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
84 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
37 people listed on the 990; $90K 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 (cyw) is a work source georgia workforce innovation and opportunity act (wioa) youth program. Designed for out-of-school youth ages 16-24, the goal of the program is to assist youth in securing the tools necessary for obtaining gainful employment at a livable wage in a desired career.
Since the inception of the drug free cherokee initiative in 2004, cherokee focus has brought together concerned citizens, local businesses, youth, parents, health agencies, law enforcement, faith community, youth serving organizations, civic clubs, government agencies, and alcohol and substance abuse related organizations.
Cherokee focus is an umbrella organization grounded and focused on the power of people building partnerships that develop into possibilities for the betterment of our community. Through capacity building and joint collaboration, individuals and organizations come together to address gaps in services, resources available, and issues…
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2023 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY23 | End FY23 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $23K | $9K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $14K | $9K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $54K | $40K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $39K | $31K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $15K | $9K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $103K | $83K | $13K | $7K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $33K | $33K | ||
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $9K | $8K | $890 | $459 |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $21K | $98 | $21K | |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $9K | $6K | $3K | $182 |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $24K | $22K | $2K | $1K |
| TravelLn 17 | $16K | $16K | ||
| InterestLn 20 | $1K | $1K | ||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $5K | $4K | $670 | $345 |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $7K | $5K | $2K | $238 |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $100K | $100K | $76 | $42 |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $3K | $2K | $626 | $81 |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $333K | $280K | $44K | $9K |
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 Viewing | $328K | $333K | −$6K | $9K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $411K | $389K | $21K | $15K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 | $392K | $397K | −$5K | −$6K | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 | $380K | $412K | −$32K | −$2K | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $327,594 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 33 of 33 board members independent, 1 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $327,594 across 6 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $333,344 across 12 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $40,162 assets, 12 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $9,308 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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