The Living Planet
Also known as Loveland Living Planet Aquarium
The Living Planet reported $26.5 million in revenue and $18.0 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $84.22 went to program services, $9.25 to management and general costs and $6.53 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 60.8% of the total. Government grants made up 11.0%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $446,473 (CEO/FOUNDER). 8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 46% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $18MFor context, the median across 2,433 covered unclassified charities: $88.27 programs, $11.68 management, $0.05 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 $27MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 84.2% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 9.2% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 6.5% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.16 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 27.0% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 11.0% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 60.8% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $446,473 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.48% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 46.6 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 6 of 6 | 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 expenseAquarium program loveland Living Planet aquarium (llpa) is an association of zoos and aquariums (aza)-accredited institution with a mission to inspire guests to explore, discover, and learn about earth's diverse ecosystems. The aquarium features six primary habitat galleries and an outdoor education plaza that supports year-round engagement and interpretation. Galleries span from utah native fauna, to south america, to the ocean, to asian cloud forests, and beyond. In 2024, llpa welcomed 1,100,889 guests and expanded its animal collection through successful hatchings and acquisitions…
Education program in 2024, llpa continued to expand its steam education programs statewide. On-site programs served 78,604 students, including 18,729 from title I schools. The aquarium's outreach team delivered utah state board of education-aligned lessons in 620 classrooms, reaching 79,731 students across utah, including every 4th-grade class and select 2nd and 6th-grade classes. Nearly 3,000 students participated in summer and school-break camps, with 115 scholarships provided to ensure access for students in need. Homeschool days offered no-cost admission and supplemental learning for…
Highest 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO/FOUNDER Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $422,699 | $0 | $23,774 | $446,473 |
| VP OF DEVELO Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $214,041 | $0 | $8,059 | $222,100 |
| CFO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $192,920 | $0 | $12,614 | $205,534 |
| VP OF MARKET Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $144,904 | $0 | $19,755 | $164,659 |
| SR VP OF OPE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $146,698 | $0 | $16,774 | $163,472 |
| VP OF ZOOLOG Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $150,333 | $0 | $10,902 | $161,235 |
| VP OF HUMAN Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $122,867 | $0 | $12,269 | $135,136 |
8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Living Planet (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $629K (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–1b6 · 6 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 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5363
- Volunteers Part I, line 6210
Private foundation grants it received
8 private foundations reported grants to The Living Planet totaling $103K 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 The Living Planet's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The Living Planet, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Living Planet spent in 2024, $84.22 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of The Living Planet's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, The Living Planet reported that 84.2% of its $18.0 million in expenses went to program services, 9.2% to management and general and 6.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Living Planet pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Living Planet reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $446,473, for the role of CEO/FOUNDER (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Living Planet get its money?
Of $26.5 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 27.0% came from contributions and grants (including 11.0% from government grants) and 60.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Living Planet a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 87-0572706 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
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202543199349302024 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202443189349308654 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202303199349315660 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202203199349326225 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202123199349328037 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202013219349307931 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 87-0572706: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.