Friends of the Smokies

Name

Friends of the Smokies

Legal name

Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Website

https://friendsofthesmokies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Nonprofit Fundraising and National Park Support Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• National park fundraising
• Conservation nonprofit services
• Specialty license plate programs
• Trail rehabilitation endowment
• Historic preservation fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Kodak

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through the website, including one-time gifts, recurring donations, and planned giving options. The organization has raised more than $100 million since 1993.
2. License Plate Revenue: Specialty license plates in Tennessee ($35/year, $30.75 to FOTS) and North Carolina ($30/year, $20 to NC park projects). Tennessee's plate has raised $9 million since 1998. North Carolina has over 20,000 plates on the road generating over $400,000 annually.
3. Special Events: Annual fundraising events including the Cades Cove Loop Lope (only footrace inside the national park), Evergreen Ball (charity auction raising over $10 million over 23 years), and Greenbrier Barn Party (raised over $260,000 in 2026).
4. Membership Programs: The 1934 Society requires annual tax-deductible gifts of $1,000 or more, providing exclusive park experiences and recognition in annual reports.
5. Business Partnerships: Partner organizations donate a portion of proceeds from select items and ticket sales. Partners include Old Mountain Wine Company ($5 per bottle on Artist Series wines), Teresa Pennington (half of print proceeds from Forever Places series), National Park Magic (all profits from ornaments), and North Drinkware (percentage of Smoky Mountains collection proceeds).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friends of the Smokies is the official 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraising partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It raises private funds and coordinates volunteers to support wildlife management, historic preservation, environmental education, trail rehabilitation, and visitor services that federal NPS budgets do not cover. Core offerings include an online donation platform, signature fundraising events, specialty license plate programs in Tennessee and North Carolina, endowment programs (Trails Forever, Forever Places), guided hikes, and a donor recognition society.

Product overview

Friends of the Smokies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and official National Park Service partner that raises funds to support Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The organization operates as a unified fundraising and support organization rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings include donation platforms (Make a Gift, recurring donations, honor/memorial gifts), grant programs (Forever Places for historic preservation, Trails Forever for trail rehabilitation, wildlife and conservation programs), specialty license plates in Tennessee and North Carolina, signature fundraising events (Cades Cove Loop Lope, Evergreen Ball, Greenbrier Barn Party), volunteer and hiking programs (Trails Forever Hikes), the Artist-in-Residence program, donor recognition societies (The 1934 Society), legacy/planned giving options, and live webcams. All offerings function collectively to generate revenue and volunteer support for park preservation, conservation, education, and visitor services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forever Places: Historic preservation endowment program for cabins, churches, mills and barns in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Trails Forever
• Trails Forever Hikes
• Bear Plate
• The 1934 Society
• Evergreen Ball
• Greenbrier Barn Party
• Cades Cove Loop Lope
• Parks as Classrooms
• Artist-in-Residence Program

Products and services

• Make a Gift (Donations)
• Forever Places
• Trails Forever
• Bear Plate Specialty License Plates (TN and NC)
• Cades Cove Loop Lope
• Evergreen Ball
• Greenbrier Barn Party
• Trails Forever Hikes
• The 1934 Society
• Legacy Giving Program
• Artist-in-Residence Program

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rocky Mountain Elk FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Collaborative partner in the elk reintroduction project that began in 2001, bringing 25 elk from Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in Kentucky. The partnership also included local communities and multiple agencies. The initial 52-elk herd has grown to approximately 250-260 elk.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial National Park Service partner organization for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. FOTS assists NPS in its mission to preserve and protect the park by raising funds, public awareness, and providing volunteers for needed projects. The organization is designated as an official NPS partner with Tax ID 62-1564782.
• Smokies LifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization that helps produce Friends of the Smokies' annual report. FOTS extends heartfelt thanks for their help producing annual reports and the time, talents, and friendship of Smokies Life staff.
• Rocky Mountain Elk FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinated elk reintroduction effort with NPS, local communities, and organizations. Friends of the Smokies has invested more than $300,000 to support the elk project over 25 years, funding research, monitoring, and volunteer groups like Elk Bugle Corp and Luftee Rovers.
• Old Mountain Wine CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on 'The Artist Series' wines featuring artwork by local artist Robert A. Tino celebrating Smokies' natural wonder. $5 from every bottle sold is donated quarterly to FOTS.
• Teresa PenningtonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArtist created 'Forever Places' colored pencil drawing series with half of print proceeds going to Friends of the Smokies. Limited edition prints include 'John Oliver Cabin' and 'Caldwell Barn'.
• National Park MagicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreated first collectible Christmas ornament for Friends of the Smokies. All profits from ornament sales go to FOTS to fund vital projects in the park.
• North DrinkwareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreated Smoky Mountains collection featuring 3D data of the region, handblown glasses. Percentage of proceeds from this collection supports Friends of the Smokies.
• Appalachian Bear RescueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit center in Townsend that treats and houses orphaned or injured park bears until they can be released back into the park. Prior to ABR creation, most of these animals were euthanized.
• American Conservation Experience (ACE)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConservation work crew program that provides volunteer crews for park projects including woody encroachment reduction at Purchase Knob Fields.
• Eastern Band of Cherokee IndiansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperates with park staff and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to perform minimum elk counts and collect elk scat for DNA analysis to track elk populations throughout western North Carolina.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Appalachian Trail Conservancy: Nonprofit partner managing and preserving the Appalachian Trail, which runs through GSMNP. Strongly comparable in trail-rehabilitation focus and regional Southeast member base, though focused on a trail rather than a park.

Direct peers

• Grand Canyon Conservancy: Official nonprofit partner for Grand Canyon National Park, operating a similar membership, events, and grant-based model to fund trail preservation, education, and wildlife programs.
• Yosemite Conservancy: Official nonprofit partner for Yosemite National Park. Highly comparable to FOTS in operating model: donor cultivation, signature events, trail crew funding, and grant-making to NPS for projects federal dollars don't cover.
• Sequoia Parks Conservancy: Nonprofit supporting Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, directly comparable in mission scope (forest preservation, wildlife, education) and fundraising model.
• Zion Forever Project: Official nonprofit partner for Zion National Park, mirroring FOTS's structure (501(c)(3), NPS partnership, donor programs, endowment-funded crew work, volunteer programs).
• Glacier National Park Conservancy: Official nonprofit fundraising partner for Glacier National Park, with comparable programs in trails, wildlife, and education, and a similar reliance on individual donors, members, and signature events.
• Yellowstone Forever: Official nonprofit fundraising partner for Yellowstone National Park, the most direct comparable to FOTS in terms of mission (park preservation), structure (501(c)(3) NPS partner), and programs (trails, wildlife, education, endowments).

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits, active in land conservation, restoration, and climate work. A broader incumbent in environmental conservation that overlaps with FOTS's land-protection mission at much greater scale.
• National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA): The largest independent advocacy organization for US national parks, operating across all 400+ NPS sites rather than a single park. Broader incumbent doing policy advocacy and park grants at scale.

Others

• Great Smoky Mountains Association (Smokies Life): Cooperating nonprofit partner for GSMNP that operates bookstores, publishing, and education programs; produces FOTS's annual report. Functionally an adjacent partner serving the same park rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SmokiesFriends
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SmokiesFriends
• Facebookfacebook.com/SmokiesFriends
• Instagraminstagram.com/smokiesfriends
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-of-great-smoky-mountains-national-park

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Friends of the Smokies