Central Florida Zoological Society Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Dedicated to education, preservation, beauty and wonder of annimals and their habitats through a commitment to share knowledge, engage visitors and celebrate our natural world.
- Income
- $9.0 million
- Spending
- $9.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 74%
- Reserves
- 3.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 61%
- Employees
- 195
- Volunteers
- 509
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: 73 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 4% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1574% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 22 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 73% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 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.
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 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)
- $4.1 million spent. See Schedule O
- $1.2 million spent. Guest services-our visitor services department performs a great variety of services to our community. It is through the hard and dedicated work that these people perform each and every day which greatly enhances the communitys overall experience at the Central Florida Zoo.
- $1.0 million spent. Education-In the current year the educational department played a vital role in engageing over 95,000 learners, leaders and advocates in the Central Florida community. Many of our programs are integrated curriculum-based that target the Florida sunshine state standards. The education programs are specifically created from each stage of life from early learning to adult. Education programs encourage curiosity and understanding about our environment and bring awareness to the vital role that our zoologocal park plays in connecting families to nature. In addition, the zoological park is a unique venue for students to engage in problem solving and critical thinking, with opportunities for real life applications.
- $497,961 spent. See Schedule O
- Organizations Mission The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a conservation resource providing experiences that excite and inspire children and adults to learn and act on behalf of wildlife. Our vision is to empower our guests to respect, value and care for our natural resources, as we commit to contributing globally to the conservation and preservation of wildlife. As a regional resource in the Central Florida area and beyond, we will provide innovative and creative solutions through collaberation, practices and partnerships. The continued growth and development of the zoo will further enhance its attraction to visitors outside the Organizations Mission Continued Our core values are protect, innovate, engage and empower. Protect-we passionately commit our expertise and resources to saving animals and to ensuring their long-term survival. Innovate-we strive to diacover solutions through progressive practices and partnerhips in education, conservation and preservation. Engage-We connect people with wildlife and wild places and create opportunities to inspire our guests to respect, value and care for the natural world. Empower-We give our guests, staff and volunteers and the communities we serve the knowledge and tools to take positive action for all species. Form 990, Part III, Line 4A First Accomplishment Operation of a Zoologocal Park. The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens is open 7 days a week. Annuaal Attendence is between 275000-300000 people. The zoo is supported by private donations and gate admission. The zoo cares for 300 individual animals, representing 162 species. As a conservation organization, the zoo advances regional efforts to save animals through extenction through reintrodiction efforts in southern Alabama and Northwest Florida. The Zoo also advances global efforts to save endangered soecies through our participation in 33 AZA species survival programs. Form 990 Part III, Line 4A First Accomplishment Continued Each SSP program coordinates activities of participating instututions which can include housing bachelor herds, like the male giraffes, breeding reccomendations loke our Fossa and Amur Leopard; or providing life long care to animals due to their age; reproductive status; or other demographic or genetic characteristics, may be deemed out of the namaged population, such as cotton top tamarins. Form 990, Part III, Line 4a First Accomplishment Continued In addition to breeding, housing bachelor herds, and providing life long care to our animals, we support proejcts for public engagement as well as financially contribute to conservation orhanizations such as the cheetah conservation fund for their work in Africa. The Zoo weaves direct connections to conservation efforts and solutions in all animal experiences and programs, wether on zoo grounds or in the community. Our mission is to bring the world of animals to our guests who may never have the opportunity to see these animals in the wild. The zoo offers educational experiences that reach over 75,000 school chidren each year through our summer camps, programs and community outreaches. Form 990 Part III, Line 4A, First Accomplishment Continued The zoo offers educational experiences that reach over 75,000 school chidren each year through our summer camps, programs and community outreaches. The zoo ensures that all experiences are equitable, accessible and affordable to members of our community. Philanthropic partnerships ensure that children, regardless of background, can visit the zoo and participate in education programs for free or at a reduced fee as they learn to care about their environment, as well as develop skills in science, critical thinking, communication, and problem solving. We strive to make the zoo a place of inclusion in which people of all backgrounds and abilities feel welcome. Form 990 Part III, Line 4A, First Accomplishment Continued The zoo strives to lead by example and to improve with animal care of the highest quality and ethically balanced approaches, so our community may understand and connect with animals at our zoo and around the world. We access animal welfare and identify opportunities for progress and best practices. Our animal welfare program includes habitat assessments, life plans that consider the entirety of the time the animals are in our care. Daily animal management records used to document changes in an animals physical and behavioral conditions and reporting and monitoring welfare. Form 990, Part III, Line 4D, All Other Accomplishments The Society also operates the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation (OCIC). The main goal of the program is to facilitate long-term captive breeding programs for eastern indigo snakes and the importance of conservation and promotion of public education and to foster tolerance of snakes in our natural communities. In the current yeat the OCIC relased 20 eastern indigo snakes in the Conecuh National forest in Alabama and another 20 Indigo snakes were released in the Panhandke of FLorida. In addition to eastern indigo snakes, the OCIC participates in a striped newt reintigration program. In the current year, 148 striped newts were also realeased in the panhandle of Florida.
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
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 June 2025.
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 June 1972.
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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