Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary
Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary reported $165.7 million in revenue and $125.5 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $79.26 went to program services, $18.88 to management and general costs and $1.86 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 92.0% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $958,720 (FORMER PRESIDENT/CEO). 57 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 62% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $125MFor 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 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $166MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 79.3% | 82.1% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 18.9% | 9.2% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 1.9% | 6.5% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.33 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 4.3% | 67.3% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 92.0% | 19.3% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $958,720 | $314,886 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.76% | 1.63% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 57 | 10 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 44.7 | 26.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 19 of 19 | 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
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseHighest reported compensation
2024 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORMER PRESIDENT/CEO Former, 40.00 hrs/week | $936,748 | $0 | $21,972 | $958,720 |
| VP/INTERIM CEO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $390,594 | $0 | $37,006 | $427,600 |
| CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $364,748 | $0 | $24,154 | $388,902 |
| CHIEF ANIMAL OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $330,181 | $0 | $23,549 | $353,730 |
| CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $334,394 | $0 | $16,436 | $350,830 |
| DIRECTOR, GROUP SALES Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $271,532 | $0 | $19,532 | $291,064 |
| VP, ZOOLOGICAL OPERATIONS Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $248,620 | $0 | $28,442 | $277,062 |
| VP, GROUP SALES Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $260,459 | $0 | $15,309 | $275,768 |
57 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $5.9M (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
2024 · 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–1b19 · 19 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 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5917
- Volunteers Part I, line 6795
Largest outside contractors
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| NBBJ ARCHITECTURE PLLC Cip, consulting & design | $7,543,154 |
| PECKHAM GUYTON ALBERS & VIETS INC Cip, consulting & design | $1,042,638 |
| ALLOY MARKETING Digital marketing & website development | $1,030,941 |
| ABM JANITORIAL Janitorial services | $907,195 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 18 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
21 private foundations reported grants to Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary totaling $162K 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 Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary spent in 2024, $79.26 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsBoston, MA · revenue $152M · programs 87.3% · 2025
- Johnny Morris' Ozarks Heritage PreserveSpringfield, MO · revenue $168M · programs 90.7% · 2024
- National Wildlife FederationReston, VA · revenue $124M · programs 85.8% · FY2025
- Best Friends Animal SocietyKanab, UT · revenue $174M · programs 76.2% · FY2025
- People for the Ethical Treatment of AnimalsNorfolk, VA · revenue $110M · programs 83.8% · FY2025
Questions people ask
How much of Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary reported that 79.3% of its $125.5 million in expenses went to program services, 18.9% to management and general and 1.9% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $958,720, for the role of FORMER PRESIDENT/CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary get its money?
Of $165.7 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 4.3% came from contributions and grants and 92.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Georgia Aquarium Inc. & Subsidiary a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 58-2574918 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
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202523109349301662 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202443119349303494 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202333179349301673 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202233189349306603 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202103169349307655 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202023219349301577 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 58-2574918: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.