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Chicago Horticultural Society

EIN 36-2225482 · Glencoe, IL

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair68 out of 100GovernanceStrong90 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

WE CULTIVATE THE POWER OF PLANTS TO SUSTAIN AND ENRICH LIFE

Income
$68.1 million
Spending
$73.4 million
Spent on programs
81%
Reserves
7.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 40%
Employees
865
Volunteers
821
Highest pay
$539,078, president & ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 68 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 7.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 18% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 8% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 11% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    81% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 16% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    74 of 74 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

    0 of 10

    Did not give 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 December 31, 2024, 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. $19.3 million spent. HORTICULTURAL PROGRAMS - THE GARDEN COMPRISES 385 ACRES, INCLUDING 81 ACRES OF LAKES AND WATERWAYS, A 15 ACRE ILLINOIS PRAIRIE, AND 100 ACRES OF NATIVE WOODLANDS. THERE ARE 28 DISPLAY GARDENS REPRESENTING UNIQUE DESIGNS, SUCH AS THE ENGLISH WALLED GARDEN, THE JAPANESE GARDEN, AND THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE ISLAND. IN 2024, THE PLANT COLLECTION OF THE GARDEN TOTALS 2.73M LIVING PLANTS. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ACTIVE ACCESSIONS (ACCESSION RECORDS) IS 29,543 WITH THE TAXA IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTIONS NUMBERING 14,200. A TOTAL OF 235 FAMILIES ARE REPRESENTED. THE PLANT COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT AT THE GARDEN OVERSEES THE ACQUISITION OF PLANTS AND SEEDS FROM NURSERIES, ARBORETA, BOTANIC GARDENS, PLANT BREEDING PROGRAMS, AND COLLECTING EXPEDITIONS TO MANY FOREIGN COUNTRIES. (Expenses $ 9,170,768 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 3,427,538) EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS - THROUGH THE JOSEPH REGENSTEIN, JR. SCHOOL OF THE CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN AND A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS, THE GARDEN SEEKS TO BECOME THE NATION'S PREEMINENT TEACHING GARDEN, WITH PROGRAMMING FOR STUDENTS OF ALL AGES, INCLUDING CAMP CBG (FOR AGES 2-12), NATURE PRESCHOOL, AND SCIENCE FIRST, WINDY CITY HARVEST YOUTH FARM, AND COLLEGE FIRST (FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS). COLLEGE STUDENTS AND POST-GRADUATES PARTICIPATE IN VARIOUS INTERN PROGRAMS, SOME IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AREA UNIVERSITIES. FINALLY, HUNDREDS OF CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, SYMPOSIA, AND ELEVEN PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE JOSEPH REGENSTEIN, JR. SCHOOL. EACH YEAR APPROXIMATELY 150,000 ARE REACHED THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS. (Expenses $ 1,607,731 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 122,831) OTHER
  2. $15.5 million spent. VISITOR SERVICES: 1,300,000 PEOPLE VISITED THE GARDEN IN 2024, FROM THROUGHOUT THE CHICAGO AREA, THE MIDWEST, THE NATION AND THE WORLD. THE GARDEN FEATURES A WIDE VARIETY OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR EVENTS, ACTIVITIES, PROGRAMMING AND EXHIBITIONS. THE GARDEN ALSO HOSTS DOZENS OF FLOWER SHOWS AND SALES, AND IS THE SITE OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR VISITORS OF ALL AGES AND WEEKEND FAMILY CLASSES.
  3. $13.8 million spent. PLANT CONSERVATION - THE GARDEN IS RECOGNIZED AS AN IMPORTANT PLAYER IN INTERNATIONAL PLANT CONSERVATION AND A LEADER IN ORNAMENTAL PLANT DEVELOPMENT. ITS PLANT BREEDING, EVALUATION, AND INTRODUCTION EFFORTS ARE CREATING NEW AND IMPROVED PLANTS FOR MIDWEST GARDENS, AND ITS DIVISION OF PLANT SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION IS WORKING ON THE MOST PRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF OUR TIME, INCLUDING INVASIVENESS, LOSS OF PLANT SPECIES BIODIVERSITY, AND HABITAT CONSERVATION. (Expenses $ 9,170,768 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 3,427,538) EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS - THROUGH THE JOSEPH REGENSTEIN, JR. SCHOOL OF THE CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN AND A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS, THE GARDEN SEEKS TO BECOME THE NATION'S PREEMINENT TEACHING GARDEN, WITH PROGRAMMING FOR STUDENTS OF ALL AGES, INCLUDING CAMP CBG (FOR AGES 2-12), NATURE PRESCHOOL, AND SCIENCE FIRST, WINDY CITY HARVEST YOUTH FARM, AND COLLEGE FIRST (FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS). COLLEGE STUDENTS AND POST-GRADUATES PARTICIPATE IN VARIOUS INTERN PROGRAMS, SOME IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AREA UNIVERSITIES. FINALLY, HUNDREDS OF CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, SYMPOSIA, AND ELEVEN PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE JOSEPH REGENSTEIN, JR. SCHOOL. EACH YEAR APPROXIMATELY 150,000 ARE REACHED THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS. (Expenses $ 1,607,731 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 122,831) OTHER
  4. $9.2 million spent. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS - THROUGH THE JOSEPH REGENSTEIN, JR. SCHOOL OF THE CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN AND A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS, THE GARDEN SEEKS TO BECOME THE NATION'S PREEMINENT TEACHING GARDEN, WITH PROGRAMMING FOR STUDENTS OF ALL AGES, INCLUDING CAMP CBG (FOR AGES 2-12), NATURE PRESCHOOL, AND SCIENCE FIRST, WINDY CITY HARVEST YOUTH FARM, AND COLLEGE FIRST (FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS). COLLEGE STUDENTS AND POST-GRADUATES PARTICIPATE IN VARIOUS INTERN PROGRAMS, SOME IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AREA UNIVERSITIES. FINALLY, HUNDREDS OF CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, SYMPOSIA, AND ELEVEN PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE JOSEPH REGENSTEIN, JR. SCHOOL. EACH YEAR APPROXIMATELY 150,000 ARE REACHED THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS.
  5. $1.6 million spent. OTHER

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

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

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since January 1949.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.