Monterey Zoological Society Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 260391615
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2016–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- Salinas, CA, USA
- Phone
- 8314551901
- Rating
- 84
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Zoo, Zoological Society
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,701,441
- Expenses
- $1,900,787
- Assets
- $3,011,896
- Liabilities
- $170,482
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
11 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- CHARLIE SAMMUT (PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- CHARLIE SAMMUT (PRESIDENT): $58,240 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Our goal is to educate visitors about the challenges facing both captive and wild animals to increase understanding and support while promoting conservation. Monterey zoological society strives to maintain a diverse group of wildlife species as we believe that a sustainable captive animal population is imperative to ensuring the survival of all species.
What it reported doing in 2024
The zoo provides educational programs instructing visitors on the history, research, and conservation of the animals exhibited. This service is provided at a low cost for groups of school children, seniors, and special needs groups in order to insure all citizens have access. The educational department also hosts private tours of the exhibits, weekend classes, summer camps, daily programs, overnight programs, and special events. For groups that are unable to reach the zoo, the education department offers outreach programs at their location. We offer a variety of programs to different groups of people to promote multiple visits and access to those who may not be able to visit because of financial restrictions or those who can only get transportation to the zoo as part of a group. Offering group activities allows our education department a better opportunity to have more interaction and time with smaller groups of people. Because of this we are able to focus on fostering a better understanding of the animals we care for.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 76% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 87
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 74
- Sustainability: 37
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
- Program expense ratio: 93.6%; rating input score 94
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 81.8%; rating input score 82; 18th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Fail
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -11.7%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.58; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 3.1%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 12% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 11% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 93.6% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 9 of 11 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.8M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $58K · 11 people listed
- Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
- Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 8 filing years from 2016 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 50/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 57/100.