ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF PHILADELPHIA Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF PHILADELPHIA

EIN 23-1352298 · Animal-Related (D500)

What they do

AT PHILADELPHIA ZOO, OUR MISSION is to FLOURISH AS AN URBAN OASIS, WHERE PEOPLE and ANIMALS THRIVE, TRANSFORMATIONAL MEMORIES ARE MADE, and OUR PASSION for CONSERVATION SAVES WILDLIFE (SEE SCHEDULE O).GUIDED BY A THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, THE ZOO is SEEKING to BOTH STRENGTHEN and DIVERSIFY REVENUE LINES IN ORDER to SUSTAIN ITS HISTORIC CAMPUS and PROTECT ITS PRECIOUS ANIMAL COLLECTION. THE ZOO SEEKS to BE IMPACTFUL THROUGH 6 IMPACT AREAS: AMAZING ANIMALS, TRANSFORMATIONAL MEMORIES, CONNECTED SCIENCE and CONSERVATION COMMUNITIES, INNOVATIVE LEARNING and ENGAGEMENT, UNITED TEAM and CULTURE and STRATEGIC FINANCIAL GROWTH.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $74.20 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders49 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

75.15%of revenue went to mission work74.2% of expenses · Program services

7.26%of revenue went to fundraising7.2% of expenses

$101.24spent for every $100 of revenueSpending was higher than revenue this year.

18.84%of revenue went to management and office costs18.6% of expenses

$3.08in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

46.6%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Worth asking: Expenses exceeded revenue by $543,727 this year. Ask whether that was planned or caused by a one-time event.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $587,706 for JO-ELLE MOGERMAN (PRESIDENT AND CEO). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2024

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$43,711,192

Mission workProgram services$32,848,22575.15% of revenue74.2% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$8,233,72718.84% of revenue18.6% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$3,172,9677.26% of revenue7.2% of expenses

Total expenses$44,254,919101.24% of revenue

Expenses were greater than revenue, so the colored ring fills the available $100 and the total above 100% is shown below.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2024CurrentExpense mix: 74.2% mission · 18.6% management · 7.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 101.24% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 76.4% mission · 17.2% management · 6.3% fundraisingTotal expenses: 97.18% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 74.3% mission · 19.1% management · 6.6% fundraisingTotal expenses: 111.29% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 73.8% mission · 20.3% management · 5.9% fundraisingTotal expenses: 63.15% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 76.1% mission · 18.0% management · 5.9% fundraisingTotal expenses: 115.97% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 74.6% mission · 19.5% management · 5.9% fundraisingTotal expenses: 102.00% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 78.3% mission · 17.4% management · 4.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 108.16% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 79.5% mission · 16.9% management · 3.6% fundraisingTotal expenses: 105.85% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$43,711,192

Expenses$44,254,919

Annual shortfall $543,727 Expenses were higher than revenue for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$32,848,225 · 74.2% of expenses

Management and office costs$8,233,727 · 18.6% of expenses

Fundraising$3,172,967 · 7.2% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$43,711,192

Expenses$44,254,919

Assets$136,329,921

Income$61,262,213

Contributions$20,390,220

Mission work (program services)$32,848,225

Fundraising$3,172,967

Grants given$265,000

Average grant$26,500

Management and general$8,233,727

Stocks and bonds$45,358,663

Accounting fees$170,953

Investing fees$115,314

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

JO-ELLE MOGERMANPRESIDENT AND CEO · 40 hrs/week $587,706Base $546,163 · Other $41,543

NEIL VINCENT BATIANCILACHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER · 40 hrs/week $330,595Base $283,229 · Other $47,366

LAURETTE PITTSCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER · 40 hrs/week $301,777Base $255,223 · Other $46,554

RACHEL METZVP, ANIMAL WELL BEING · 40 hrs/week $229,991Base $205,676 · Other $24,315

CARA TREADWAYVP, GUEST ENGAGEMENT · 40 hrs/week $224,252Base $191,143 · Other $33,109

PATRICK MCMASTERDIRECTOR, MARKETING · 40 hrs/week $198,763Base $168,400 · Other $30,363

GERALD GRIFFINDIRECTOR, IT · 40 hrs/week $197,516Base $174,630 · Other $22,886

KRISTEN WALDRONCHIEF OF STAFF · 40 hrs/week $185,919Base $158,292 · Other $27,627

SUZANNE GAADTCREATIVE DIRECTOR · 40 hrs/week $185,479Base $144,651 · Other $40,828

COURTNEY MACLEAN JOHNSONCHIEF ADMIN OFFICER (THRU 09/24) · 40 hrs/week $158,501Base $151,323 · Other $7,178

JULIE HOWARD TAYLORDIRECTOR, INDIVIDUAL GIVING · 40 hrs/week $155,547Base $144,846 · Other $10,701

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (49)

JO-ELLE MOGERMANPRESIDENT AND CEO

NEIL VINCENT BATIANCILACHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

LAURETTE PITTSCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

RACHEL METZVP, ANIMAL WELL BEING

CARA TREADWAYVP, GUEST ENGAGEMENT

PATRICK MCMASTERDIRECTOR, MARKETING

GERALD GRIFFINDIRECTOR, IT

KRISTEN WALDRONCHIEF OF STAFF

SUZANNE GAADTCREATIVE DIRECTOR

COURTNEY MACLEAN JOHNSONCHIEF ADMIN OFFICER (THRU 09/24)

JULIE HOWARD TAYLORDIRECTOR, INDIVIDUAL GIVING

PATRICIA OWENSDIRECTOR

PETER G GOULDDIRECTOR

PHOEBE WETZEL-COLESDIRECTOR

MICHEAL DIBERARDINISDIRECTOR

NATHANIEL P HAMILTON JRDIRECTOR

ZACHARY KLEHRVICE CHAIR

RACHEL CEVERADIRECTOR

RAMON KEMPDIRECTOR (THRU 05/2024)

RICH LAZERDIRECTOR

ROBB FOXDIRECTOR

SALLY WEST WILLIAMSDIRECTOR

SAM WHITAKERDIRECTOR

SANDRA LAUDIRECTOR (AS OF 05/2024)

STEVE CASPERDIRECTOR (AS OF 05/2024)

SUSAN HOLLENSTEINDIRECTOR

WILLIAM MCNABBDIRECTOR

ANDREW HOFFMANDIRECTOR

GEORGE DAYDIRECTOR (THRU 05/2024)

ANDREW SMITHDIRECTOR

ANTHONY GAYDIRECTOR

BARBARA SMITDIRECTOR

BRIAN DI SABATINODIRECTOR

CAROLE HAAS GRAVAGNODIRECTOR

CAROLINE BUCK ROGERSDIRECTOR

CHRISTOPER LUNINGDIRECTOR

CYNTHIA FIGUEROADIRECTOR

DALE PRESTIPINODIRECTOR

ED BRASSELDIRECTOR

MICHAEL PEARSONVICE CHAIR (THRU 05/2024)

JOANNA M LEWISCHAIR

JOEL FRANKDIRECTOR

JOHN FRYDIRECTOR (THRU 12/2024)

JOHN WALSHVICE CHAIR

JOHN A GINTERVICE CHAIR

JOHN L PAONEDIRECTOR

MARCY FELDMAN ROSTDIRECTOR

MARTHA KINGDIRECTOR

MATTHEW STERNDIRECTOR (AS OF 05/2024)

About this charity

Recognized since: January 1942
Location: 3400 W GIRARD AVE, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19104-1139
County: Philadelphia
In care of: % JACK T WAGNER CFO
Primary officer: KATHLEEN HORTON, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Emailmcmaster.patrick@phillyzoo.org Phone(215) 243-5277

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: March 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: GRANT THORNTON ADVISORS LLC
NTEE classification: Animal-Related (D500)
Grant-giving organization: Yes