Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

New York Botanical Garden

EIN 13-1693134 · Bronx, NY

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN IS A MUSEUM OF PLANTS AND A SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CENTER DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF PLANTS AND THEIR USES. IT IS THE GARDEN'S MISSION TO IMPROVE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURAL WORLD, HORTICULTURE, AND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PLANTS AND PEOPLE. IT IS ALSO THE GARDEN'S MISSION TO EXPAND HUMANITY'S KNOWLEDGE OF PLANTS AND HOW THEY ARE UTILIZED.

Income
$124.7 million
Spending
$105.1 million
Spent on programs
79%
Reserves
4.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 45%
Employees
935
Volunteers
1,328
Highest pay
$921,163, ceo & the william c. steer sr. president

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 84% of charities in its peer group (environment, over $100m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 7% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 16% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 13% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    79% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 16% of charities in its peer group (environment, over $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    57 of 58 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (5)
  1. $24.9 million spent. HORTICULTURE AND LIVING COLLECTIONS: PREPARATION OF RESEARCH, MAINTENANCE OF GARDENS AND EXHIBITS FOR PUBLIC USE AND ENJOYMENT. PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS AND FESTIVALS TO ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE VISITING PUBLIC. THE GARDEN'S LIVING COLLECTIONS CONTAIN MORE THAN ONE MILLION PLANTS IN 50 GARDENS AND COLLECTIONS, INCLUDING: THE ENID A. HAUPT CONSERVATORY, THE NATION'S PREEMINENT VICTORIAN STYLE GLASSHOUSE; THE NOLEN GREENHOUSES FOR LIVING COLLECTIONS; THE THREE AND ONE HALF ACRE NATIVE PLANT GARDEN; THE ELEVEN ACRE AZALEA GARDEN, WHICH INCLUDES NEARLY ONE MILE OF WOODLAND PATHS MEANDERING BENEATH ANCIENT NATIVE OAKS, TULIP TREES, AND SWEETGUMS AND SURROUNDED BY MORE THAN 70,000 PLANTS; THE FIFTY ACRE THAIN FAMILY FOREST, THE LARGEST EXTANT FOREST THAT ONCE COVERED MUCH OF NEW YORK CITY.
  2. $23.6 million spent. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH DEVELOPMENT, ORGANIZATION, AND PRESENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL COURSES. THE GARDEN'S ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM OFFERS 750 CLASSES AT THE BOTANICAL GARDEN, ONLINE, AND AT THE MIDTOWN EDUCATION CENTER IN MANHATTAN. CERTIFICATES ARE OFFERED IN EIGHT PROGRAM AREAS: BOTANICAL ART & ILLUSTRATION, BOTANY, FLORAL DESIGN, GARDENING, HORTICULTURAL THERAPY, HORTICULTURE, LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND URBAN NATURE. THREE ANNUAL LECTURE PROGRAMS, LANDSCAPE DESIGN PORTFOLIOS LECTURE SERIES, WINTER LECTURE SERIES, AND ANDREW CARNEGIE DISTINGUISHED LECTURE, FEATURE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SPEAKERS.
  3. $22.1 million spent. PLANT SCIENCE COLLECTING FOR AND MAINTAINING THE GARDEN HERBARIUM FOR PUBLIC USE, INCLUDING RESEARCH. THE BOTANICAL GARDEN'S SCIENTISTS, LIBRARIANS, STAFF, GRADUATE STUDENTS, HONORARY RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, AND CURATORS PERFORM FIELDWORK AND CONDUCT CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH IN PLANT SYSTEMATICS, ECONOMIC BOTANY, ECOLOGY, MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS, AND PLANT GENOMICS.
  4. $12.3 million spent. AUXILIARY SERVICES PROVIDE SERVICES AND AMENITIES FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF THE VISITING PUBLIC.
  5. (Expenses $ 12,263,120 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 8,438,763) AUXILIARY SERVICES PROVIDE SERVICES AND AMENITIES FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF THE VISITING PUBLIC.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since June 1925.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.