Zoological Society of Cincinnati
Zoological Society of Cincinnati reported $69.4 million in revenue and $63.6 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $88.12 went to program services, $9.17 to management and general costs and $2.71 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 60.3% of the total. Government grants made up 10.8%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $735,591 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 17 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 3% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $64MFor context, the median across 245 covered animal-related charities: $83.96 programs, $9.42 management, $6.62 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $69MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 88.1% | 82.1% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 9.2% | 9.2% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 2.7% | 6.5% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.04 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 60.3% | 67.3% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 10.8% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 26.2% | 19.3% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $735,591 | $314,886 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.16% | 1.63% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 17 | 10 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 59.2 | 26.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 39 of 39 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseThe world-famous cincinnati zoo & botanical garden is committed to inspiring visitors to care about wildlife and wild places. It was voted the #1 best zoo in a USA today reader poll and has also received rave reviews from child magazine, parents magazine, USA today and tripadvisor. Over 1.8 million people visit the zoo's award-winning habitats, and more than 500 animal and 3000 plant species annually. The zoo, an accredited member of the association of zoos & aquariums (aza) since 1978, is internationally known for its success in the protection and propagation of endangered animals and plants…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $708,475 | $0 | $27,116 | $735,591 |
| VP & COO Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $335,786 | $0 | $28,449 | $364,235 |
| VP & CFO Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $294,521 | $0 | $33,062 | $327,583 |
| VP: CONSERVATION & SCIENCE Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $189,430 | $0 | $19,094 | $208,524 |
| VP: FACILITIES Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $175,722 | $0 | $28,515 | $204,237 |
| VP: MARKETING Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $164,544 | $0 | $28,283 | $192,827 |
| VP: DEVELOPMENT Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $158,539 | $0 | $18,880 | $177,419 |
| DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $148,696 | $0 | $27,437 | $176,133 |
17 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Zoological Society of Cincinnati (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.0M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b39 · 39 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5997
- Volunteers Part I, line 6739
Private foundation grants it received
17 private foundations reported grants to Zoological Society of Cincinnati totaling $1.0M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Zoological Society of Cincinnati's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Zoological Society of Cincinnati, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Zoological Society of Cincinnati spent in FY2025, $88.12 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- San Diego Humane Society and SPCASan Diego, CA · revenue $68M · programs 85.6% · FY2025
- Nashville ZooNashville, TN · revenue $70M · programs 85.7% · 2025
- Denver Zoological FoundationDenver, CO · revenue $66M · programs 80.0% · 2025
- Petsmart CharitiesPhoenix, AZ · revenue $71M · programs 92.9% · FY2026
- Governors Island CorporationNew York, NY · revenue $65M · programs 85.8% · FY2025
Questions people ask
How much of Zoological Society of Cincinnati's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, Zoological Society of Cincinnati reported that 88.1% of its $63.6 million in expenses went to program services, 9.2% to management and general and 2.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Zoological Society of Cincinnati pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Zoological Society of Cincinnati reported for one person in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 was $735,591, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Zoological Society of Cincinnati get its money?
Of $69.4 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, 60.3% came from contributions and grants (including 10.8% from government grants) and 26.2% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Zoological Society of Cincinnati a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 31-0537171 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, object 202503189349311820 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, object 202402499349302010 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, object 202303349349300900 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, object 202243329349300404 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021, object 202132579349300813 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020, object 202003539349300600 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 31-0537171: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.