National Aviary in Pittsburgh Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
251667146
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Phone
4123237235
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Research Institutes and/or Public Policy Analysis

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$9,874,047
Expenses
$10,480,502
Assets
$27,427,842
Liabilities
$3,543,576

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

36 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JANE DIXON (PRESIDENT)
  • JAMES E LEHMAN (1ST VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ROBERT RODGERS (2ND VICE PRESIDENT)
  • CHERYL TRACY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • CHERYL TRACY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $281,161 total reported compensation
  • RANDY KRAKOFF (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $182,907 total reported compensation
  • CONOR MCGARVEY (DIRECTOR OF BUILDINGS AND): $177,784 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To protect and provide for endangered species, to conduct avian research and provide information as a national resource, to provide a recreational and educational experience for the general public and to promote an appreciation of natural law and a responsibility for the environment

What it reported doing in 2025

Advanced on-site avian treatment and care: the national aviary's veterinary hospital provides specialized avian medicine services to meet the needs of over 550 animals; birds, mammals, and reptiles. Services include primary health care, emergency services, full laboratory testing, anesthesia and surgery. In 2025, over 350 animals received preventative health screens and treatments including 131 birds & mammals receiving 182 vaccinations to protect them against west nile and polyoma virus (birds), rabies and distemper (mammals). To prevent common avian pneumonia (aspergillosis), 176 birds received preventative medicine including oral and inhaled treatment with a 100% success rate. In the aviary's care, 19 critically endangered african penguins received individualized avian malaria prevention.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 54
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 35
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 84%; rating input score 84
  • Program expense ratio: 73.4%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: -6.1%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.62; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.7%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 84% of revenue deployed · 73.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 29 of 29 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $7.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $281K · 36 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $1.1M reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 11/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 14/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 29/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 44/100.