The Saint Louis Zoo Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
431727309
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Saint Louis, MO, USA
Phone
3147810900
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$53,824,998
Expenses
$38,770,514
Assets
$334,791,593
Liabilities
$10,456,195

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

Leadership & pay

77 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROBERT B SMITH III (IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT)
  • MICHAEL J HICKEY (PRESIDENT)
  • LINDA J HUNTER (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • DWIGHT SCOTT (PRESIDENT & CEO)
  • KATHLEEN TISONE (VICE PRESIDENT- FINANCE)
  • JAMES MADISON (VICE PRESIDENT - BUSINESS OPERATIONS)

Highest reported compensation

  • DWIGHT SCOTT (PRESIDENT & CEO): $769,806 total reported compensation
  • MICHAEL MACEK (DIRECTOR - SAINT LOUIS ZOO): $390,960 total reported compensation
  • KATHLEEN TISONE (VICE PRESIDENT- FINANCE): $383,874 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The saint louis zoo association was established to support and enhance the saint louis zoo by providing facilities, funds, and advice. The association provides direct financial support to the zoo for renovations, new facilities, programs, conservation and research; administers fundraising campaigns and activities for the zoo; and manages the zoo's endowment. The saint louis zoo association works to advance the saint louis zoo's mission to conserve animals and their habitats through animal management, research, recreation and education programs that encourage the support and enrich the experience of the public.

What it reported doing in 2025

Parent program - this program allows for direct compensation to the zoo's commissary budget to offset the costs of feeding the animals. This program also creates educational opportunities for its donors. Animal fact sheets are offered to donors, and an annual zoo parents celebration is held where donors are welcome to visit the commissary and veterinary hospital.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 74% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 83% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 62
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 84
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 72.9%; rating input score 73
  • Program expense ratio: 83.6%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.59 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st 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; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 28%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.64; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.5%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 16.2% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.5% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 72.9% of revenue deployed · 83.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 68 of 68 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 6 filed program accomplishments · $32.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $770K · 77 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 33/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.