Atlanta Fulton County Zoo
Also known as Zoo Atlanta
Atlanta Fulton County Zoo reported $42.3 million in revenue and $35.6 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $89.97 went to program services, $6.38 to management and general costs and $3.65 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 51.3% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $883,014 (CEO & PRESIDENT). 21 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 40% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $36MFor 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
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $42MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 90.0% | 82.1% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 6.4% | 9.2% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 3.7% | 6.5% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.06 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 51.3% | 67.3% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 40.1% | 19.3% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $883,014 | $314,886 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.48% | 1.63% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 21 | 10 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 40.0 | 26.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 30 of 30 | 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
2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseThe animal collection & work with endangered species: 2025 highlights include the arrival of titan, a 16-year-old male african elephant; buttercup, a young female sumatran tiger, both recommended through the association of zoos and aquariums species survival plan (ssp); waffles, a hoffmann's two-toed sloth born to nutella and cocoa; nafis, a 10-year-old schmidt's guenon in the ford african rain forest; and a new ostrich, olive, and plains zebra, neighomi, in the african savanna. In a cross-organizational milestone, the zoo also transferred three female gorillas, andi, merry, and anaka, to san…
Environmental stewardship & workforce excellence: the zoo incorporates environmental considerations into its business by reducing impact through pollution prevention, waste reduction, and conservation of resources. The green team monitors the zoo's environmental efforts and maintains a sustainable workplace. The zoo's board and team members are composed of talented individuals with a broad range of professional experiences, perspectives, skills, and backgrounds, supporting thoughtful decision-making and the zoo's mission
Education & conservation: in 2025, the zoo's public, school, and family education programs served 775,116 individuals. Education programs create fun and engaging experiences to connect zoo visitors with wildlife, support science curricula to improve students' understanding of the natural world, and empower individuals to take action. 25 cents of every zoo admission ticket benefit conservation projects for wildlife and wild places around the world. The mabel dorn reeder conservation endowment fund awarded seven grants totaling $66,000 in 2025
Highest reported compensation
2025 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO & PRESIDENT Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $855,307 | $0 | $27,707 | $883,014 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $215,250 | $0 | $20,524 | $235,774 |
| VP FACILITIES Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $214,544 | $0 | $19,121 | $233,665 |
| VP & CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $198,709 | $0 | $26,696 | $225,405 |
| SR. VP GOV'T & COMM AFFAIRS Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $179,790 | $0 | $13,026 | $192,816 |
| VP OF COLLECTIONS AND CONSERVATION Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $176,400 | $0 | $9,696 | $186,096 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $141,615 | $0 | $7,760 | $149,375 |
| FORMER CFO/COO Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $105,713 | $0 | $0 | $105,713 |
21 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Atlanta Fulton County Zoo (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.1M (Part IX, line 5).
7 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2025 · 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–1b30 · 30 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 11aNo
- 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 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 5430
- Volunteers Part I, line 61,234
Largest outside contractors
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| BARNSLEY CONSULTING LLC Construction | $4,133,925 |
| THE MORRISON AGENCY Advertising | $1,407,965 |
| TURNER FS360 Construction | $1,071,826 |
| BREEDLOVE LAND PLANNING Construction | $379,075 |
| HANART CULTURE LLC Zoo lights | $349,234 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 23 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
47 private foundations reported grants to Atlanta Fulton County Zoo totaling $14M 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 Atlanta Fulton County Zoo's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Atlanta Fulton County Zoo, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Atlanta Fulton County Zoo spent in 2025, $89.97 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Embed on your site
Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Humane Society of Tampa BayTampa, FL · revenue $42M · programs 86.7% · 2025
- Center for Biological DiversityTucson, AZ · revenue $43M · programs 89.0% · 2025
- Animal CARE and Control of New York CityNew York, NY · revenue $42M · programs 87.0% · FY2025
- Zoological Society of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA · revenue $44M · programs 74.2% · FY2025
- Birdlife InternationalUnited Kingdom, · revenue $41M · programs 93.4% · 2024
Questions people ask
How much of Atlanta Fulton County Zoo's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Atlanta Fulton County Zoo reported that 90.0% of its $35.6 million in expenses went to program services, 6.4% to management and general and 3.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Atlanta Fulton County Zoo pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Atlanta Fulton County Zoo reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $883,014, for the role of CEO & PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Atlanta Fulton County Zoo get its money?
Of $42.3 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 51.3% came from contributions and grants and 40.1% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Atlanta Fulton County Zoo a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 58-1655184 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2025: Form 990 for calendar year 2025, object 202622129349300822 · read the filing
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202502589349300635 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202421999349301122 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202332099349300328 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202231959349301878 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202122149349301602 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202042769349300044 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 58-1655184: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.