Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jan 1953.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
74 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
27 people listed on the 990; $74K paid to officers and key staff (Part VII, Section A).
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 4 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Creola | $93,900 | $57,292 | — | — | — | — |
| Charlotte Muir | — | — | $80,263 | $83,832 | $77,946 | $73,506 |
| Winter Gary | — | $66,780 | $14,789 | — | — | — |
| Kimberly Coward | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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.
See Highlands Biological Foundation INC executive salaries →Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2Yes
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Promotes and supports biological research and education in the Southern Appalachians.
Questions for Highlands Biological Foundation INC
Your first name shows with your question. Highlands Biological Foundation INC answers here, for everyone.
Highlands Nature Center Highlands Biological Foundation operates a Nature Center with a fulltime Education Specialist who oversees a wide array of place-based, experiential learning experiences at the Highlands Nature Center, focusing on the spectacular biodiversity of the southern Appalachian region.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2020. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 56-0634513) · Dispute this lineSupport of the Highlands Biological Station (part of Western Carolina University) Highlands Biological Foundation continued construction of the North Campus, creating a new entry to the campus of the Highlands Biological Station.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2020. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 56-0634513) · Dispute this lineResearch Highlands Biological Foundation awarded 7 research grants to individuals doing research at the Highlands Biological Station. The Foundation also awarded funding to Southern Appalachian Raptor Research to make the Station a bird banding project for the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship initiative.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2020. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 56-0634513) · Dispute this lineFunders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2021 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | FY21 | FY20 | FY19 | FY18 | FY17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End of yearLn 1g | $266K | $204K | $188K | $208K | $202K |
| SpentLn 1d–1f | $0 | $23K |
| Line | Start FY21 | End FY21 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $36K | $12K |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $1.7M | $2.6M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $162K | $157K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $2.6M | $3.1M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $51K | $53K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $2.6M | $3.0M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1 | $261K | $261K | ||
| Pay of officers and key staff (Part IX, line 5)Ln 5 | $89K | $9K | $44K | $35K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $85K | $70K | $8K | $7K |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $2K | $2K | $224 | $149 |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $17K | $14K | $2K | $987 |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $13K | $7K | $4K | $3K |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $18K | $0 | $18K | $0 |
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $149 | $0 | $149 | $0 |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $10K | $7K | $3K | $390 |
| TravelLn 17 | $224 | $224 | $0 | $0 |
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $222 | $0 | $222 | $0 |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $5K | $0 | $5K | $0 |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $4K | $0 | $4K | $0 |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $38K | $33K | $5K | $0 |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $2K | $0 | $2K | $0 |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $544K | $403K | $94K | $47K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 LatestFiled with the IRS Aug 18, 2026 | $824K | $659K | $166K | $4.7M | 990 PDF |
| FY2024Filed with the IRS Sep 15, 2025 | $1.3M | $549K | $738K | $4.2M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS Oct 29, 2024 | $767K | $730K | $36K | $3.2M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 14, 2023 | $547K | $651K | −$104K | $3.0M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 ViewingFiled with the IRS Mar 28, 2022 | $396K | $544K | −$149K | $3.0M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020Filed with the IRS Apr 14, 2021 | $1.0M | $1.5M | −$478K | $2.6M | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2021 990
Part I · Summary $395,539 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 26 of 26 board members independent, 1 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $395,539 across 7 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $544,171 across 15 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $3,051,718 assets, 15 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $2,998,770 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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