Omaha Zoological Society Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE OMAHA ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S MISSION IS TO INSPIRE, EDUCATE, AND ENGAGE PEOPLE TO SERVE AS LIFE-LONG STEWARDS FOR ANIMALS, THEIR HABITATS, AND THEIR CONSERVATION.
- Income
- $82.0 million
- Spending
- $79.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- -1.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 47%
- Employees
- 1,344
- Volunteers
- 975
- Highest pay
- $687,338, 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: 65 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (animals, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 16% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (animals, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports 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 (3)
- $69.6 million spent. OMAHA ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OPERATES AND MAINTAINS OMAHA'S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM. THE ZOO SITS ON 160 ACRES AND HOUSES APPROXIMATELY 1,035 ANIMAL SPECIES INCLUDING MAMMALS, BIRDS, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, FISH, AND INVERTEBRATES. IT BOASTS NATURAL, IMMERSIVE EXHIBIT SPACES, INCLUDING ASIAN HIGHLANDS, BAY FAMILY CHILDREN'S ADVENTURE TRAILS, SCOTT AFRICAN GRASSLANDS, SUZANNE AND WALTER SCOTT AQUARIUM, OWEN SEA LION SHORES, HUBBARD GORILLA VALLEY AND ORANGUTAN FOREST, THE WORLD'S LARGEST INDOOR DESERT COVERED BY A TRANSPARENT GLAZED GEODESIC DOME, LIED JUNGLE (AMERICA'S LARGEST INDOOR RAINFOREST), AND THE WORLD'S LARGEST NOCTURNAL EXHIBIT. DURING 2024, 76,453 MEMBERSHIPS WERE SOLD, AND THE TOTAL VISITORS TO THE PARK, PARTICIPANTS IN EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AND EVENT ATTENDEES WAS 1,707,195.
- $2.6 million spent. OMAHA'S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM'S CENTER FOR CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH CONDUCTS VALUABLE CONSERVATION SCIENCE RESEARCH IN THE AREAS OF VETERINARY MEDICINE, REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES, GENETICS, NUTRITION, AND BEHAVIORAL HUSBANDRY AND WELFARE. THE SCIENTIFIC TEAMS CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN 2025 INCLUDED SEVEN VETERINARIANS, SIX PH.D. SCIENTISTS AND POST-DOCS, TWO MASTER'S LEVEL RESEARCHERS AND EIGHT ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL STAFF. THESE TEAMS WERE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN MULTIPLE RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT LED TO THE PUBLICATION OF MANUSCRIPTS IN PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS. IN ADDITION, OUR RESEARCHERS PRESENTED AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES AND SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS, AND GAVE INVITED TALKS AND LECTURES AT UNIVERSITIES, SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES, AND INDUSTRY MEETINGS. OMAHA'S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM SUPPORTED SEVERAL CONSERVATION PROJECTS FOCUSING ON NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, ASIA, MADAGASCAR, MAINLAND AFRICA, AND THE OCEANS. SUPPORT NOT ONLY INCLUDED FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECTS BUT STAFF EXPERTISE AND TIME WITH DIRECT PARTICIPATION AND LEADERSHIP IN CONSERVATION EFFORTS FOR THE RESCUE, PROPAGATION AND RESTORATION OF CORAL REEFS THROUGH SECORE, BREEDING AND RELEASE OF SALT CREEK TIGER BEETLES IN NEBRASKA, BREEDING AND RELEASE OF AMPHIBIANS IN NORTH AMERICA AND PUERTO RICO, AND SUNFLOWER SEA STAR PROPAGATION AND FIELD EFFORTS. STAFF ALSO PROVIDE EXTENSIVE LEADERSHIP AND EXPERTISE IN KEY SERVICES ROLES ON SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS THROUGH THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS AS ADVISORS, SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN PROGRAM LEADERS, STUDBOOK KEEPERS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, PROJECT COORDINATORS, INSTRUCTORS, AND TAXON ADVISORY GROUP CHAIRS, AND STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
- $2.1 million spent. OMAHA ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES ARE LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONALLY FOCUSED. MORE THAN 2,750 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WERE CONDUCTED IN 2024. THIS PROGRAMMING, WHICH INCLUDED DAY CAMPS, CLASSES, DISTANCE LEARNING CLASSES, CAMPOUTS, AND ON-GROUNDS PROGRAMMING REACHED OVER 72,500 INDIVIDUALS. IN ADDITION, INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS AT THE ZOO AND WILDLIFE SAFARI PARK REACHED OVER 893,000 GUESTS.THE ZOO ALSO HAS CONSERVATION-ORIENTED EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN VETERINARY MEDICINE, REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES, MOLECULAR GENETICS, NUTRITION, AND ANIMAL MANAGEMENT AND HUSBANDRY IN THE GREWCOCK CENTER FOR CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH. PROGRAMMING INCLUDES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH OUR ZOO ACADEMY PROGRAM AT THE ZOO, UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCES AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL AS GRADUATE AND POST-GRADUATE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION, THE ZOO'S PROFESSIONAL STAFF PARTICIPATE IN A RANGE OF OFFSITE EDUCATION PROGRAMS WHICH COVER A BROAD SPECTRUM FROM LECTURES AT UNIVERSITIES TO LONGER DURATION PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS IN SPECIFIC SCIENTIFIC OR CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL CONSERVATION EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1953.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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.