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Environment : Botanical Gardens, Parks, and Nature Centers (Grantmaking)

Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Show the Smokies you care! Be a Friend today. Join. Volunteer. Stay Informed.

three stars

87.08

84 Coxe Avenue Unit 200
Asheville, NC 28801
tel: (800) 845-5665   Web Site
EIN: 62-1564782

Board Leadership
Dan Matthews
Chair

CEO
James M. Hart
President, CEO

 
 
  Score
(out of 100) 		Rating
Overall Score & Rating 87.08 three stars
  Financial 82.18 three stars
  Accountability & Transparency 96.00 four stars
This rating was published 04/01/2020 and includes data from FY2018, the most recent 990 received at that time.
Why isn't this based on more recent data?

Organized in 1993, Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park assists the National Park Service in its mission to preserve and protect Great Smoky Mountains National Park by raising funds and awareness, and providing volunteers for needed projects. Friends has 4,500+ members and 170+ volunteers who provide assistance with projects that benefit Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Friends of the Smokies provides over $1 million annually for environmental education, natural resource and wildlife conservation, historic preservation, and trail improvements in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

One of Friends' most proud accomplishments is establishing the $4 million Trails Forever endowment in 2012 to help implement major, sustainable improvements on the Smokies' 848 miles of hiking trails.

Friends supporters' conserve black bears, elk + brook trout, heal hemlock trees, restore historic log cabins + churches, educate park visitors, Junior Rangers + more

Organized in 1993, Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park assists the National Park Service in its mission to preserve and protect Great Smoky Mountains National Park by raising funds and awareness, and providing volunteers for needed projects. Friends has 4,500+ members and 170+ volunteers who provide assistance with projects that benefit Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Friends of the Smokies provides over $1 million annually for environmental education, natural resource and wildlife conservation, historic preservation, and trail improvements in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

One of Friends' most proud accomplishments is establishing the $4 million Trails Forever endowment in 2012 to help implement major, sustainable improvements on the Smokies' 848 miles of hiking trails.

Friends supporters' conserve black bears, elk + brook trout, heal hemlock trees, restore historic log cabins + churches, educate park visitors, Junior Rangers + more

Impact Information

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GuideStar is Charity Navigator's trusted partner in sharing information on how this organization seeks impact.  GuideStar has recognized this organization with a Platinum Seal of Transparency for voluntarily and publicly sharing information about how they measure their progress and results.  Learn More about Impact Information.
Reported Results
Total in 2018
Total Park support requested from Friends of the Smokies
1,276,950
This organization has earned a GuideStar's Platinum Seal of Transparency by voluntarily sharing the measures of progress and results they use to pursue their mission. Organizations earn Platinum Seals by selecting from a catalog of over 900 expert recognized metrics or by creating a new metric that best fits their work. This information is reported by the organization and displayed publicly on their GuideStar Nonprofit Profile. With over 1.6 million Nonprofit Profiles, 9 million annual visitors and over 200 data partners, GuideStar is the world's leading source of information about nonprofit organizations. A nonprofit itself, GuideStar is dedicated to providing better data for better decisions for a better world.
This impact information is current as of March 2020, when it was provided to us by GuideStar. At this time, Impact information published on this organization's page has no effect on its rating per our methodology.

Learn more about how we calculate the overall score and rating.

Financial

three stars

82.18

Accountability & Transparency

four stars

96.00

This rating was published 04/01/2020 and includes data from FY2018, the most recent 990 received at that time.
Why isn't this based on more recent data?
Overall Rating Chart
  Program Expenses
(Percent of the charity's total expenses spent on the programs
and services it delivers)		 66.4%
  Administrative Expenses 14.1%
  Fundraising Expenses 19.3%
  Fundraising Efficiency $0.12
  Working Capital Ratio (years) 3.68
  Program Expenses Growth 27.9%
  Liabilities to Assets 1.6%
All data for Financial Performance Metrics calculations was provided by Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park on recent 990s filed with the IRS.
All data for Financial Performance Metrics calculations was provided by Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park on recent 990s filed with the IRS.
Information Provided on the Form 990  
  Independent Voting Board Members
  No Material diversion of assets
  Audited financials prepared by independent accountant
  Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From related parties
  Documents Board Meeting Minutes
  Provided copy of Form 990 to organization's governing body in advance of filing
  Conflict of Interest Policy
  Whistleblower Policy
  Records Retention and Destruction Policy
  CEO listed with salary
  Process for determining CEO compensation
  Board Listed / Board Members Not Compensated
Is the following information easily accessible on the charity's website?  
  Donor Privacy Policy
  Board Members Listed
  Audited Financials
  Form 990
  Key staff listed

Highly Rated

Charity Name & State Overall Score Overall Rating
Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (NC) 87.08 three stars
Yellowstone Forever (WY) 90.63 four stars
Friends of Acadia (ME) 87.80 three stars
Grand Teton National Park Foundation (WY) 100.00 four stars
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (CA) 87.74 three stars

Compare These Charities (Highly Rated)

REVENUE  
Contributions  
   Contributions, Gifts & Grants $2,159,515
   Federated Campaigns $0
   Membership Dues $0
   Fundraising Events $18,212
   Related Organizations $0
   Government Grants $991,555
Total Contributions $3,169,282
   Program Service Revenue $0
Total Primary Revenue $3,169,282
   Other Revenue $642,839
TOTAL REVENUE $3,812,121
   
EXPENSES  
   Program Expenses $2,185,693
   Administrative Expenses $374,682
   Fundraising Expenses $489,973
TOTAL FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES $3,050,348
   
Payments to Affiliates $0
Excess (or Deficit) for the year $761,773
   
Net Assets $17,341,249

Program names and associated costs are listed for the top programs as reported on the charity's most recently filed Form 990. The top programs displayed will include the largest three programs, or those programs covering at least 60% of the charity's total expenses, whichever comes first.

Due to an error on this organization's Form 990, we are unable to display program information.

Ratings History

Form 990 FYE Date Published Overall Score Overall Rating
CN 2.1
2018-12 04/01/2020 87.08 three stars
2017-12 11/01/2018 84.00 three stars
2016-12 02/01/2018 82.70 three stars
2015-12 12/01/2016 81.17 three stars
2014-12 06/01/2016 90.22 four stars
 
CN 2.0
2014-12 11/01/2015 84.47 three stars
2013-12 06/01/2015 79.67 two stars
2012-12 12/01/2013 73.72 two stars
2011-12 12/20/2012 85.87 three stars
2010-12 03/01/2012 79.06 two stars
2009-12 09/20/2011 71.25 two stars
 
CN 1.0
2009-12 02/01/2011 73.71 two stars
2008-12 12/01/2009 73.89 two stars
2007-12 06/01/2009 78.57 two stars
2006-12 09/01/2007 86.97 three stars
2005-12 12/01/2006 87.77 three stars
2004-12 12/01/2005 77.61 two stars
2003-12 03/01/2005 65.95 one star

The data displayed on this tab is provided by the IRS in the form of Publication 78 and the Business Master File (BMF).

EIN 62-1564782
Name in IRS Master File FRIENDS OF GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK INC
NTEE Code N32
NTEE Classification Parks and Playgrounds
NTEE Type Recreation, Sports, Leisure, Athletics
Classification Charitable Organization
Subsection 501(c)(3)  (View the list of codes)
Activities (927) Fundraising
(602) Gifts, grants, or loans to other organizations
(603) Non-financial services of facilities to other organizations
Foundation Status Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public   170(b)(1)(A)(vi)
Deductibility Contributions are deductible
Affiliation Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations).
Group Name [Not Applicable]
Ruling Date January, 1996
Filing Requirement 990 (all other) or 990EZ return
Fiscal Year End December
IRS Forms 990
(provided courtesy of Foundation Center)		 (Log In or Register Now to View Forms 990!)
  • December, 2017
  • December, 2016
  • December, 2015
  • December, 2014
  • December, 2013
Compensation % of Expenses Paid to Title
$125,000 4.09% James M. Hart President

Highly Rated

Charity Name & State Overall Score Overall Rating
Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (NC) 87.08 three stars
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (CA) 87.74 three stars
Yellowstone Forever (WY) 90.63 four stars
Grand Teton National Park Foundation (WY) 100.00 four stars
Friends of Acadia (ME) 87.80 three stars

Compare These Charities (Highly Rated)

This charity has an official representative registered with Charity Navigator.

Charity Contact Info

Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
84 Coxe Avenue
Unit 200
Asheville, NC 28801
tel: (800) 845-5665
fax: (865) 933-7607
EIN: 62-1564782

Mail donations to:
PO Box 1660
Kodak, TN 37764

Visit Web Site

Board Leadership

Dan Matthews
Chair

CEO

James M. Hart
President, CEO

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