Denver Botanic Garden Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS IS TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH PLANTS, ESPECIALLY PLANTS FROM THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION AND SIMILAR REGIONS AROUND THE WORLD, PROVIDING DELIGHT AND ENLIGHTENMENT TO EVERYONE.
- Income
- $41.6 million
- Spending
- $54.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- -0.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 37%
- Employees
- 490
- Volunteers
- 2,087
- Highest pay
- $463,925, chief executive officer
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
Weak: 35 out of 100. Higher than 2% 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
10 of 20It owes 48% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 30% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 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 35% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2536 of 36 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 (6)
- $15.1 million spent. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS: CAPITAL EXPENSES AT THE YORK STREET LOCATION ARE EXPENSED WHEN INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE GARDENS' COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY & COUNTY OF DENVER. THE CITY & COUNTY OF DENVER OWNS THE PROPERTIES OPERATED BY THE DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS.CAPITAL EXPENSES AT THE CHATFIELD LOCATION ARE EXPENSED WHEN INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE GARDENS' LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS. MAJOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES IN 2024 INCLUDED THE INITIATION OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE NEW WELCOME CENTER AT CHATFIELD FARMS AND ASSOCIATED SITE IMPROVEMENTS, REPRESENTING THE FIRST PHASE OF ITS MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
- $8.7 million spent. VISITOR EXPERIENCE: IN 2024, 1,466,317 INDIVIDUALS VISITED THE DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS SIX EXHIBITIONS OPENED IN THE FREYER NEWMAN CENTER GALLERIES, PRESENTING A MIX OF INTERNATIONAL AND COLORADO-BASED ARTISTS. EXHIBITS INCLUDED RIVER'S VOICE: TEXTILES BY ALEXANDRA KEHAYOGLOU, FEATURING MONUMENTAL TEXTILES AND SHADOW AND LIGHT: PATRICK MAROLD, AN IMMERSIVE SCULPTURAL INSTALLATION. THE OUTDOOR EXHIBITION SPIRIT GUIDES: FANTASTICAL CREATURES FROM THE WORKSHOP OF JACOBO AND MARA NGELES HIGHLIGHTED MEXICAN TRADITIONS AND PLANTS OF OAXACA. FOUR TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS TOURED TO OTHER VENUES NATIONWIDE, INCLUDING LA CALAVERA CATRINA AT CHEYENNE BOTANIC GARDENS IN WYOMING AND GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY AT FERNBANK MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY IN GEORGIA. FIVE ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE (MAEVE EICHELBERGER, JAIME MOLINA, RAYMUNDO MUNOZ, CATHERINE OWENS AND DEVIN URIOSTE) WORKED WITH GARDENS STAFF TO CREATE ARTWORK EXPLORING HUMANITY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NATURAL WORLD.BLOSSOMS OF LIGHT, THE GARDENS' LARGEST EVENT, WELCOMED 191,611 VISITORS. THE GARDENS ALSO HOSTED EVENINGS AL FRESCO AND GLOW AT THE GARDENS IN ADDITION TO AN ONLINE SPRING PLANT SALE & FALL PLANT & BULB SALE.
- $7.2 million spent. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: IN 2024, DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS' EDUCATION PROGRAMS REACHED 30,028 SCHOOL CHILDREN, PROVIDING HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES, STANDARDS-BASED SCIENCE LESSONS AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN TO EXPLORE THE MARVELS OF THE PLANT WORLD, BOTH IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY. ABOUT 25% OF THESE CHILDREN CAME FROM LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS AND BENEFITED FROM THE GARDENS' EDUCATIONAL ACCESS PROGRAM. MORE THAN 14,000 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS WHILE THE MORDECAI CHILDREN'S GARDEN CONTINUED TO FLOURISH. ADULT CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS SERVED 32,000 REGISTRANTS IN A WIDE VARIETY OF CONTENT AREAS. THE HELEN FOWLER LIBRARY OFFERED PUBLIC, IN-PERSON ACCESS SIX DAYS A WEEK AND ELECTRONIC ACCESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.OUTREACH PROGRAMS ARE A CORNERSTONE IN THE GARDENS' MISSION AND INCLUDE HORTICULTURE THERAPY SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND VETERANS. OUR URBAN FOOD INTITIATIVES PROGRAMS PROVIDED FRESH PRODUCE TO LOCAL FOOD DESERT COMMUNITIES, DISTRIBUTING 10,500 POUNDS OF FRESH PRODUCE TO VARIOUS COMMUNITY GROUPS.
- $7.2 million spent. OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
- $6.8 million spent. HORTICULTURE, SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION: DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LIVING PLANT COLLECTIONS AND HORTICULTURAL GARDEN DISPLAYS, WHICH INCLUDE MORE THAN 51,000 LIVING PLANTS, BELONGING TO 10,000+ SPECIES. OUR WIDE RANGE OF GARDENS ILLUSTRATE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PLANTS AND PEOPLE. OUR DIVERSE COLLECTIONS FEATURE PLANTS FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD, FROM THE TROPICS TO THE TUNDRA. DISTINCTIVE GARDENS DEFINE AND CELEBRATE OUR REGIONAL SENSE OF PLACE IN OUR UNIQUE HIGH ALTITUDE, SEMI-ARID CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY. AS AN ACCREDITED MUSEUM, OUR DIVERSE COLLECTIONS ARE USED FOR EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND PURE ENJOYMENT. AMONG OUR LIVING COLLECTIONS RESIDE TWO NATIONAL COLLECTIONS REGISTERED WITH THE NATIONAL PLANT COLLECTIONS NETWORK (PCN): OAKS (QUERCUS) AND ALPINES OF THE WORLD. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS CLOSELY LINKED TO EVERYTHING AT THE GARDENS. THE CORE MOTIVATION OF OUR SCIENTIFIC WORK IS TO INVESTIGATE AND EXPLAIN BIODIVERSITY PATTERNS AND PROCESSES. WE ACTIVELY CONDUCT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, SERVE AS A RESOURCE OF SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE AND WORK TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS. OUR PROGRAMS INCLUDE POPULATION MONITORING, SEED COLLECTION, GENETIC INVESTIGATIONS FOR CONSERVATION OR TAXONOMIC CLARIFICATION, HABITAT RESTORATION, URBAN TREE ASSESSMENTS AND COMMUNITY SCIENCE. THE GARDENS DOCUMENTS PLANT AND FUNGAL DIVERSITY WITH A FOCUS ON THE SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION THROUGH OUR COLLECTING EFFORTS. THE KATHRYN KALMBACH VASCULAR PLANT HERBARIUM HOUSES NEARLY 80,000 SPECIMENS WHILE THE SAM MITCHEL HERBARIUM OF FUNGI HOUSES JUST OVER 20,000 WELL-CURATED SPECIMENS FROM THE REGION. WE ACCESSIONED OUR 100,000TH SPECIMENT IN 2024. THE GARDENS TRAINS THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS THROUGH GRADUATE STUDENT PROGRAMS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT DENVER AND OTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. OUR EXPANDED RESTORATION STUDIES EXAMINING SEED MIXES AND INFLUENCE OF A WARMING CLIMATE ON PLANT SUCCESS THROUGH COMMON GARDEN STUDIES CONTINUED WITH TWO ACTIVE FIELD SITES. IN ADDITION, WE COLLECTED GENETIC DATA ON PLANTS FROM MULTIPLE SOURCE LOCATIONS GROWING IN OUR COMMON GARDEN IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE INFLUENCE OF GENETICS AND ENVIRONMENT ON SUCCESS OF RESTORATION PROJECTS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE US BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT WE MADE SEED COLLECTIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE NATIONAL NATIVE SEED STRATEGY AND THE SEEDS OF SUCCESS PROGRAM ACROSS WYOMING IN 2024.THE GARDENS' CENTER FOR GLOBAL INITIATIVES IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE GARDENS' WORK AROUND THE GLOBE. WE CONTINUED OUR COLLABORATION WITH INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE TECNOLOGA AGROPECUARIA (INTA), ARGENTINA IN 2024. THIS COLLABORATION WAS DEVELOPED TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND CAPACITY ON PROPAGATION AND RESEARCH OF NATIVE FLORA OF BOTH ARGENTINA, PATAGONIA IN PARTICULAR, AND THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN AND PLAINS REGIONS OF COLORADO. IN 2024 THE CENTER FOR GLOBAL INITIATIVES ALSO STEWARDS THE EXCHANGE OF KNOWLEDGE, RESOURCES, AND COLLABORATION OF NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, INSTITUTES OF BOTANY THROUGH CENTRAL ASIA, VIETNAM AND THE CAUCASUSES. THE CENTER FOR GLOBAL INITIATIVES ALSO PARTNERED WITH ECOLE NATIONALE SUPRIEURE D'AGRICULTURE OF SENEGAL IN THE MASTER PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW BOTANIC GARDEN IN THIES SENEGAL.
- $4.3 million spent. CHATFIELD FARMS: THE MISSION OF DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS CHATFIELD FARMS IS TO INSPIRE THE PUBLIC TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT BY CONNECTING PEOPLE TO OUR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PLANTS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION. CHATFIELD FARMS IS A 700-ACRE NATIVE PLANT REFUGE AND WORKING FARM LOCATED ALONG THE BANKS OF DEER CREEK IN SOUTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY. STARTING IN FEBRUARY, CHATFIELD FARMS WERE UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR PHASE 1 OF THE MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND FOR THE 4.5-ACRE SOLAR FARM. EIGHTEEN MILLION DOLLARS IN IMPROVEMENTS TO BE COMPLETED IN 2025 WERE INITIATED. ATTENDANCE AT EVENTS AND DAILY VISITOR NUMBERS TOTALED 203,177. THE LAVENDER FESTIVAL HOSTED 11,255 ATTENDEES IN THE TWO-DAY EVENT. CORN MAZE WAS ANOTHER GREAT SUCCESS WITH 61,716 VISITORS DURING SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER. THE PUMPKIN FESTIVAL HOSTED 36,646 ATTENDEES AND NEARLY 27,000 PUMPKINS WERE PURCHASED BY VISITORS. TRAIL OF LIGHTS ATTENDANCE WAS 44,000. THE SECOND ANNUAL HOPS FESTIVAL ATTRACTED AROUND 1,000 ATTENDEES TO SAMPLE LOCAL BREWS. BEER MADE FROM OUR OWN HOPS GROWN AT CHATFIELD FARMS. THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE (CSA) PROGRAM GREW OVER 72,000 POUNDS OF MORE THAN 30 DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF VEGETABLES AND FLOWERS DISTRIBUTED TO 300 PAYING SHAREHOLDERS IN 2024. THE PROGRAM DONATED 18% OF THIS PRODUCE TO NUMEROUS NOT-FOR PROFITS AND FOODBANKS INCLUDING SAME CAF, GRACEFULL CAF, AND METRO CARING. THE CSA ALSO PROVIDED AGRICULTURE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TRAINING FOR URBAN FARMERS.
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 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 December 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 December 1952.
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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