questions about Conserving Carolina

How much does Conserving Carolina give each year?

Conserving Carolina gave $12.8M across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $42K across 1 grant.

How large is Conserving Carolina?

Conserving Carolina reported $49.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $21.6M.

What is Conserving Carolina?

Conserving Carolina is a public charity focused on Environment & Animals, based in Hendersonville, NC. It holds $49.4M in total assets as of 2025.

Where does Conserving Carolina operate?

Conserving Carolina has awarded grants in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia.

What is Conserving Carolina's EIN?

Conserving Carolina's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-6449365. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

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