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OMAHA ZOO FOUNDATION

EIN 36-3297716 OMAHA, NE

Revenue 2024
$26,326,840
Expenses 2024
$24,708,993

Program services were 86.4% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
NTEE code
D30
Classification
1400
Street
3701 S 10TH ST

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

FOUNDED IN 1984, THE OMAHA ZOO FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THE MISSION, RESEARCH AND PROGRAMS BENEFITTING OMAHA'S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM. TO ENSURE A GROWING, VIBRANT ZOO FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, IT IS OUR PRIORITY TO BUILD A SOLID PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATION FOR OMAHA'SCOMMUNITY TREASURE.

Activities or mission (Part I)

SUPPORT THE MISSION, RESEARCH AND PROGRAMS BENEFITTING OMAHA'S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM.

  • THE OMAHA ZOO FOUNDATION WAS INCORPORATED AS A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION TO SOLICIT AND RECEIVE CONTRIBUTIONS, GIFTS, GRANTS, DEVISES, AND BEQUESTS, AND TO DISTRIBUTE AND APPLY SUCH ASSETS AND/OR THE INCOME THEREFROM TO AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE OMAHA ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

    Expenses $21,355,230 · Grants $20,751,271

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • Howard L Hawks

    DIRECTOR (THRU 12/6/2024)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Mogens C Bay

    CHAIRMAN

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1 + 1 related

  • Calvin Sisson

    VICE CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1 + 1 related

  • Michael R McCarthy

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1 + 1 related

  • Tina Cherica

    PRESIDENT & CEO

    Total calculated
    $431,711
    From this org
    $403,033
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $28,678
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $306,899
    Bonus
    $95,000
    Other
    $1,134
    Deferred
    $17,250
    Nontaxable benefits
    $11,428
    Filer's total
    $431,711

  • Kiley Thiele

    VP OF DEVELOPMENT

    Total calculated
    $188,342
    From this org
    $180,518
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $7,824
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $160,304
    Bonus
    $19,200
    Other
    $1,014
    Deferred
    $7,233
    Nontaxable benefits
    $591
    Filer's total
    $188,342

  • Dr Lee G Simmons

    VP OF DONOR RELATIONS

    Total calculated
    $359,926
    From this org
    $342,786
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $17,140
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $342,786
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $17,140
    Nontaxable benefits
    $0
    Filer's total
    $359,926

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2024
    Revenue
    $26,326,840
    Expenses
    $24,708,993
    Contributions
    $18,853,240
    Grants paid
    $20,751,271
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $31,905,904
    Expenses
    $10,861,921
    Contributions
    $26,364,271
    Grants paid
    $7,897,098
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $25,005,850
    Expenses
    $21,713,185
    Contributions
    $20,626,686
    Grants paid
    $15,520,045

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

  • 2023 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported

  • 2022 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported

  • 2021 · 990

    Revenue
    $25,199,115
    Expenses
    $21,920,907
    Assets (EOY)
    $158,676,876

  • 2021 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported

  • 2020 · 990

    Revenue
    $19,596,567
    Expenses
    $47,421,639
    Assets (EOY)
    $154,960,524

  • 2020 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported

  • 2019 · 990

    Revenue
    $63,534,749
    Expenses
    $34,539,812
    Assets (EOY)
    $174,016,826

  • 2015 · 990

    Revenue
    $53,585,594
    Expenses
    $53,820,690
    Assets (EOY)
    $195,793,567

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all.

Grants made

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Related organizations

From Schedule R Part II, where a filer lists the tax-exempt organizations it is related to by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Declared on its 2024 return

Declared as related by

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 1 November 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.