The Chestnut Group Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 830345524
- IRS 990-EZ coverage
- 2010–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990-EZ 2025, Form 990-N 2020
- Location
- Nashville, TN, USA
- Phone
- 6097511425
- Rating
- 69
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $102,781
- Expenses
- $97,394
- Assets
- $63,274
- Liabilities
- $1,928
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
15 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- JUDSON NEWBERN (Vice President)
- ELLEN BIBB (President)
- LISA FALLON (President)
People named in this filing
- JUDSON NEWBERN (Vice President)
- ELLEN BIBB (President)
- SARAH CLINTON (Director)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The 200 plus members of The Chestnut Group are passionate about protecting the natural and historic landscapes of Middle Tennessee. Working with valued partners to host collaborative art events, a generous portion of the proceeds from the sale of original artwork is donated to those groups with the same vision of preserving fragile local environments, threatened habitats and protected natural areas. The Chestnuts and their partners represent a unique alliance with the artistic world. To date, The Chestnut Group has raised close to a half-million dollars for preservation partners through the sale of members work. The Chestnut Group provides learning and teaching resources for every artistic level: instructional sessions for beginning painters, member-mentors eager to share their knowledge and experience, and workshops led by accomplished plein air artists for those seeking development. As a trusted voice in the plein air community, The Chestnut Group serves as a conduit of artistic and
What it reported doing in 2025
Two art shows were held in 2025, with 45% of the overall sales typically going to support the partnering nonprofit. All middle Tennessee residents that enjoy these scenic places benefit.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent revenue detail to tell how this nonprofit funds its work.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 57
- Transparency & Controls: 82
- Sustainability: 45
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 56.1%; rating input score 56
- Program expense ratio: 59.2%; rating input score 59
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Limited
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 5.2%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.65; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 4.3% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 2.6% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 56.1% of revenue deployed · 59.2% of spending went to programs
- Governance: Filed governance answers
- Accomplishments: 2 filed program accomplishments · $58K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 15 people listed
- Consistency: 7 of 7 current checks pass
- Schedules: 1 filed schedules
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 56/100.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 59/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 45/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 45/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 29/100.