South Carolina Aquarium
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Our mission is to inspire conservation of the natural world by exhibiting and caring for animals, by excelling in education and research, and by providing an exceptional visitor experience.
- Income
- $20.3 million
- Spending
- $17.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 10.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 65%
- Employees
- 293
- Volunteers
- 323
- Highest pay
- $389,749, president and 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
Good: 88 out of 100. Higher than 62% of charities in its peer group (animals, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 15% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 3% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 31 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 2540 of 40 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 (4)
- $3.1 million spent. Facilities program services include all costs associated with the maintenance, security, and operation of a 20+ year-old Aquarium facility, exhibits, and animal life support systems. The 93,000 square foot facility offers a state-of-the-art environmental learning center that encompasses the entire spectrum of the southeast Appalachian watershed as found in South Carolina: mountain, piedmont, coastal plain, coast and the ocean. In 2016, the Aquarium completed a major energy performance project to replace current natural gas and electric power infrastructure, which resulted in significant energy and cost savings.The Aquarium's state-of-the-art Zucker Family Sea Turtle Recovery Center provides guests with an interactive learning experience so they can observe the care and rehabilitation and education related to these threatened and endangered species.
- $3.9 million spent. Guest program services include admissions and environmental services. Providing new and exciting exhibits and installations to enhance the visitor experience, the SCA both educates and entertains. From interactive daily programming with hands on experiences to upgraded technology throughout the Aquarium, we have developed an exciting interpretive journey to guide guests from the mountains to the sea. The Aquarium today is the Charleston region's most visited attraction, with an average annual attendance of 500,000 (including approximately 22,000 students).2024 was a productive year which emphasized our ongoing engagement of our mission and the diverse array of projects that make our institution so unique. We saw record numbers in revenue, including incredible success of our holiday lights experience within our walls, Aquarium Aglow.An expanded partnership with the local tri-county library system brought almost 8,000 additional community members into the Aquarium free of charge in 2024.The Aquarium continues to enjoy "best of class" scores among peer Aquariums in the categories of hospitality and cleanliness. In a 2022 study, it was estimated by the College of Charleston Office of Tourism Analysis that the Aquarium's presence in the community directly and indirectly generates more than $379 million to the local economy ($414 million statewide) each year.
- $2.6 million spent. Animal care (husbandry) program services are designed to continuously collect and maintain animals for the exhibits that are displayed in the Aquarium facilities. Currently the Aquarium cares for approximately 5,000 specimens of animals within 250 species.The professional biologists and aquarists at the South Carolina Aquarium deliver excellent care for every animal, maintaining a population that encompasses the diversity of wildlife in our state. The Aquarium's staff and volunteers demonstrate a passion for, and responsibility to, these animals, providing comfort, nourishment, and enrichment for each species in accordance with accrediting standards established by the association of zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
- $3.5 million spent. Education:Over the years, the education program has served more than one million students with educational programming and enriched the careers of more than five thousand teachers. The SCA serves as a complementary science education institution providing hands-on learning opportunities for students of all ages. Themed interpretive programs are presented daily by the staff, and are informative and fun for all visitors. The Aquarium has developed a standards-based structure school program that allows k-12 students to participate in hands-on activities to reinforce the standards-based concepts introduced in the classroom. Last school year, the Aquarium welcomed approximately 5,600 students through this program and trained 111 SC teachers.In addition, the Aquarium invested in our distance learning program, hosting virtual programs that have reached over 50,000 participants. A robot has allowed young patients in the MUSC and Prisma Children's hospitals to engage with our staff and exhibits from their hospital room. Meanwhile, our rovers outreach program continued to bring science to life for students throughout South Carolina, reaching 15,435 participants in schools, libraries and adult retirement homes across the state who otherwise may not have had the opportunity to visit the Aquarium in person.Throughout the year, our adult learning program engaged more than 520 participants in critical conversations related to conservation and research. Our paid High School Internship program continues to engage budding scientists exploring careers in environmental education and marine science.Conservation:The Aquarium is uniquely positioned to educate and inspire the public to conserve and protect South Carolina's rich and vast biodiversity, and its vulnerable species and their vanishing habitat. As the primary sea turtle hospital in the state of South Carolina, our Sea Turtle Care Center rehabilitates sick and injured sea turtles from across the state, educates the public about conservation of endangered and threatened sea turtles, and has released 441 rehabilitated sea turtles since its inception in 2000. During 2024, the Aquarium admitted 49 sea turtle patients and successfully released 43 sea turtles back into the ocean after they were rehabilitated in the Zucker Family Sea Turtle Recovery. This was a record-breaking year for the number of local patients admitted, as well as the number of patients released in a single year. The SCA is working to reduce the negative impact of plastics on our environment by collaborating with local partners and organizations to advocate for bans of single-use plastics and by providing the tools and support to empower volunteers across the state to organize, track and report on local litter sweeps and conservation initiatives. The Aquarium's resilience initiative for community engagement (rice) continued its work to inform communities of the risks associated with climate change and sea level rise, and to provide stakeholders with data and tools to plan for a more resilient future.The Aquarium continued its reef research in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. We studied the effects of removing invasive lionfish in artificial reefs located in marine protected areas of the coast. Once again, the Aquarium held its annual JuLionfish Derby and Festival, where divers competed to remove as many invasive lionfish as possible from reefs.The Aquarium's sustainable seafood program, Good Catch, encourages consumers and business to purchase local (harvested between NC and FL), sustainable seafood. The Good Catch Seafood Connection is a collaborative effort that provides free, local and sustainably harvested seafood to food insecure neighbors in the Lowcountry.Membership:Membership includes unlimited admission for nearly 11,000 member households. Members also receive additional benefits including access to exclusive member programs and events like Fish or Treat, early morning toddler programs, yoga for adults, and hands-on offsite experiences like seining and beachcombing. Members receive 20% off Aquarium Aglow tickets, discounted general admission tickets, discounts at local area attractions and businesses, and onsite discounts at the gift shop, snack bar, souvenir photos and VR experience. In 2024, members made up over 25% of Aquarium attendance.
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 1993.
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.
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