Texas Discovery Gardens

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
750974342
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Dallas, TX, USA
Phone
2144287476
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,023,393
Expenses
$2,157,891
Assets
$899,109
Liabilities
$346,528

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • GEORGE BAKER (PRESIDENT)
  • RON NATINSKY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • RON NATINSKY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $178,000 total reported compensation
  • TERESA CHOATE (EVENTS DIRECTOR): $127,492 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 be the destination where children and adults discover and learn to sustain the natural world.

What it reported doing in 2025

Texas discovery gardens offers educational experiences for children, families, and adults in north Texas. In 2025, more than 120,000 visitors explored attractions including the two-story butterfly house, which features hundreds of exotic butterflies; insect exhibits; a 450-gallon axolotl habitat; and the snake and reptile resort. They also enjoyed 7.5 acres of gardens featuring native and adapted plants. The gardens, exhibits, and living collections serve as year-round learning environments. Through school field trips, homeschool programs, camps, seasonal programs, classes, special events, and informal learning experiences, these living spaces help visitors build practical knowledge of plants, wildlife, ecosystems, and conservation. Educational programs include hands-on activities that focus on science principles through the lens of pollinators, ecosystems, gardening, and conservation. Visitors engage in science activities suited for all ages, nurturing curiosity and a connection to nature. Texas discovery gardens hosted more than 6,000 students on school field trips. Other educational opportunities include homeschool day, after-school and community groups, scout programs, summer camps, classes, and programs for groups with special needs and other community organizations. Educational interpretation throughout the property helps visitors learn about butterflies, pollinators, insects, reptiles, plants, habitats, and conservation. On weekends and holidays, visitors may also enjoy the garden trains, which feature miniature replicas of historic Texas landmarks, including the alamo.

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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 15
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 65.4%; rating input score 65
  • Program expense ratio: 57.7%; rating input score 58
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.15 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -6.6%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.42; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.39; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 14.2%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.7% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.4% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.4% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 65.4% of revenue deployed · 57.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $178K · 11 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 58/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 7/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 13/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 21/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 24/100.