San Antonio Botanical Garden Society Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN IS "ENRICHING LIVES THROUGH PLANTS AND NATURE." NOWHERE ELSE IN THE SOUTH-CENTRAL TEXAS REGION ARE PEOPLE AND PLANTS BROUGHT TOGETHER IN SUCH A BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE MUSEUM OF PLANTS AND OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
- Income
- $10.9 million
- Spending
- $9.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- -2.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 36%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 1,393
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
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 11% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 17% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 28% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 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 35% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2528 of 28 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 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 (4)
- $1.8 million spent. THE SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN SERVES THE CHILDREN OF BEXAR COUNTY AND THE SOUTH-CENTRAL REGION WITH EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES IN LEARNING THAT CAN ONLY BE FOUND AT THIS PUBLIC GARDEN. WE SERVE 32,000 K-12 GRADE STUDENTS ANNUALLY, AND 61% OF THOSE STUDENTS COME TO THE GARDEN FROM TITLE 1 SCHOOLS. THOUGH FUNDER SUPPORT, TITLE 1 STUDENTS RECEIVE FREE ADMISSIONS AND REIMBURSEMENT FOR BUS/TRANSPORTATION COSTS. OUR SCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE TEKS- AND STEM-BASED TO ALIGN WITH WHAT EDUCATORS ARE TEACHING BACK IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. STUDENTS RECEIVE AN EXCITING DAY OF LEARNING AT THE GARDEN THAT INCLUDES FUN EXPLORATION IN NATURE WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND TEACHERS. ANNUALLY, WE PROVIDE 1,000+ EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN, ADULTS, FAMILIES, SENIORS, AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. PROGRAMS AND CLASSES FOCUS ON THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES WITH AN EMPHASIS ON WATER CONSERVATION. AT THE GARDEN, VISITORS OF ALL AGES AND FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS ARE LEARNING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINING NATURE, PLANTS, AND WILDLIFE AS OUR PROGRAMS PROVIDE INSIGHTS AND PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE FOR EVERYONE TO BECOME STEWARDS FOR A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT AND PLANET.
- $1.7 million spent. THE SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN DISPLAYS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PLANTS AND PLANT COLLECTIONS ACROSS OUR 39 ACRES. WE ALSO PROPAGATE AND GROW MORE RARE AND ENDANGERED NATIVE TEXAS PLANTS THAN ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE. BASED ON OUR NATIONAL REPUTATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN HORTICULTURE, THE CENTER FOR PLANT CONVERSATION HAS ENTRUSTED US TO PROTECT AND GROW 120+ RARE PLANT SPECIES. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, OUR HORTICULTURE AND PLANT CONSERVATION TEAMS TRAVEL ACROSS TEXAS TO MAKE NEW HORTICULTURE DISCOVERIES AND PROTECT NATIVE PLANT SPECIES. WE CONDUCT HUNDREDS OF CONSERVATION CLASSES FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT FOCUS ON WATER CONSERVATION AND THAT PROMOTE USING LOW-WATER NATIVE PLANT SPECIES FOR LANDSCAPING HOMES. IN SEPTEMBER 2025, WE LAUNCHED THE GARDEN'S MOST AMBITIOUS HORTICULTURE PROJECT IN OUR 45-YEAR HISTORY, THE "TEXAS RECOVERY FOR ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY" (TREES). THE PURPOSE OF TREES IS TO REFOREST THE GUADALUPE RIVER CORRIDOR, WHICH SUSTAINED MASSIVE LOSS OF TREES AND VEGETATION DUE TO THE HISTORIC AND DEVASTATING FLOOD OF JULY 2025. THE GOAL OF THIS 3-5 YEAR PROJECT IS TO REPLACE 50,000 TREES AND HELP RESTORE THE ECOLOGICAL VIABILITY OF KERR COUNTY AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY REGION.
- $1.7 million spent. THE SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN WELCOMES 400,000 VISITORS ANNUALLY WHO COME TO THE GARDEN TO EXPLORE NATURE AND OUR INCREDIBLE PLANT COLLECTIONS. THEY ALSO COME TO CELEBRATE LIFE EVENTS THROUGH OUR EXTRAORDINARY EVENT SPACES. OUR PREMIER RENTAL SPACES WELCOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR 250+ LIFE EVENTS ANNUALLY THAT TAKE PLACE IN OUR BEAUTIFUL BETTY KELSO CENTER, HISTORIC CABINS, OUTDOOR CULINARY KITCHEN, UNDER OUR WISTERIA ARBOR, ACROSS OUR LUSH GREEHEY LAWN, AND MORE. REVENUE DRIVERS ALSO INCLUDE OUR WORLD-CLASS ART/NATURE EXHIBITIONS EACH YEAR THAT BRING THOUSANDS OF VISITORS TO THE GARDEN FROM AROUND THE STATE AND COUNTRY. IN 2025, WE PRESENTED THE "REFLECTIONS OF NATURE" EXHIBITION, WHICH BROUGHT 140,000+ VISITORS TO THE GARDEN DURING ITS 8-MONTH RUN AND FEATURED ORIGINAL MURALS BY ESTABLISHED LOCAL ARTISTS AND WERE INSPIRED BY THE MURAL CULTURE OF OUR SOUTH TEXAS REGION. TOGETHER, ADMISSIONS, CLASSES, RENTAL EVENTS, AND ART EXHIBITIONS NOT ONLY BRING JOY TO VISITORS, BUT THEY ALSO HELP INCREASE REVENUES AND ADD TO THE HEALTHY SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR OPERATIONS.
- $2.2 million spent. GIFT SHOP, VISITOR SERVICES, PLANT SALES, FACILITIES AND RENTALS
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since September 1981.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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