Lowry Park Zoological Society of Tampa Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of the Lowry Park Zoological Society of Tampa a/k/a ZooTampa at Lowry Park, is to rescue, rehabilitate and care for animals.(Expanded mission on Schedule O)ZooTampa creates exceptional personalized experiences that connect people with wildlife and each other in fun, immersive ways. ZooTampa's brand essence is, "Unforgettable natural connections, and the vision is, "Everyone we reach is motivated to join us in taking action to protect and preserve wildlife."
- Income
- $49.0 million
- Spending
- $40.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 1.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 49%
- Employees
- 597
- Volunteers
- 289
- Highest pay
- $509,431, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 30% of charities in its peer group (animals, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.3 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 16% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 17% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 6 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, 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 2542 of 42 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 September 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 (1)
- $36.0 million spent. ZooTampa at Lowry Park features 63 acres of lush, natural habitats comprising Florida, Asia, Primates, Australia, and Africa. As a nonprofit cultural organization committed to conservation, the focus is on animals from Florida, such as manatees and Florida panthers, and animals from Florida-like climates, such as elephants and orangutans. ZooTampa houses over 900 animals in naturalistic outdoor habitats year-round. The organization helps to ensure conservation goals and objectives as well as the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically varied population of numerous species. (Continued on Schedule O) ZooTampa has contributed to the propagation of species, in conjunction with AZA species survival plans, to help save numerous species from extinction and participate in species conservation efforts locally, nationally, and internationally. ZooTampa manages a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital that is part of its larger medical campus that includes a nutrition center and animal care annex. It is the only zoological or aquarium facility in the nation that is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). ZooTampa is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and licensed to operate by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The Zoo is dedicated to serving as an educational resource for the community, and to providing an exciting, nature-based entertainment destination for families, schools, and organizations. Up-close experiences with living animals at the zoo teach the value of the living world firsthand. ZooTampa is proud to list the following accomplishments in fiscal year 2025:Zoological Operations - ZooTampa at Lowry Park continues to provide leadership aimed at saving manatees: The manatee care and veterinary team at the David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Hospital received 27 manatees for rehabilitation, of which 25 were released back into the Florida waters; 4 manatees were transferred to other facilities after ZooTampa provided the critical care needed and are now awaiting the State of Florida to determine release dates. - ZooTampa received the FAZA FWC Collaborative Conservation Award for our Manatee Critical Care program at the FWC Commission Meeting. This award from the Florida Association of Zoos and Aquariums (FAZA) recognizes excellence in field conservation efforts that benefit Florida species. - Notable births: Bali Mynah (3), Coconut Lorikeet (9), Eastern Bongo (3), Horseshoe crab (7), Bay duiker (1), Impala (2), Komodo (2), Roseate Spoonbill (4), Marabou Stork (1), Masked Lapwing (1) Siamang (1) - Notable acquisitions: Abdim Stork (1), African pygmy goose (2), African wild dog (1), Cownose Ray (13), Crested wood partridge (1), Emu (1), Four-toed hedgehog (1), Hamerkop (1), Inca Tern (2), Nicobar pigeon (1), Panamanian Golden frog (3), Puerto Rican Crested toad (2), Southern Tamandua (1), Striped Newt (14), Viginia opossum (1), Wattled Crane (1) Yellow-backed duiker (1) - Number of animals at the zoo during fiscal year 2025 = 824 Conservation & Education - Partnerships with external conservation projects, including Association of Zoos and Aquariums- Saving Animals from Extinction Program, AZA's Wildlife Trafficking Alliance, International Rhino Foundation, International Elephant Foundation, Elephant Human Relations Aid, Tampa Bay Estuary, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, Florida Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Audubon Florida, Okapi Conservation Project, Coastal Plains Institute Striped Newt, Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUNC), South African Conservation Foundation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Hospital, Conservation Center for Species Survival, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Conservation Centers for Species Survival, Orianne Society, Ecosphere Restoration Institute, Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, f-stop Foundation, Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership, Bornean Orangutan Survival Foundation, Save Giraffes Now, Macaw Recovery Network, and Turtle Survival Alliance. - In partnership with the Tampa Bay Estuary, ZooTampa created an interactive educational exhibit to inspire actional solutions for preventing marine pollution across all ages. Over 52K guests participated in interactive watershed activities and games. - Implemented numerous educational initiatives to communicate our mission through Zoo School, mission-related content, diversity, equity, inclusion, and access and pathways through the nature outreach program. - In partnership with the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County, ZooTampa participated in the iSPY Tampa Bay Community Access program, reaching thousands of caregivers, teachers, and students in Hillsborough County. - Provided 8,000 community access tickets disseminated to under-resourced program partners in Tampa Bay. - Worked with MacDonald Training Center Project SEARCH program, a 9-month mentorship program for people transitioning from day programs to work. All nine interns graduated and are employed in the community. -ZooTampa believes in the power of education, 1,081,000 guests explored interactive educational experiences while at the Zoo through Toddler Tuesday, Wildlife Connections, Expedition Wild Africa, Conservation Stations, and Signature Experiences. - Worked with Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine on the accuracy of three portable d-dimer analyzers in African elephants. - In partnership with UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, we participated in investigating the impact of herd dynamics on EEHV immune status in North American Elephants. - Participated in over 50 research projects with various student partners on understanding how learning impacts action to care for wildlife. - In partnership with USF, Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, we created early morning sensory-friendly hou
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 September 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 December 1983.
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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