Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Botanic Gardens reported $52.1 million in revenue and $47.6 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $88.60 went to program services, $6.75 to management and general costs and $4.65 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 59.8% of the total. Government grants made up 17.5%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $402,311 (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER). 36 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 28% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $48MFor 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
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $52MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 88.6% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 6.7% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 4.7% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.07 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 59.8% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 17.5% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 33.2% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $402,311 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.85% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 36 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 3.9 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 36 of 36 | 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 expenseCapital improvements: capital expenses at the york street location are expensed when incurred as a result of the gardens' cooperative agreement with the city & county of denver. The city & county of denver owns the properties operated by the Denver Botanic Gardens.capital expenses at the chatfield location are expensed when incurred as a result of the gardens' lease agreement with the army corps of engineers. Major capital expenditures in 2025 included the completion of construction on the new welcome center at chatfield farms and associated site improvements, representing the first phase of…
Visitor experience: in 2025, 1,415,654 individuals visited the Denver Botanic Gardens. Seven exhibitions opened in the freyer newman center galleries, featuring national and international artists. An additional pop-up exhibition of work by students of the school of botanical art & illustration was staged on the robert andrew ming bridge. Blockbuster exhibition blue grass, green skies: american impressionism and realism from the los angeles county museum of art featured a selection of landscapes and urban scenes, complemented by large gold frames sited throughout the gardens highlighting…
Education and outreach: Denver Botanic Gardens works to be a welcoming, diverse, and accessible place for the entire community, offering reduced-fee and free-access opportunities and community partnerships so that people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds can experience and benefit from its gardens, collections, and programs. In 2025, Denver Botanic Gardens' education programs reached 39,000 school children, providing hands-on experiences, standards-based science lessons and the opportunity for children to explore the marvels of the plant world, both in person and virtually. About 20% of…
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $352,516 | $0 | $49,795 | $402,311 |
| INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $278,541 | $0 | $52,992 | $331,533 |
| DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $228,097 | $0 | $45,270 | $273,367 |
| DIRECTOR OF HORTICULTURE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $209,854 | $0 | $23,951 | $233,805 |
| DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $204,351 | $0 | $27,304 | $231,655 |
| DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $180,851 | $0 | $45,049 | $225,900 |
| DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $196,670 | $0 | $26,366 | $223,036 |
| CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (THRU 3/25) Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $161,589 | $0 | $12,684 | $174,273 |
36 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Denver Botanic Gardens (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $988K (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–1b36 · 36 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 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5496
- Volunteers Part I, line 62,097
Largest outside contractors
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| GH PHIPPS CONSTRUCTION CO Construction | $3,988,745 |
| SAVATREE LLC Landscape | $568,320 |
| ALPINE ARTISAN STUDIOS LLC Display creation/installation | $379,926 |
| EMICO MEDIA INC Advertising | $350,674 |
| SHI INTERNATIONAL CORP Software and it hardware | $288,140 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 27 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
57 private foundations reported grants to Denver Botanic Gardens totaling $956K 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 Denver Botanic Gardens's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Denver Botanic Gardens, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Denver Botanic Gardens spent in 2025, $88.60 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Bonneville Environmental FoundationPortland, OR · revenue $52M · programs 96.5% · FY2025
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Questions people ask
How much of Denver Botanic Gardens's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Denver Botanic Gardens reported that 88.6% of its $47.6 million in expenses went to program services, 6.7% to management and general and 4.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Denver Botanic Gardens pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Denver Botanic Gardens reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $402,311, for the role of CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Denver Botanic Gardens get its money?
Of $52.1 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 59.8% came from contributions and grants (including 17.5% from government grants) and 33.2% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Denver Botanic Gardens a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 84-0440359 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, 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 202642169349300319 · read the filing
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202512209349301201 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202402079349300010 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202322139349301237 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202202169349300520 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202112249349301641 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202022209349301302 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 84-0440359: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.