Brooklyn Botanic Garden

What it reported doing in 2024

Security, program enhancement, membership, admissions, and publications.security: security ensures that our garden and its living collections are protected and that our visitors' environment is safe.program enhancements: combining recreation with horticultural and ecological interpretation and education, the garden produces a variety of seasonal public programs that highlight the collections and the season and celebrate the cultural diversity of brooklyn. In the spring, the garden honors the japanese tradition of hanami: celebrating the cherry blossom season with dance, music, and performance. The garden celebrates summer and fall with programmed evenings, highlighting local artists and brooklyn culture. In addition, the garden enhances the experience of itsvisitors and patrons with various exhibitions and a comprehensive visitor services program.membership: membership enhances the garden visitor experience by providing year-round access to the garden, specialty after-hours garden events, brooklyn botanic garden corporation 11-2417338as well as additional educational materials. The membership program avails visitors of various garden and community discounts.admissions: the garden is committed to making its exhibitions, programs, and collections accessible to all who visit. To ensure accessibility, the garden maintains a community ticket program, where a portion of each days' tickets are set aside for those who need them. In addition to thecommunity ticket program, the garden participates in various complimentary or reduced priced admission programs.publications: the digital and print media department creates original, mission-driven media that informs the public about plants, ecology, and horticulture. Products include garden guides to a better planet, editorial services for all of the garden's interpretation and printed material, as well ascollection and management of photos documenting the garden's collections. The department also manages the garden's website, bbg.org, that offers gardening articles, a nature blog, historic images of the collections, and rich research resources.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 68.2%; rating input score 68
• Program expense ratio: 82.4%; rating input score 82
• Fundraising efficiency: $14.48 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 18.7%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.4; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 5.8%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.7% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings