The Oregon Zoo Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
930718337
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Portland, OR, USA
Phone
5032202493
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$10,717,410
Expenses
$10,570,938
Assets
$26,587,508
Liabilities
$3,839,348

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

33 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SHARLA SETTLEMIER (INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • JENNIFER RIDER (FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JENNIFER RIDER (FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $200,397 total reported compensation
  • KRISTINE CALDICOTT (DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS): $157,857 total reported compensation
  • MARIA REYES (DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT): $142,189 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To foster community pride and involvement in the Oregon zoo and to secure financial support for the zoo's conservation, education and animal well-being programs.

What it reported doing in 2024

Zoo support- raise funds that are granted to the Oregon zoo to support its work in: conservation to ensure the long-term survival of species and their habitats, including restoring populations of native species in the pacific northwest; public education to empower learners of all ages to take action on behalf of wildlife and nature; and animal well-being that provides the best lives possible for the animals in the zoo's care. Provide operational support for improvements to the Oregon zoo including upgrades to existing habitats, interpretive displays, and programmatic activities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Membership-supported. 62% of the money available for current operations came from membership dues.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 88% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 51
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 79.3%; rating input score 79
  • Program expense ratio: 79%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.94 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 1.4%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.52; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.8%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.2% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 79.3% of revenue deployed · 79% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 30 of 30 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $8.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $200K · 33 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $252K reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 27 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 28/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 39/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 37/100.