Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Preserve. Protect. Provide.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Congressional appropriations continue to fall below the amount necessary to preserve and protect Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a crown jewel of the National Park Service. With more than 11 million visitors annually, park staff is having to manage more and more with less and less.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
2017 Parks as Classrooms Support
Approximately 18,000 students every year in Tennessee and North Carolina receive curriculum-based environmental education opportunities through the Parks as Classrooms program. These hands-on, ranger-led lessons utilizing Great Smoky Mountains National Park as an enormous outdoor classroom help foster a love for nature and inform the next generation of park supporters.
2017 Suppress Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Infestation
Since 2003, Friends of the Smokies has taken a leadership role in supporting the most ambitious program in the Southeast aimed at protecting hemlocks from the invasive and deadly hemlock woolly adelgid. The eastern hemlock is the only shade-tolerant conifer in the Smokies, and it helps to regulate forest and stream temperatures to support the habitat of a myriad of other spoecies including brook trout and migratory birds. Protection includes a combination of soap spraying in the front country, systemic pesticides in more remote areas, and biological control using predator beetles raised in the Lindsay Young Beneficial Insect Lab at UT.
2017 Black Bear Conservation Programs
$34,000 for seasonal staff to manage wildlife and safety issues, especially working traffic jams that result from bear sightings along park roadways for the protection of both black bears and park visitors; $7,000 to support the Appalachian Bear Rescue center in Townsend, TN which rehabilitates orphaned and injured black bears for reintroduction into their native habitat; $4,000 to maintain black bear-resistant food storage hoisting systems at all backcountry campsites & shelters for the safety of hikers and bears
2017 Support Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner Program
Each year the park recruits a series of individuals who provide a presence on the Appalchian Trail from March through October. They provide visitor information, natural resource protection, perform trail maintenance, pack out litter, keep up composting privies, report on trail and backcountry shelter conditions, report emergencies, advise hkers on food storage and other regulations, and relay real-time information regarding possible problem bears. The presence on the A.T. for over 15 years has made a huge difference in the park's ability to manage the A.T. in the Smokies.
2017 Trails Forever Rehabilitation of Rainbow Falls Trail (Phase 1)
These funds will support the continuation of trail rehabilitation along one of the most heavily-traveled trails in the Smokies. This project will resolve safety issues and make the trail more enjoyable to hike.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total disbursements to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The annual Park Support List, in addition to special and urgent requests from the Park gives the total disbursement. Discrepancies between requests and disbursements are generally unfinished projects.
Total Park support requested from Friends of the Smokies
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Each year, Great Smoky Mountains National Park submits a "Park Support List" to Friends of the Smokies. This is a request to fund critical projects and programs in the park.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Each year the management team at Great Smoky Mountains National Park complies a list of identified program priorities which is then submitted to our Board of Directors for approval. These projects are in accordance with Friends' mission to preserve and protect Great Smoky Mountains National Park by raising funds and providing volunteers for needed projects.
On an annual basis the Park's list contains approximately $1 million of projects for which funding is requested, and Friends of the Smokies' official members, event patrons, corporate sponsors, foundation grantors, and specialty license plate owners (in Tennessee and North Carolina) make it possible to fulfill the Park's request.
Each year, these projects and programs fall into several broad categories- Resource Management, Resource Education, Facilities Management, Resource & Visitor Protection, and Parkwide Volunteer-in-Park Program.
Meeting the Park's needs consistently and reliably every year ensure that one of America's greatest natural treasures is preserved unimpaired for future generations.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The funds that we provide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year come from a variety of sources, including the following:
- Annual memberships;
- Special events such as January's Evergreen Ball, the summertime Greenbrier Barn Party, and the August Friends Across the Mountains Telethon;
- Corporate sponsorships and gifts, including major donations for programs like Trails Forever, Parks as Classrooms, and more;
- Foundation grants for specific projects on the annual Park Needs List;
- Donations collected from our in-park donation boxes in places like Cades Cove and Cataloochee;
- Residents purchase our state-issued specialty license plates for their vehicles in Tennessee and North Carolina.
To raise awareness of the need for support for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where there is no entrance fee charged to park visitors, we communicate with our members via a print newsletter as well as email communications. We issue press releases, host special events, and are active on social media.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have a small staff of seven people who work together to raise the funds necessary to fulfill our annual commitment to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as a board of directors comprised of fifteen community leaders from Tennessee and North Carolina. Additionally, we benefit from the gifts of time from an active volunteer corps who assist us with daily office administrative tasks and help our special events run smoothly.
Our more than 4500 members, our 30,000 specialty license plate owners each year, our faithful corporate and foundation funders, and our special participants have made it possible for us to consistently contribute about $1 million to Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the last ten years, and we anticipate being able to continue and grow that level of support into the future.
Generous and committed board members, as well as other Park lovers, have given generously of their time and resources to make efforts such as Parks As Classrooms, Trails Forever, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center, Twin Creeks Science Center, the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center, and hundreds of other Park needs a reality. Thankfully for Friends, many of these good people are still involved today. They started a program that has given literally millions of Park visitors from around the world a more rewarding experience.
In our outreach efforts through digital and print communications as well as social media and traditional media channels we emphasize the Park's needs, our ability to meet those needs with help from the Park's more than 9 million visitors annually, and the impact financial support to Friends makes for one of America's greatest natural treasures.
Our board of directors provides the staff with the tools and resources it needs to accomplish the organization's mission each year. A strong relationship with the Park leadership ensures that our staff has the information required to communicate with the public about Friends of the Smokies' effectiveness.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The variety of programs and projects made possible by Friends funds is long and diverse. In the last 10 years, the Park has asked for more than $2 million to support the Parks as Classrooms program, making it our top parkwide funded project. The return on this investment has been outstanding. Nearly 250,000 schoolchildren have participated in this rich learning experience over the years.
Other top funded programs include-
- Cades Cove restoration projects have received more than $1 million
- Hemlock woolly adelgid fight has received over $1 million
- Trail shelter restorations along the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies, along with funding for work on the A.T. and Ridgerunner program has exceeded $871,000
- Funding for interactive, interpretive exhibits at the Park's new Oconaluftee Visitor Center topped $500,000
A few years ago Friends was asked by the park leadership to purchase 20 acres of land that was in private hands, but surrounded on three sides by Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Nearly $800,000 was needed to secure that property which held the Soak Ash Creek wetlands, the largest wetland reserve in the park's 500,000+ acres. That money was available in restricted reserves thanks to strong organizational leadership.
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Board of directorsas of 02/26/2024
Ms. Sharon Pryse
The Trust Company
Term: 2014 - 2024
Kay Clayton
Clayton Family Foundation
Nancy Daves
Cindi DeBusk
DeRoyal Industries
Vicky Fulmer
Dale Keasling
Home Federal Bank
John Mason
Roberts & Stevens, P.A. Attorneys at Law
Rev. Dr. Daniel P. Matthews
Trustee & Co-chair of the Development COmmittee- The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
Jim Ogle
Five Oaks Development
Meridith Elliott Powell
Motion First Now
Heath Shuler
Duke Energy
Gary R. Wade
LMU Duncan School of Law
Mark K. Williams
Young, Williams, Kirk & Stone PC
Stephen W Woody
Mills Manufacturing, Retired
Bruce Hartmann
Chattanooga Times Free Press
Luke Hyde
The Historic Calhoun House
Diane (Deener) Matthews
Jack Williams
University of Tennessee, Retired
John Dickson
Asheville Savings Bank, Retired
Natalie Haslam
Mary Johnson
The Land Partners
David White
Sharon M Pryse
The Trust Company
Laura Webb
Webb Investment Services
Chase Pickering
Biltmore Estate
Jake Ogle
Five Oaks Development
Phillip Fulmer
Kristin Williams
Kristin Designs
Linda Ogle
Riverview Tower
James Haslam II
Robert Tino
Robert Tino Galleries
Jenny Boyd
Boyd's Jig & Reel
David Colquitt
The Swag
Steve Gigliotti
Brad Herman
High Hampton Inn
Himanshu Karvir
Virtelle Hospitality
Rob Powell
Ken Stamps
Naventure
Melissa White
Lexus & Toyota of Knoxville
Marilyn Wright
Premier Sotheby's
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data