ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF PITTSBURGH

As filed

Subsection

03

NTEE code

D500

Classification

1000

Street

ONE WILD PLACE

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).

Other organizations at this address

1 other organization in the IRS Business Master File lists the same street address. matched by us

We match the street line and ZIP code as the IRS gives them, ignoring case and outer spaces and nothing else, so "AVE" and "AVENUE" count as different streets and this list can miss some. A shared address can mean related organizations or a shared office, but it can also be a registered agent, a mail drop or a service provider holding mail for unrelated clients. It is not, by itself, evidence that two organizations are connected.

• ASSOCIATION OF ZOOLOGICAL HORTICULTURE

  EIN 52-1379826

Mission and programs · 2024

• EDUCATION Annually, hundreds of thousands of learners of all ages enjoy the Zoo's popular education programs, classes, and teacher workshops. These programs allow participants to closely identify with wildlife, plants, and natural habitats, providing a firm understanding of the interconnectedness of all living things. Zoo programs impact members of the community who visit the Zoo, and also who cannot make it to the park itself. Zoomobiles made numerous appearances at schools, elder facilities, and communities across the county and state. Partnering with local sponsors has allowed the Zoo to offer many assembly programs free of charge and create more ways to serve more students. These opportunities allow the Zoo to connect with wide audiences from varying socio-economic backgrounds and generate interest in and provide access to STEM fields. Our popular Zoo Camp summer program for children ages 2 to 13 continues as one of our most popular activities for the community, and the Zoo is committed to providing support for the continued growth of this program and removing financial barriers through its campership opportunity launched this year. The camperships offer a zoo camp experience with a travel stipend, before and after care, and lunches at no charge for those successful applicants who meet the financial eligibility requirements. The Zoo U program offers semester-based courses that allow high school students to explore new areas of science and conservation in a fun and exciting way. Students take an in-depth look at current research and topics in zoology, biology, ecology, and more. Classes are designed to be interactive and challenging for students in grades 9 to 12. A similar program targeting grades 6 to 8, Junior Conservationists, is held on the same schedule. For many decades, the Zoo Teen program has been providing opportunities for teens ages 14 to 17 to work at the Zoo during the summer and learn more about animals while gaining their first work experiences. Programs such as Pizza with the Keepers and enrichment exercises introduce high school-aged youth to what working at a Zoo and with animals is really like, potentially spring-boarding them into rewarding lifelong careers. EDUCATION AT THE ZOO REACHES BEYOND WHAT CAN BE TAUGHT IN A CLASSROOM SETTING. OUR ENTIRE ZOO CAMPUS IS A LIVING CLASSROOM. AS ONE OF THE LARGEST YOUTH EMPLOYERS IN THE REGION, THE ZOO WORKS WITH A HOST OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND LOCAL SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE AT-RISK YOUTH AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE AND ON-THE-JOB LEARNING IN VIABLE POSITIONS AT THE ZOO. IN ADDITION, THE ZOO OFFERS INTERNSHIPS IN ALL AREAS OF THE FACILITY, INCLUDING THE MARKETING, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, EDUCATION, CONSERVATION RESEARCH, VETERINARY, AND HORTICULTURE DEPARTMENTS. THE ZOO OFFERS ENGAGING PROGRAMMING ONSITE, PROVIDING FUN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR AUDIENCES OF ALL AGES. OPEN NEARLY EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR, THE ZOO WELCOMES MORE THAN 900,000 PEOPLE ANNUALLY AND CONSERVATION EDUCATION REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY. THE ZOO CREATES INFORMAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH ANIMAL EXHIBITRY, INTERPRETIVE MATERIALS, HANDS ON LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, ANIMAL MEET AND GREETS, AND ENGAGING ENCOUNTERS WITH STAFF AND VOLUNTEER EDUCATORS FOR ALL VISITORS, FREE WITH ADMISSION.

  Expenses $13,546,461 · Grants $113,694 · Revenue $1,296,252

• Conservation & Research The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has a history of championing wildlife and conservation in Western Pennsylvania and across the globe. The mission of the organization orients our conservation work towards long term impact by working with our communities. Similarly, the vision for the organization is to provide effective conservation leadership by bringing collaborators together. In both its mission and vision, the Zoo commits itself to transformative and exemplary conservation programs. There's more going on at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium than meets the eye, especially when it comes to animal conservation. The International Conservation Center is operated under the auspices of the Zoo. It sits on 1,000 acres of rolling hills in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The Conservation Center is dedicated to African elephant conservation, education, training, breeding, and research. In 2024, we expanded our collection to include reindeer, bison, and Bactrian camel and welcomed visitors and educational groups to through programs and tours to learn more about all our species. Through the Sea Turtle Second Chance Program (STSCP), the Zoo accepts injured sea turtles and hatchlings who didn't make it into Gulf Stream waters and cares for them until they are healthy enough to be released back into the wild. The Zoo is an important participant in this program because it is an inland institution. Most of the aquariums participating in the STSCP are located along the coast, which allows them to take in turtles who can make a speedy recovery. Some hatchlings and injured turtles need long-term rehabilitation. These animals are transported to the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium for their extended recovery time, freeing up space for faster recovering turtles at the institutions along the coast and allowing many more turtles to be rehabilitated in the program. Through educational displays and meet-the-keeper sessions, visitors have the opportunity to learn about sea turtles, and how they can impact their care and survival in the wild. The release has been broadcast on the Zoo's social media to promote and raise awareness of this important conservation program. Beyond species-specific programs, several Zoo residents offer valuable opportunities for research that can be applied to their wild counterparts. The Zoo & Aquarium raises, often rehabilitates, and cares for animals in our park environment allowing the opportunity to research their behavior. This allows for valuable information to be collected that may not be available through research in the wild alone. The Zoo's operations also support conservation at a local level. Since 1995, volunteers from the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium have adopted two miles of Butler Street from the RD Fleming Bridge to slightly beyond the Highland Park Bridge. As a result of every scheduled cleaning, Zoo employees fill approximately 50 trash bags with garbage such as cigarette butts, soda bottles, and food wrappers. Cleaning this roadway just twice each year, we remove approximately 1.5 tons of trash. The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium's Green Team committee takes conservation and environmentally friendly practices to a new level. The Green Team's mission is to research and recommend how to use resources and manage waste efficiently and sustainably while operating the Zoo. The team strives to create a culture of conservation for Zoo staff and for the visiting public. Improvements made by the Green Team include upgrading to all green cleaning practices in Zoo facilities, advocating for energy-efficient infrastructure and green building design, implementing additional composting and recycling options, and establishing green partnerships with other cultural and entertainment institutions including Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, the National Aviary, PPG Paints Arena, and the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. At the Zoo, most of the organic waste is recycled into compost and used in landscaping throughout the park. This keeps the waste out of landfills and it also helps us to plant and maintain a beautiful landscape. The compost-enriched soil reduces erosion, alleviates soil compaction, provides nutrients that help plants grow, and controls disease and pest infestation in plants. The composting program compliments other recycling programs at the Zoo, including water, cardboard, batteries, cans, bottles, paper, and cell phones. The Zoo hosted Electronic April with overwhelming success this past year where discounted admission was granted for guests who donated small electronics to the Zoo to recycle. This program was offered in cooperation with the AZA's Gorilla SAFE conservation program. The Zoo accepted devices (in any condition) which included: cell phones; tablets and eReaders; smart watches; digital cameras; MP3 players; GPS devices; and handheld gaming devices. Whether funding or participating in projects in the wild, conducting research with our resident animals, or implementing eco-friendly practices that make an environmental impact, conservation and research is an essential piece of everything we do at the Zoo.

  Expenses $9,851,972

• RECREATION Open throughout the year with the exceptions of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day, the Zoo hosts numerous events for community and regional groups. With fully ADA-accessible facilities, the provision of open space for public recreation, several historically preserved public landmarks, and 8,000 animals representing more than 900 species along with foliage from every corner of the earth, the Zoo offers something special for every unique interest of each of the hundreds of thousands of visitors from all backgrounds who enjoy trips to the Zoo annually. To increase community involvement, hundreds of special events and promotions geared towards the general public, families, special needs groups, community and regional groups, and Zoo members are conducted throughout the year. Special events held during the daytime and evening are designed to engage visitors of varying levels and interests. These events include varied themes such as new baby celebrations, animal-centric events that focus on individual species, adult-only evening engagements, a Jack-o-lantern Extravaganza, and other holiday-themed festivals, including ZooBoo and Wild Illuminations, featuring Asian Lanterns. Dream Night, an invite-only special event, was started in 2006 through a partnership with Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. This event invites children with disabilities and chronic healthcare needs along with their families enjoy a private zoo visit after hours free of charge. The plethora of programs currently offered is expected to continue and grow in the coming years. In order to ensure access for everyone regardless of financial means, the Zoo designates opportunities for free visits throughout the year, including a partnership with the Allegheny Regional Asset District for its Staycation program where approximately 15,000 Allegheny County residents enjoyed the Zoo at no charge. There are various other special promotions offering discounted admission as well. Scholarship programs are available for groups focused on supporting physically, mentally, or emotionally challenged persons and those serving the disadvantaged. The Zoo has expanded its efforts to reach underserved community members by removing financial barriers through its Museums for All program. The Museums for All program recognizes the cost of admission can be a barrier for many low-income families or individuals and in April 2023, the Zoo began offering $3 each general daytime admission for groups of up to four people when a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program EBT or Access card is presented along with identification. Over 65,000 individuals came through this program with more than half from Allegheny County in 2024. The Zoo donates a substantial portion of its services to benefit the local and regional community, where the vast majority of its visitors reside. Operations are entirely free from profit motive, which allows the Zoo to continue to expand the positive initiatives it facilitates while exploring new ways to support and enrich the community that it serves.

  Expenses $1,231,496 · Revenue $13,558,820

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.

The first 25 listed. 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

  $30,459,605

  Expenses

  $29,686,523

  Contributions

  $14,956,958

  Grants paid

  $113,694

• 2023

  Revenue

  $27,553,365

  Expenses

  $27,630,451

  Contributions

  $11,842,533

  Grants paid

  $90,300

• 2022

  Revenue

  $28,895,919

  Expenses

  $24,622,625

  Contributions

  $15,514,595

  Grants paid

  $72,500

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

• 2021 · 990

  Revenue

  $27,701,336

  Expenses

  $22,285,283

  Assets (EOY)

  $75,149,529

• 2020 · 990

  Revenue

  $19,309,241

  Expenses

  $17,866,496

  Assets (EOY)

  $69,548,778

• 2019 · 990

  Revenue

  $21,703,268

  Expenses

  $20,809,004

  Assets (EOY)

  $65,059,581

• 2018 · 990

  Revenue

  $19,190,299

  Expenses

  $20,559,265

  Assets (EOY)

  $65,474,313

• 2017 · 990

  Revenue

  $21,857,960

  Expenses

  $20,244,944

  Assets (EOY)

  $66,405,301

• 2016 · 990

  Revenue

  $26,434,572

  Expenses

  $18,566,100

  Assets (EOY)

  $68,029,773

• 2015 · 990

  Revenue

  $24,031,257

  Expenses

  $18,444,739

  Assets (EOY)

  $61,980,357

• 2014 · 990

  Revenue

  $20,656,407

  Expenses

  $17,873,398

  Assets (EOY)

  $53,328,403

• 2013 · 990

  Revenue

  $17,116,438

  Expenses

  $17,227,512

  Assets (EOY)

  $51,152,796

• 2012 · 990

  Revenue

  — not reported

  Expenses

  $16,649,718

  Assets (EOY)

  $52,493,873

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. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

• ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS

  $30,000

  2023 · RED PANDA FUND

• International Elephant Foundation

  $25,000

  2024 · General Support

• INTERNATIONAL ELEPHANT FOUNDATION

  $25,000

  2023 · GENERAL SUPPORT

• TREE PITTSBURGH

  $25,000

  2023 · GENERAL SUPPORT

• INTERNATIONAL ELEPHANT FOUNDATION

  $25,000

  2022 · GENERAL SUPPORT

• VICTORIA FALLS WILDLIFE FUND

  $15,000

  2022 · GENERAL SUPPORT

• AFRICAN AQUATIC CONSERVATION FUND

  $10,000

  2022 · GENERAL SUPPORT

• OKLAHOMA ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDEN

  $7,500

  2022 · GENERAL SUPPORT

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

• AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ZOOLOGICAL PARKS AND AQUARIUMS INC

  $514,053

  2022 · ENDANGERED SPECIES COVID RELIEF

• NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TR

  $90,000

  2024 · ENVIRONMENT, ANIMALS

• THE PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION

  $56,276

  2023 · ZOO AND AQUARIUMS

• THE PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION

  $54,730

  2022 · ZOO AND AQUARIUMS

• THE PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION

  $52,298

  2024 · ZOO AND AQUARIUMS

• VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM

  $31,000

  2023 · FOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE

• VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM

  $26,600

  2022 · FOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE

• DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

  $21,229

  2024 · ENVIRONMENTAL AND ANIMALS

• NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TR

  $20,000

  2023 · CULTURE & ARTS

• CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA SCHOLARSHIP FUND

  $20,000

  2023 · PENNSYLVANIA EITC SCHOLARSHIPS

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

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