Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees
Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees reported $61.0 million in revenue and $62.8 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $78.43 went to program services, $17.83 to management and general costs and $3.74 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 73.4% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $548,181 (PRESIDENT). 13 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 15% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $63MFor context, the median across 371 covered environment charities: $85.82 programs, $10.80 management, $3.38 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $61MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 78.4% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 17.8% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 3.7% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.05 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 73.4% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 3.7% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 14.0% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $548,181 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.87% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 13 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 77.8 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 34 of 34 | 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 expenseHorticulture: the garden's horticulture program develops plant collections and maintains landscapes for display, home gardening demonstrations and information dissemination, and in support of research and ex-situ conservation. The garden's seed bank, located at oertli family hardy plant nursery, holds 40 percent of the state of missouri's native flora. Our plant collections included 17,242 taxa and 9,141 species. The garden's 79 acres feature indoor and outdoor plant displays that attracted 1,047,438 visitors in 2025. Home gardeners from around the world regularly use the garden's on-site and…
Science: the Missouri Botanical Garden is a world leader in plant discovery and plant conservation around the world. In 2025 garden scientists discovered more than 200 new plant species, which is roughly 10 percent of all new plants discovered each year worldwide. Our herbarium, with 8 million specimens including nearly 2 million digitized specimens, is among the largest and serves as a global database of plants used to make evaluations on conservation status. By knowing what plants are threatened, we can identify areas of high conservation value where protecting landscapes may save…
Education: the garden takes seriously its mission to share knowledge about plants and the environment with people of all ages. In 2025 345,231 people participated in educational experiences led by the Missouri Botanical Garden, from community-based projects to on-site and virtual classes and events to year-long programs and community-based projects. Of this number, 37,801 were prek-grade 12 students and teachers who connected with the garden in ways that deepened their understanding and appreciation for plants, nature, and the importance of living sustainably. In the community, the garden is…
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $478,189 | $0 | $69,992 | $548,181 |
| COO Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $281,070 | $0 | $29,082 | $310,152 |
| VP INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEME Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $259,814 | $0 | $9,577 | $269,391 |
| VP INFO TECH & CIO Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $235,045 | $0 | $20,851 | $255,896 |
| VP HUMAN RESOURCES Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $221,718 | $0 | $13,222 | $234,940 |
| VP SCIENCE & CONSERVATION Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $206,748 | $0 | $24,332 | $231,080 |
| VP HORTICULTURE Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $200,086 | $0 | $22,549 | $222,635 |
| VP VISITOR OPERATIONS Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $190,469 | $0 | $18,516 | $208,985 |
13 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $3.3M (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–1b34 · 34 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 2No
- 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 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5547
- Volunteers Part I, line 61,669
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| CREATIVES ON CALL Consulting services | $455,484 |
| VANTAGELINKS It services | $218,024 |
| DANILLERCOMPANY Marketing services | $146,133 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 7 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
76 private foundations reported grants to Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees totaling $3.4M 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 Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees spent in FY2025, $78.43 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees reported that 78.4% of its $62.8 million in expenses went to program services, 17.8% to management and general and 3.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $548,181, for the role of PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees get its money?
Of $61.0 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 73.4% came from contributions and grants (including 3.7% from government grants) and 14.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 43-0666759 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 September 30, 2025, object 202622249349300442 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202522199349302152 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202412069349300446 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202332169349301013 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202211959349301856 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202142049349300529 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 43-0666759: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.