Nikwasi Initiative

Tax-deductible

Franklin, NC501(c)(3)Since 2016Community DevelopmentEIN 81-5300644Revenue $249K in FY2025

On file with the IRSnikwasi-initiative.comPo Box 2197, 28744-2197 · Franklin, NCTax-exempt since Mar 2017Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Developing the cherokee corridor, planning and interpreting the corridor, raising funds to establish the hubs at cherokee, cowee and Nikwasi.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
69¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 49 volunteers and 3 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $64K a year · 24% of revenue · last 4 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 4 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
69%
of spending
Fine: 69% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$86K
to officers and key staff · 43% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 62% of similar orgs
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 43% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
17 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 16.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $5K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$389
0.1% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
13
of 13 voting members
Looks good: 13 of 13 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$249K
×11 vs prior year
Spent
$201K
To programs
69%
Net assets
$307K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$249K
FY2025▲ ×11
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$241K
FY2022$342K
FY2023$222K
FY2024$24K
FY2025$249K
Expenses
$201K
FY2025▲ +5%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$194K
FY2022$211K
FY2023$193K
FY2024Not on file
FY2025$201K
Net assets
$307K
FY2025▲ +18%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$281K
FY2022$409K
FY2023$438K
FY2024$259K
FY2025$307K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Mar 2017.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

69 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 69% · $139K Management & general 29% · $59K Fundraising 2% · $4K

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

15 people listed on the 990; $86K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$85,903Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Elaine Eisenbraun’s $86K as Executive Director is at the 62nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1709 $100K–1M community 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2023FY2022FY2021
Elaine Eisenbraun$85,903$81,812$82,000$82,583

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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Empowers communities through education, interpretation, and economic growth initiatives.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $139K · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Designing educational facilities, educational signs, interpretation of signs and sign publications, planning and executing corridor signs and pathways. Preserve and protect the culture and heritage of the eastern band of cherokee indians, educational signs and pathways, interpretation and corridor.

$139Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$5K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$249K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$249K
Money outPt IX
$201K
Ln 25
Programscol B$139K
Managementcol C$59K
Fundraisingcol D$4K
Owns and owesPt X
$307K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$283K
Total assetsLn 16$308K
LiabilitiesLn 26$389
PeoplePt VI, VII
15
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a13
IndependentVI 1b13
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$249K
Total revenueLn 12$249K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$283K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$283K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$14K
Total assetsLn 16$308K
LiabilitiesLn 26$389
Net assetsLn 32$307K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 649
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$248K$283K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$14K$14K
Total assetsLn 16$262K$308K
LiabilitiesLn 26$2K$389
Net assetsLn 32$259K$307K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$86K$64K$19K$3K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$15K$11K$3K$449
Other employee benefitsLn 9$11K$8K$2K$323
Payroll taxesLn 10$9K$6K$2K$257
Legal feesLn 11b$11K$5K$5K
Accounting feesLn 11c$15K$8K$8K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$15K$11K$5K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$156$156
Office expensesLn 13$10K$4K$6K
Information technologyLn 14$4K$3K$749
TravelLn 17$7K$4K$4K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$7K$7K
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$9K$7K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$201K$139K$59K$4K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $249K$201K$48K$307K 990 PDF
FY2024 $24K$259K 990 PDF
FY2023 $222K$193K$29K$438K 990 PDF
FY2022 $342K$211K$131K$409K 990 PDF
FY2021 $241K$194K$47K$281K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $249,349 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $23,654$249,349
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $23,654$249,349
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $116,875$120,221
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $85,365$81,149
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $202,240$201,370
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$178,586$47,979
Part VI · Governance 13 of 13 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body13
VI-1b Independent voting members13
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $249,349 across 3 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$249,349
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$249,349
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$249,349
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $201,370 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $64,427 · Management $18,899 · Fundraising $2,577$85,903
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $11,237 · Management $3,296 · Fundraising $449$14,982
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $8,082 · Management $2,371 · Fundraising $323$10,776
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $6,420 · Management $1,883 · Fundraising $257$8,560
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $5,471 · Management $5,471$10,942
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $7,632 · Management $7,632$15,264
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $10,583 · Management $4,633$15,216
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $156$156
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $4,429 · Management $5,880$10,309
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $2,995 · Management $749$3,744
IX-17 TravelPrograms $3,685 · Management $3,685$7,370
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $6,780$6,780
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $1,999$1,999
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $7,036 · Management $2,333$9,369
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $138,933 · Management $58,831 · Fundraising $3,606$201,370
Part X · Balance sheet $307,825 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $247,772$282,650
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$10,000
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred charges$1,009
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $14,166$14,166
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $261,938$307,825
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $2,481$389
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $2,481$389
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $253,659$307,436
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $5,798$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $259,457$307,436
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $261,938$307,825
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $307,436 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$249,349
XI-2 Total expenses$201,370
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$47,979
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$259,457
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$307,436

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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