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Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum reported $23.8 million in revenue and $15.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $79.50 went to program services, $17.08 to management and general costs and $3.42 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 51.5% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $221,721 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 105% 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 $15MFor context, the median across 876 covered arts, culture & humanities charities: $79.98 programs, $13.89 management, $6.13 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 $24MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 79.5% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 17.1% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 3.4% | 6.0% |
| 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 | 51.5% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 1.9% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 35.4% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $221,721 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.45% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 5 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 60.4 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 15 of 16 | 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 arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a world-renowned biopark comprised of multiple components, including regional zoo, botanical garden, aquarium, research organization, art institute, and natural history museum. The museum sits on 98 acres of leased property, 21 of which are accessible to the public, with 2 miles of walking paths where guests view exhibits that realistically re-create the flora and fauna of the vibrant sonoran desert region. Visitors may encounter more than two hundred animal species, curated gardens with over one thousand varieties of plants, two art galleries, and a…
Conservation, education and science programssince its founding in 1952, the arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has put conservation education and science at the core of its mission. From helping to establish protected islands and coastal wetlands in the gulf of california, to breeding and reintroduction programs for endangered species such as the mexican gray wolf, thick-billed parrot, and numerous fish, amphibians, and reptiles, to documenting the biodiversity that helped establish the ironwood forest national monument, the museum's conservation activities have been widely recognized for many…
Art institutethe mission of the asdm art institute is "conservation through art education." we seek to engage people in nature-focused art classes and inspire new conservation advocates. To this end, we offer art classes, art exhibits, and stewardship of the museum's art collection. Art classes:art professionals teach all art classes, and class content emphasizes our living collections and sonoran desert setting. In fiscal year 2025, the art institute served 1,261 students on-site. 27 instructors taught 174 different art and photography classes. Four students graduated from the nature art…
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 Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $191,066 | $0 | $30,655 | $221,721 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $131,612 | $0 | $20,852 | $152,464 |
| DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $130,559 | $0 | $13,877 | $144,436 |
| DIRECTOR OF COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $113,431 | $0 | $20,763 | $134,194 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $118,477 | $0 | $1,232 | $119,709 |
5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $684K (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–1b16 · 15 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 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 5217
- Volunteers Part I, line 6433
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| SMYTH INDUSTRIES INC Construction | $1,226,396 |
| SOUTH OF THE BORDER TOURS Tour guide services | $291,540 |
| DARK HORSE MEDIA LLC Media marketing | $278,616 |
| MARK WRIGHT CONSTRUCTION INC Construction | $254,657 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 13 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
28 private foundations reported grants to Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum totaling $2.1M 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 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum spent in FY2025, $79.50 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Interlochen Arts CampInterlochen, MI · revenue $24M · programs 100.0% · FY2025
- Fenimore Art MuseumNew York, NY · revenue $24M · programs 30.0% · 2024
- Joslyn Art MuseumOmaha, NE · revenue $24M · programs 60.3% · 2024
- Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt UniversityChicago, IL · revenue $24M · programs 91.5% · FY2025
- The Newark Museum AssociationNewark, NJ · revenue $24M · programs 71.0% · 2024
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Arizona
Questions people ask
How much of Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum reported that 79.5% of its $15.3 million in expenses went to program services, 17.1% to management and general and 3.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $221,721, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum get its money?
Of $23.8 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 51.5% came from contributions and grants (including 1.9% from government grants) and 35.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 86-0111675 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. 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 202622189349300422 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202522199349300342 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202442219349301729 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202301939349302010 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202241659349301919 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202111479349301601 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 86-0111675: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.