Nantahala Health Foundation
Nantahala Health Foundation is a public charity based in Franklin, North Carolina. Founded in 2019, it works to improve health and well-being in westernmost North Carolina, serving Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties and the Qualla Boundary.
Nantahala Health Foundation at a glance
In short: Nantahala Health Foundation gave $420K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in North Carolina. 57% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $419,616
- -7.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,244
- -7.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $13,534,818
- +5.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 57% first-time grantees (13 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Nantahala Health Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The stated process begins with a pre-application. Selected applicants are asked to host a site visit and may then be invited to submit a full proposal.
- Review Cycle
- June 4, 2026 (past).
- Deadline
- June 4, 2026 (past).
- Contact
Mailing address: 1547 Highlands Road, Franklin, NC 28734
Phone: (828) 634-1527
Website: https://nantahalahealthfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Nantahala Health Foundation
Collaborative Health Innovation Program (CHIP) Grant
Nantahala Health Foundation
Amount
Up to $50,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
COVID-19 Impact Recovery Fund
Nantahala Health Foundation
Amount
Matching grants up to $100,000 (for community donations)
Deadline
Deadline not published
Youth and Young Adult Well-Being Grant
Nantahala Health Foundation
Amount
Up to US $100,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Nantahala Health Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Graham County School ($100K). Together the top 10 received $292K.
Grant Size Distribution
89 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 89 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated service area is Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties, as well as the Qualla Boundary. In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina and 6% to recipients in Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Nantahala Health Foundation open to new grantees?
57%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 23 grantees (57%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $12K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 35% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+17%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $360K (2022) to $828K (2021). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $420K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Graham County School Robbinsville, NC | Youth and Young Adult Wellbeing | $100,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina Asheville, NC | Youth and Young Adult Wellbeing | $33,500 |
| Child Medical Collaborative Sylva, NC | Youth and Young Adult Wellbeing | $25,000 |
| Communities in Schools of North Carolina Raleigh, NC | Youth and Young Adult Wellbeing | $25,000 |
| Youth Villages North Carolina Memphis, TN | Food Security | $25,000 |
| Hawthorn Heights Bryson City, NC | Youth and Young Adult Wellbeing | $24,000 |
| Four Square Community Action Andrews, NC | Youth and Young Adult Wellbeing | $22,300 |
| 30th Judicial District Alliance Waynesville, NC | Hurricane Helene Support | $12,500 |
| Cherokee Clay Food Alliance Andrews, NC | Hurricane Helene Support | $12,500 |
| Cherokee County Food Bank Andrews, NC | Food Security | $12,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Nantahala Health Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $13,534,818 | $674,118 | $882,177 | $419,616 | 23 | $554,180 |
| 2024 | $12,782,389 | $733,172 | $872,049 | $451,810 | 23 | $517,458 |
| 2023 | $12,294,276 | $235,064 | $425,501 | — | — | $139,403 |
| 2022 | $11,391,516 | $382,710 | $832,868 | $359,500 | 11 | $151,569 |
| 2021 | $13,991,311 | $5,604,162 | $1,201,008 | $827,906 | 32 | $373,275 |
| 2020 | $8,839,835 | $5,868,455 | $1,067,885 | $714,239 | 36 | $128,140 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to improve health and well-being for those living in westernmost North Carolina. Its website describes a focus on addressing upstream factors that shape young people’s health, including education, healthcare, career pathways, and economic opportunity. It also emphasizes collaboration across systems such as schools, juvenile justice, social services, and physical and mental health services.
The foundation describes its approach as investing in nonprofit and governmental programming and supporting capacity building. In 2025, its filing described funding for youth and young adult well-being, emergency food security, and Hurricane Helene response and recovery, as well as a leadership program intended to strengthen partner organizations and communities.
Among the 2025 grantees, Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC said its mission is to match mentoring volunteers with children in need. Child Medical Collaborative described its work as promoting healing for abused children through specialized medical evaluations with Children’s Advocacy Centers. Hawthorn Heights said it provides a safe, nurturing environment for youth in need. Appalachian Mountain Community Health Centers said it provides healthcare regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 23 grants totaling $419,616. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $100,000, with a median of $12,500. The largest awards included $100,000 to Graham County School for youth and young adult well-being; $33,500 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina for the same purpose; and $25,000 each to Child Medical Collaborative and Communities in Schools of North Carolina for youth and young adult well-being. Other reported awards included $25,000 to Youth Villages North Carolina for food security and $24,000 to Hawthorn Heights for youth and young adult well-being.
The foundation’s website describes project implementation grants of up to $50,000 for programs ready to launch, grow, or scale, with work to be completed in 2027. The stated opportunity focuses on education, healthcare, and career pathways and economic opportunity. Applicants are asked to begin with a pre-application describing the program and its readiness; selected applicants are asked to host a staff site visit and invited to submit a full proposal. The application page says applicants should identify who and how many people will be served, define measurable outcomes, and track progress. The stated deadline, June 4, 2026, has passed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lori A. Bailey as executive director; Roger Plemens as chairperson; Alison Cochran as vice-chairperson; Ann Lukens as secretary; and Clarissa Ashe as treasurer. It also lists Samantha Bradley, Ollin Dunford, David Garrett, Jane Kimsey, and Lisa Leatherman as board members.
Nantahala Health Foundation is led by Lori A Bailey, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 13 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lori A Bailey
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$97K (2020) → $116K (2025)
Roger Plemens
Chairperson
Board Member → Vice Chairperson, 2023
Vice Chairperson → Chairperson, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alison Cochran
Vice Chairperson
Treasurer → Board Member, 2024
Board Member → Vice Chairperson, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Garrett
Board Member
Vice Chair → Chairperson, 2021
Chairperson → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Debbie Mauney
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jane C Kimsey
Board Member
Board Member → Treasurer, 2024
Treasurer → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Leatherman
Board Member
Vice Chairperson → Chairperson, 2023
Chairperson → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ollin Dunford
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann Lukens
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Clarissa Ashe
Treasurer
Board Member → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Worley
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Letesha Wiggins
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Samantha Bradley
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Angie Knight (2020–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Barbara Parker (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Sonya Wachacha (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Tom O'Brian (2020–2021) — Compliance Officer
- Former: Kelly Brown (2020) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $116K, to Lori A Bailey (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Nantahala Health Foundation
How much does Nantahala Health Foundation give each year?
Nantahala Health Foundation gave $420K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $452K across 23 grants.
What is Nantahala Health Foundation's typical grant size?
Nantahala Health Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,500, and its average grant was $18,244, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Nantahala Health Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does Nantahala Health Foundation give grants?
Nantahala Health Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Sylva, NC (4 grants), Andrews, NC (3 grants), Bryson City, NC (3 grants) and Hayesville, NC (3 grants).
Does Nantahala Health Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Nantahala Health Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Food Security" (13 grants), "Youth and Young Adult Wellbeing" (6 grants) and "Hurricane Helene Support" (4 grants).
Who are Nantahala Health Foundation's largest grantees?
Nantahala Health Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Graham County School ($100,000), Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina ($33,500) and Child Medical Collaborative ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Nantahala Health Foundation?
Nantahala Health Foundation reported $13.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $674K.
What does Nantahala Health Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to improve health and well-being for those living in westernmost North Carolina. Its website describes a focus on addressing upstream factors that shape young people’s health, including education, healthcare, career pathways, and economic opportunity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Nantahala Health Foundation?
The stated process begins with a pre-application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Nantahala Health Foundation's EIN?
Nantahala Health Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-2682447. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Nantahala Health Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Nantahala Health Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/nantahala-health-foundation-morg_ce247d89ab03474b9d6bd01067bf1a3f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_832682447_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Nantahala Health Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/nantahala-health-foundation-morg_ce247d89ab03474b9d6bd01067bf1a3f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-09. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Nantahala Health Foundation'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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