Friends of the Cherokee National Forest logo

Friends of the Cherokee National Forest

Public charity · Grantmaker Knoxville, TN EIN: 87-4531180 Website

To conserve, protect, and promote the outstanding natural beauty and ecological vitality of the Cherokee National Forest for current and future generations through strong partnerships with the Cherokee National Forest, volunteers, donors, board members, community members and partners.

Friends of the Cherokee National Forest at a glance

In short: Friends of the Cherokee National Forest gave $7K across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

Annual giving (2025)
$6,962
Grants made (2025)
1
Average grant
$6,962
Median grant
$6,962
Total assets
$101,451
+40.9% vs 2024
Primary geography
Tennessee (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025 View filing

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

Who Friends of the Cherokee National Forest funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top recipient in 2025

Greene County Partnership: $7KGreene County Partnership$7K

The largest 2025 recipient was Greene County Partnership ($7K).

Grant Size Distribution

1 grant across all recorded years

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

The most common grant size was under $50K: 1 grant of 1 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

1state

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

States

Cities

Greeneville

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$2K$4K$6K$8K0 grants2023 0 grants2024 1 grant2025

In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $7K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Greene County Partnership Greeneville, TNRevenue share payment to local tourism partner for jointly conducted Firefly Festival supporting conservation education and community engagement.$6,962
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2025$101,451$89,993$61,423$6,9621$276
2024$72,011$81,348$15,239———
2023$5,430$2,475$2,070———

About Friends of the Cherokee National Forest

Based on IRS filings

Friends of the Cherokee National Forest is a public charity focused on public and societal benefit, based in Knoxville, TN. IRS filing data is available from 2023 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $101K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $7K. Net investment income was $276.

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Friends of the Cherokee National Forest is led by Mark Healey, Board Chair & Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2023); none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Mark Healey

    Board Chair & Executive Director

    President & Executive Director → Board Chair & Executive Director, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    20 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ellis Bacon

    Treasurer

    Director → Treasurer, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jeff Richards

    Board Member

    Director → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Leslie Auriemmo

    Board Member

    Director → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kayla Carter

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Zack Ridder

    Recording Secretary

    On filings since 2024

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • David Ramsey

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (3)
  • Former: Melissa Woody (2023–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Michelle Evans (2023) — Recording Secretary
  • Former: Parker Street (2023) — Treasurer

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Frequently asked questions about Friends of the Cherokee National Forest

How much does Friends of the Cherokee National Forest give each year?

Friends of the Cherokee National Forest gave $7K across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990.

How large is Friends of the Cherokee National Forest?

Friends of the Cherokee National Forest reported $101K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $90K.

What is Friends of the Cherokee National Forest?

Friends of the Cherokee National Forest is a public charity focused on public and societal benefit, based in Knoxville, TN. It holds $101K in total assets as of 2025.

Where does Friends of the Cherokee National Forest operate?

Friends of the Cherokee National Forest has awarded grants in Tennessee.

What is Friends of the Cherokee National Forest's EIN?

Friends of the Cherokee National Forest's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-4531180. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2025.

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

Data update history

(1)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2025

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Friends of the Cherokee National Forest's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.

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