Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jan 2006.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
88 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
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Who runs it and what they're paid
39 people listed on the 990; $80K paid to officers and key staff.
Sonia Carruthers’s $90K as CEO and Ex Drector is at the 81st percentile of top reported officer pay among 1992 $100K–1M youth development nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jon Collins | — | — | — | $98,290 | — | — |
| Sonia Carruthers | $90,000 | $90,000 | $90,000 | — | $79,896 | $79,896 |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
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Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Strengthens families and youth by preventing substance abuse, enhancing education, and improving housing.
Questions for Cherokee Focus INC
Your first name shows with your question. Cherokee Focus INC answers here, for everyone.
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Cherokee youth works is a program of cherokee focus that works with out-of-school youth ages 16 to 24. The goal of cherokee youth works program is to help each participant become productive, self- sufficient citizens who contribute to their community.
Since the inception of the drug free cherokee initiative in 2004, cherokee focus has brought together concerned citizens, local businesses, youth, law enforcement, government agencies, alcohol and substance abuse related organizations to develop a strategic plan that addresses the needs of cherokee county related to substance abuse…
Cherokee Focus Collaborative
Cherokee focus is an umbrella organization focused on collaboration and capacity building for the community. The strength of this collaborative partnership resides in cooperation between organizations, agencies, civic clubs, the faith based community, law enforcement, education, families and individuals.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2020 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY20 | End FY20 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $9K | $48K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $28K | $21K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $44K | $71K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $13K | $73K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $30K | −$2K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $92K | $72K | $14K | $5K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $132K | $125K | $7K | |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $16K | $14K | $2K | $372 |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $14K | $14K | ||
| Office expensesLn 13 | $7K | $5K | $2K | $134 |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $7K | $7K | $705 | $225 |
| TravelLn 17 | $24K | $24K | ||
| InterestLn 20 | $1K | $1K | $105 | $35 |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $8K | $6K | $1K | $474 |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $6K | $4K | $2K | $207 |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $100K | $99K | $633 | $78 |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $3K | $2K | $281 | $650 |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $412K | $360K | $44K | $7K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest | $309K | $309K | $175 | $2K | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $288K | $295K | −$7K | $2K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $328K | $333K | −$6K | $9K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $411K | $389K | $21K | $15K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 | $392K | $397K | −$5K | −$6K | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 Viewing | $380K | $412K | −$32K | −$2K | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $379,773 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 38 of 38 board members independent, 1 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $379,773 across 6 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $411,884 across 12 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $71,356 assets, 12 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$1,810 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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