Nonprofit · EIN 23-7412910
FRIENDS OF THE WNC NATURE CENTER INC
Tax-exempt · ASHEVILLE, NC 28815
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2025 | 990 | $1,678,515 | $1,415,888 | $262,627 | $2,326,486 | $423,976 | $1,902,510 |
| June 30, 2024 | 990 | $1,318,997 | $1,051,294 | $267,703 | $2,114,777 | $482,787 | $1,631,990 |
| June 30, 2023 | 990 | $1,186,006 | $930,903 | $255,103 | $1,865,164 | $506,024 | $1,359,140 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $1,347,545
- Membership dues
- $555,477
- Program service revenue
- $64,297
- Investment income
- $51,393
- Net gain from sales of assets
- $1,492
- Net income from fundraising events
- $45,146
- Net income from sales of inventory
- $161,524
- Other revenue
- $215,280
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $412,899
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $91,321
- Other salaries and wages
- $533,876
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $708,784
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Accounting fees
- $32,885
- Occupancy
- $33,830
- Travel
- $4,227
- Depreciation
- $3,784
- Program services (functional)
- $874,484
- Management and general (functional)
- $212,227
- Fundraising (functional)
- $329,177
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $2,114,777
- Total assets, end of year
- $2,326,486
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $423,976
- Net assets, end of year
- $1,902,510
- Land, buildings and equipment
- $12,778
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $1,576,225
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $326,285
- Gross receipts
- $1,816,368
- Employees
- 17
- Volunteers
- 60
- Year formed
- 1975
- State of legal domicile
- NC
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kate Frost | Executive Director Officer | 40 | $77,168 | $8,452 |
| Sarah Thomas-Moore | President Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ellen Patrick | Vice President Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jonathan Thompson | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Amy Cocanour | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Scott Farkas | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| David Rodgers | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Katlin Moran | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Dacia Harris | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Beth Lane | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Kim Wood | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Laura McCue | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Salley Williamson | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Taylor Caulk | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2024: 12 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kate Frost | Executive Director Officer | 40 | $67,913 | $7,793 |
| Karen Babcock | Exiting Executive Director Officer | 40 | $48,803 | $8,045 |
| Sarah Thomas-Moore | President Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ellen Patrick | Vice President Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jonathan Thompson | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Amy Cocanour | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Taylor Caulk | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Dacia Harris | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Laura McCue | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Kat Moran | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Salley Williamson | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Kim Wood | Director Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2023: 10 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Babcock | Executive Director Officer | 40 | $72,821 | $15,275 |
| Nicole Bentley | President Trustee or director, Officer | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Ellen Patrick | Secretary Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Jonathan Thompson | Treasurer Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Amy Cocanour | Director Trustee or director | 0.25 | $0 | $0 |
| Sarah Thomas-Moore | Director Trustee or director | 0.25 | $0 | $0 |
| Matt Kern | Director Trustee or director | 0.25 | $0 | $0 |
| Laura McCue | Director Trustee or director | 0.25 | $0 | $0 |
| Rita Larkin | Director Trustee or director | 0.25 | $0 | $0 |
| Chris Bubenik | Director Trustee or director | 0.25 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- PO BOX 19151, ASHEVILLE, NC 28815-1151
- Principal officer (990 for 2024)
- Kate Frost, PO Box 19151, Asheville, NC 28815
- Signed the 990
- Kate Frost, Executive Director
- Phone
- (828) 259-8092
- Website
- wildwnc.org
- Return prepared by
- CORLISS & SOLOMON PLLC
Mission
The Friends is a conservation organization that inspires a passion to know more, care more, and do more for the wildlife of the Southern Appalachians. We advance the critical work of the Nature Center through fundraising, membership, outreach education, marketing and volunteer service.
Program accomplishments
- The Friends of the WNC Nature Center provided $760,309 to the WNC Nature Center in FY25. Donations were a combination of cash, services, in-kind, and volunteer hours. Through Friends support, the Nature Center finished and outfitted their new veterinary clinic; constructed the Gateway to the Southern Appalachians and Butterfly Pollinator Garden; and added necessary updates to the otter, black bear, and fox habitats.Expenses $874,484 · grants $412,899 · revenue $64,297
- Breaking records set during The Great Flood of 1916, Tropical Storm Helene devastated the region in September 2024, and the WNC Nature Center was closed to the public for more than five months, reopening in March 2025. While the closure impacted attendance, membership numbers, and Gift Shop revenues, the Friends of the WNC Nature Center leaned into their mision of connecting people to the wildlife of the Southern Appalchians by providing hands-on, affordable outreach education to schools, libraries, and communities across the region.
- As a partner organization, the Friends organization operates the Gift Shop, Membership, Volunteer, and Outreach Education Programs and provides full marketing services to increase Nature Center admission numbers annually. 2025 was the WNC Nature Centers centennial year, and the 50th anniversary of the Friends. As part of the Gateway to the Southern Appalachians project, the side of the historic barn now tells the story of the WNC Nature Center with a colorful mural and a 75-foot history wall with panels sharing fun facts, important milestones, and photos and news articles from the past 100 years.
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in June, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | June 30, 2026 | November 16, 2026 | Not due yet |
| 2024 | June 30, 2025 | November 17, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | June 30, 2024 | November 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 23-7412910
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 1977
- Accounting year ends
- June
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $2,326,486
- Income (IRS master file)
- $1,816,368
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | June 2025 | $1,678,515 | $1,415,888 | $2,326,486 | XML |
| 990 | June 2024 | $1,318,997 | $1,051,294 | $2,114,777 | XML |
| 990 | June 2023 | $1,186,006 | $930,903 | $1,865,164 | XML |
| 990 | June 2022 | $1,172,228 | $787,618 | $1,477,852 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2018 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 23-7412910).
Questions about FRIENDS OF THE WNC NATURE CENTER INC
- What is the EIN of FRIENDS OF THE WNC NATURE CENTER INC?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of FRIENDS OF THE WNC NATURE CENTER INC is 23-7412910.
- Is FRIENDS OF THE WNC NATURE CENTER INC tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1977.
- Are donations to FRIENDS OF THE WNC NATURE CENTER INC tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does FRIENDS OF THE WNC NATURE CENTER INC file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of FRIENDS OF THE WNC NATURE CENTER INC due?
- The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending June 30, 2026) is due November 16, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did FRIENDS OF THE WNC NATURE CENTER INC last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended June 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of FRIENDS OF THE WNC NATURE CENTER INC?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 names Kate Frost.
- Who are the officers and directors of FRIENDS OF THE WNC NATURE CENTER INC?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 lists 14 people; 1 received compensation from the organization, the highest $77,168 (Kate Frost, Executive Director).
- How much revenue does FRIENDS OF THE WNC NATURE CENTER INC have?
- On its 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 it reported revenue of $1,678,515, expenses of $1,415,888 and total assets of $2,326,486 at year end.
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