Philadelphia Zoo

What it reported doing in 2024

Education, conservation & community engagement programming: driven by a passion for promoting action that supports wildlife conservation, the zoo offers a broad portfolio of dynamic educational programs. As the region's largest living classroom, the zoo offers hands-on, curriculum-connected and mission-focused animal experiences to thousands of school children each year. Through these programs, the zoo helps to grow the next generation of environmental stewards, giving young people the opportunity to share their new wildlife and conservation knowledge with their communities. (see sched o).field tripsnot only are field trips fun, but they also immerse students in the world's wildlife, building empathy and encouraging them to make small changes in their everyday life that can have an impact on animals. A field trip to the zoo is an experience that will last a lifetime.community access program (cap)in partnership with individual, corporate, and foundation donors throughout our region, the zoo provides free visits and engaging learning opportunities to k-12 students from title i schools annually. By committing to providing access to the zoo in economically distressed communities, the zoo has made free zoo visits possible for hundreds of thousands of students from around the region.the unless contestthe albert m. Greenfield unless contest challenges students from k through 12 to develop creative solutions to problems that impact wildlife. Students are presented with a challenge to address, and they work to obtain a solution through advocacy. Since the start of unless, the contest has engaged thousands of students from more than 400 schools across the region, and their campaigns are estimated to have reached millions.philly zoo to youphilly zoo to you is a web-based suite of cross-curricular opportunities that connect teachers and students to science, nature, and conservation. These virtual science learning options k-4 grade students are offered at no cost to families and teachers.wild connectionswild connections a component of philly zoo to you, is a 45-minute curricular-focused program that features live animals along with zoo experts. Each live program directly connects philadelphia school district classroom teachers and their students with zoo educators, while learning core science concepts that introduce or reinforce state and national science standards.neighborhood membership programthe neighborhood membership program is a free membership to the zoo at the family plus ($200) level for residents of mantua, east parkside, belmont, and brewerytown. This membership level includes unlimited free admission for two adults and up to four children. The goal is to contribute to the civic life of our region and our neighboring communities by amplifying the zoo's impact on quality of life, conservation and sustainability, and lifelong learning that begins in early childhood.community nightcommunity night at the zoo started in december of 2020 with the zoo closing for an evening exclusive for neighborhood residents to attend. With the first of the community nights welcoming approximately 400 children and families, community night has now become a seasonal tradition, with 3-4 nights held per year. Each of those nights now average 2,000 visitors. Not only do guests enjoy a free night at the zoo, but they also benefit from the resource tables and experiences present throughout campus for those evenings. West philadelphia zoo scholarslaunched in 2022, the zoo recruits up to 75 west philadelphia area students from grades 10 through 12 for an immersive educational experience in the zoological sciences. Through academic and experiential learning opportunities at the zoo, the program will prepare students for a wide range of careers including zoological and animal sciences with an emphasis on zookeeping, wildlife conservation, and veterinary sciences. Upon high school graduation, students pursuing post-secondary education in stem disciplines will

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 76%; rating input score 76
• Program expense ratio: 74.2%; rating input score 74
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Limited
  • Conducts field audits: Limited
  • May suspend future funding: Limited
  • Requires financial reports: Limited
  • Conducts site visits: Limited
  • Requires grant agreements: Limited
  • May require repayment: 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: -1.2%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.08; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.2%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -0.5% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings