ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC

Financials

From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.

Officers, directors and key employees

As listed on the 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025, highest compensation first.

Address and contacts

Address (IRS master file)

36 MONTFORD AVE, ASHEVILLE, NC 28801-2530

In care of

% LAYTON HOWER

Principal officer (990 for 2024)

Kathryn Cramer, PO Box 1010, Asheville, NC 28802

Signed the 990

Kathryn Cramer, President / CFO

Phone

(828) 258-6119

Website

www.ashevillechamber.org

Return prepared by

Forvis Mazars LLP

Mission

BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH BUSINESS

Program accomplishments

• For more than 125 years, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has been at the forefront of driving economic vitality in our community. Our mission - building community through business - is just as important today as it was when the Chamber was created. That is, to bring together people of goodwill to find solutions to our challenges that move our community forward. Organizational excellence Raised $1.2M for the Mountain Strong Fund, which we distributed to regional chambers of commerce and leveraged with matching funds from the City and County to contribute $4.1M to the Asheville-Buncombe Rebuilding Together Fund. Mountain BizWorks, as grant-making partner, distributed 342 grants to local businesses across Buncombe County. Served as the fiscal agent for vital community organizations, including WNC Diversity Engagement Coalition and Folk Heritage Committee. Maintained focus on diversity, equity and inclusion through the People's Community and Inclusion Fund, which provides free Chamber memberships and advertising benefits to BIPOC-owned businesses. Provided community leadership (both as an organization and as individuals) through representation on Buncombe Partnership for Children Board, Buncombe County Early Childhood Committee, Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, United Way Board and committees, All Souls Counseling Board, NC Chamber Energy Vision Steering Committee, WNC Chamber of Commerce Executives, Mountain Bizworks Credit Committee, SBTDC Advisory Committee, Buncombe County Schools Business Advisory Council, Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Board Member, Land of Sky Regional Council Regional Resiliency Steering Committee, NCEDA Board, Carolina West Board, YMCA Board, Asheville High Alumni Advisory Board, Mountain City Public Montessori Board, Hatch Innovation Hub Board and Advisory Board for the Outdoor Business Alliance. Fostered business connections. Facilitated more than 20,000 connections through networking events, including Business After Hours, Orientation, Fresh Faces, and Mega Networking. Highlighted local manufacturers and their contributions to the local economy through Manufacturing Mornings networking events and facility tours. Led six weekly Professional Networking Groups to foster business connections, meet industry-specific needs and share prospective client leads with one another. Guided 13 Chamber Ambassadors who champion Chamber initiatives with hands-on volunteering and connect one-on-one with members to increase engagement and retention. Supported members through professional development and informative communications. On October 4, launched Business Recovery Center in the Visitor Center with the Small Business Administration and local nonprofits, providing in-person assistance and guidance to all community business owners. In partnership with Lenoir-Rhyne University, created the Business Recovery Workspace on the 2nd floor of 36 Montford Ave., which provided free desk space, restrooms and WIFI to community businesses from October to December 2024. Coordinated business and industry recovery resources, logistics and real estate needs as wall as crisis communications for city and county governments. Hosted nine Smart Series educational sessions to provide insight on topics based on member interest, including employee development, meeting management, employing AI and more. Inspired more than 1,300 women in business through WomanUP events (including a successful pop-up event) and honored outstanding women in business at the annual Celebration & Awards Ceremony. Saluted 65 small businesses with surprise deliveries and social media posts to give a public shout-out to small businesses in our community. Celebrated workplace wellness with more than 800 participants and 30 sponsors at the Chamber Challenge 5k. Leveraged social media presence with focus on spotlighting member businesses and providing relevant business news and resources, increasing followers and engagement. Published weekly e-newsletter to 7,900+ subscribers. Shared updates on Chamber events and programs, local business news and legislative information as well as highlighting member updates and community events. Through PROpel AVL, hosted monthly professional development opportunities and networking programs with over 800 attendees. Presented awards to six outstanding young professionals at the second annual PROpel AVL Awards Celebration. Delivered additional value to members. Customized the on-boarding of members in the first 90 days of membership with more than 525 touches by the Impact Team to provide key industry introductions, ways to save money and personal invitations to events. Conducted Fresh Faces monthly deep-dive explanation of member benefits and networking for new members with social media photo shout-outs. Generated nearly 300,000 online impressions for Featured Members and over 544,000 impressions for sponsors advertised on our online event pages. Provided personal interaction with more than 1,000 members to ensure Chamber programming and member benefits meet expectations and ROI goals for members. Celebrated local business accomplishments. Conducted 50+ ribbon cuttings to celebrate new members, grand openings and business milestones. Presented leadership awards to 12 individuals and organizations who lead the business community through excellence in service, entrepreneurship, ingenuity, and willingness to support the community through contributions of expertise and time. Honored 28 businesses with the Sky High Growth Awards for business success. Enabled businesses to leverage their membership to increase exposure for their business. Welcomed 192+ new members. Generated over 447,000 page views on our website and an average of 7,123 impressions per member listing in the online directory. Boosted customer traffic for 54 restaurants during Asheville Restaurant Week. Assisted 275+ members in selecting wise investments and marketing opportunities through Total Resource Campaign, engaging 13 community volunteers and securing $1,317,299 in commitments to enhance the Chamber's programs and initiatives.
• Showcased our community and local businesses to visitors. Welcomed more than 100,000 visitors at the Asheville Visitor Center and referred them to local businesses. Leveraged the Asheville Shop to feature local products. Showcased products and designs of 200+ local businesses, including BIPOC members and Venture Asheville Elevate companies. Advanced important policy issues and engaged members Implemented a successful campaign for the City of Asheville's General Obligation Bonds, which passed with 80% voter support in November 2024. Business Improvement District: Passage of local legislation to establish a Business Improvement District following years of advocacy, research, and public education Selected as a partner in implementing the BID through the formation of the Asheville Downtown Improvement District (ADID) Advocated for funding for business recovery and support Stayed in close contact with elected officials and staff to communicate needs for business support and recovery resources Monitored local, state and federal funding to ensure inclusion of business and economic support in disaster recovery bills and CDBG-DR Action Plans Successfully advocated for an increase in business support, with the City of Asheville adding an additional $2,000,000 to its CDBG-DR Action Plan Re-envisioned key events to meet the moment and align with "Business Voices for WNC Recovery" messaging In partnership with Regional Chambers of Commerce, featured organizations from across WNC through panel discussions and live podcast in Swannanoa in January Highlighted local partner organizations and their work to raise funds and awareness, and support stakeholders at a special Policy on Tap event in March Toured effected areas and identified opportunities and challenges for rebuilding at Tours, Talks, and Taps event - a replacement for the Intercity Visit - in May Partnered with 13 Regional Chambers of Commerce to bring more than 70 representatives from across WNC to Raleigh in April to meet with Legislators and advocate for continued support and funding through a shared policy agenda Traveled to Wilmington to participate as a panelist at the Metro Mayor's Conference to share Asheville's story about Hurricane Helene response and recovery Bolstered the Chamber's Advocacy Voice Traveled to Washington DC in September to meet with Legislators and advocate for important policy issues, build relationships, and garner support Increased the meeting frequency of the Advocacy + Policy Committee and improved member engagement by inviting speakers such as Mayor Esther Manheimer, City Attorney Brad Branham, and Chris Millis, Director of Regulatory Affairs for the NC Home Builders Association to address key policy issues and provide timely insights Developed a draft 2025-2027 Policy Agenda by gathering member feedback through surveys, committee discussions, and review by the Board of Directors Built relationships with local electeds and staff through one-on-one meetings, communications, and attendance at local meetings of City Council and County Commission Monitored state, local and federal legislative action and reported to membership through weekly policy newsletter, general newsletter and meetings. Supported a thriving economy through business recruitment and local business expansions. Developed and relaunched the AVL 5x5 2030 Plan for Economic Recovery. Representing a nine-month collaboration with EY Economic Development Advisory Services, the strategy incorporates projects to accelerate economic recovery of Buncombe County post-Hurricane Helene. Supported local industry expansions and company relocations furthering the AVL 5x5 strategic goals of job creation and diversifying the economy: * Pratt & Whitney announced $285 Million Expansion, supporting 325 new high wage jobs. * GE Aerospace announced $20 Million Expansion in local facilities. Celebrated National MFG Day welcoming 250 Students, educators, and community leaders to GE Aerospace, exploring high-tech, high-wage careers in Advanced Manufacturing. Convened executive meetings and community site visits generating over 200 executive meetings in local industry. Identified 72 new project leads feeding a project pipeline worth over $4.2B in potential capital investment and over 20,592 potential new jobs for the community. Stimulating post-storm foreign direct investment opportunities, the Economic Development Coalition hosted a delegation of 6 French companies in collaboration with Business France, facilitating high-level discussions on investment opportunities and strategic partnerships with local industry. Cultivated community and collaboration through quarterly EDC Sustainability Council events hosted at White Labs, Devil's Foot Beverage, Duke Energy and a special disaster recovery workshop at the Asheville Chamber. Showcased economic opportunity created by Advanced Manufacturing through joint EDC-Chamber Manufacturing Mornings events hosted at Haakon Industries and Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn. Nurtured high-growth entrepreneurs through Venture Asheville. Venture Asheville fundraised over $1.7M in grants and local philanthropy to expand programming, staffing and supporting the launch of our first Accelerator and investment fund. Launched Optimist Ventures as program of Venture Asheville. The Accelerator will deploy $1 million in combined grants and investment capital to foster venture philanthropy supporting support 20 WNC start up companies with funding and education. Grew the Elevate Mentorship Program currently serving 19 new start-ups, representing 23 new jobs and $1.3M in new company revenues. Elevate companies raised $1.6M in FY2025. Fostered workforce development. Hosted 20+ area college students in the NEXT AVL mentorship program, connecting local college students from diverse backgrounds with area employers for nine-month mentorship. To date, the program has served over 150 college students from across the region. Presented the Annual WNC Career Expo in addition to a custom hiring event in the weeks following Hurricane Helene for dislocated workers, supporting over 195 employers and attracting record numbers of job seekers. Grew the Inclusive Hiring Partners initiative to include over 30 Employer Partners and over two dozen partner agencies and service providers. Reached over 102 resident job seekers through Accelerate Buncombe. Enrolled over 82 in training and graduated over 41 to date with high value credentials in manufacturing and healthcare. Capitalized on research expertise to provide insights and support data-driven decision making. Facilitated the 15-County, WNC Hurricane Helene Business Feedback Survey in partnership with EDPNC, ExploreAsheville, City of Asheville, Buncombe County and LOSRC with more than 1,100 responses. Featured renowned Brookings Institution economist Ben Harris at 25th Annual Economic Outlook and shared Economic Impact Report for the AVL 5x5 2025 at the Local Growth Update. Published customized research including the Creative Manufacturing Brief and Focus Reports including Asheville Metro Economic Indicators, Site Selector Booklet, Automotive Industry, Life Sciences Industry and Asheville Metro Cost of Living Index. Participated in the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's 2025 Industry Roundtable Economic Outlook Summit. Riverbird Research industry spotlights and economic updates featured in WNC Magazine and on CNN, and supported Chamber team on other media platforms. Delivered impactful regional projects for DMJPS, Arts AVL and Haywood County Chamber of Commerce. Riverbird Research industry spotlights and economic updates featured in WNC Magazine, Triad Business Journal and other regional publications.

What it must file and when

IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in June, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.

IRS record

EIN

56-0125440

Tax-exempt status

501(c)(6): Business league or chamber of commerce

Donations deductible

No

Exempt since

1976

Accounting year ends

June

Files

Form 990 or 990-EZ

Assets (IRS master file)

$4,276,179

Income (IRS master file)

$4,142,115

Filing history

990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 56-0125440).

Questions about ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC

What is the EIN of ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC?

The employer identification number (EIN) of ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC is 56-0125440.

Is ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC tax-exempt?

Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(6) since 1976.

Are donations to ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC tax-deductible?

No. The IRS master file says contributions to it are not deductible.

Which annual return does ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC file?

Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.

When is the next return of ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC due?

The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending June 30, 2026) is due November 16, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.

When did ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC last file with the IRS?

The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended June 2025.

Who is the principal officer of ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC?

The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 names Kathryn Cramer.

Who are the officers and directors of ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC?

The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 lists 30 people; 5 received compensation from the organization, the highest $325,366 (Kathryn Cramer, President & CEO).

How much revenue does ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC have?

On its 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 it reported revenue of $4,073,819, expenses of $4,171,225 and total assets of $4,276,179 at year end.

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