DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

EIN 38-6027356 · Animal-Related (D500)

What they do

The Mission of The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) is to Create Meaningful Connections Between People, Animals and The Natural World So All Can Thrive. The Vision of The DZS is to Be A Force for Positive Change In A World Where Animals and Nature Are Valued, Understood and Protected By All People. The DZS Operates The Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $84.80 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 leaders60 people are listed in the latest report.

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

Money made simple

88.71%of revenue went to mission work84.8% of expenses · Program services

2.97%of revenue went to fundraising2.8% of expenses

$104.63spent for every $100 of revenueSpending was higher than revenue this year.

12.95%of revenue went to management and office costs12.4% of expenses

$1.05in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

51.5%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 $2,967,448 this year. Ask whether that was planned or caused by a one-time event.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $584,762 for HAYLEY MURPHY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/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$64,149,877

Mission workProgram services$56,905,82588.71% of revenue84.8% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$8,305,13112.95% of revenue12.4% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$1,906,3692.97% of revenue2.8% of expenses

Total expenses$67,117,325104.63% 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: 84.8% mission · 12.4% management · 2.8% fundraisingTotal expenses: 104.63% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 84.3% mission · 12.6% management · 3.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 103.45% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 83.0% mission · 13.7% management · 3.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 89.53% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 83.2% mission · 13.3% management · 3.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 66.99% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 82.8% mission · 13.0% management · 4.1% fundraisingTotal expenses: 94.63% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 85.2% mission · 11.6% management · 3.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 95.98% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 83.0% mission · 13.9% management · 3.1% fundraisingTotal expenses: 95.84% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 82.6% mission · 14.7% management · 2.7% fundraisingTotal expenses: 88.06% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$64,149,877

Expenses$67,117,325

Annual shortfall $2,967,448 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)$56,905,825 · 84.8% of expenses

Management and office costs$8,305,131 · 12.4% of expenses

Fundraising$1,906,369 · 2.8% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$64,149,877

Expenses$67,117,325

Assets$70,446,976

Income$96,517,141

Contributions$33,036,298

Mission work (program services)$56,905,825

Fundraising$1,906,369

Grants given$3,282,449

Average grant$16,747

Management and general$8,305,131

Stocks and bonds$52,714,582

Accounting fees$169,411

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

HAYLEY MURPHYEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO · 50 hrs/week $584,762Base $547,018 · Other $37,744

ROBERT SCHUMAKERCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER · 50 hrs/week $313,571Base $278,172 · Other $35,399

JANE ALESSANDRINIVP OF DEVELOPMENT · 50 hrs/week $278,599Base $245,528 · Other $33,071

RANDI HAMILTONVP OF GUEST SERVICES, COMMUNICATIONS, AND MARKETIN · 40 hrs/week $245,427Base $212,531 · Other $32,896

DIANE MILLERVP OF EDUCATION · 50 hrs/week $218,503Base $201,783 · Other $16,720

MIKE MURRAYVP OF LIFE SCIENCES · 50 hrs/week $215,226Base $183,394 · Other $31,832

AMANDA HANLINCHIEF OF STAFF · 50 hrs/week $214,847Base $183,245 · Other $31,602

ANN DUNCANASSOCIATE VP OF LIFE SCIENCES · 40 hrs/week $208,471Base $181,515 · Other $26,956

TORIA BRADLEYVP OF HUMAN RESOURCES - TERM AUG 2024 · 40 hrs/week $189,952Base $177,313 · Other $12,639

RICHARD K MARTINDIRECTOR OF INDIVIDUAL PHILANTHROPY · 40 hrs/week $177,719Base $152,193 · Other $25,526

DEANDREA MATTHEWSVP OF DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT · 40 hrs/week $167,434Base $140,467 · Other $26,967

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 (60)

HAYLEY MURPHYEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO

ROBERT SCHUMAKERCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

JANE ALESSANDRINIVP OF DEVELOPMENT

RANDI HAMILTONVP OF GUEST SERVICES, COMMUNICATIONS, AND MARKETIN

DIANE MILLERVP OF EDUCATION

MIKE MURRAYVP OF LIFE SCIENCES

AMANDA HANLINCHIEF OF STAFF

ANN DUNCANASSOCIATE VP OF LIFE SCIENCES

TORIA BRADLEYVP OF HUMAN RESOURCES - TERM AUG 2024

RICHARD K MARTINDIRECTOR OF INDIVIDUAL PHILANTHROPY

DEANDREA MATTHEWSVP OF DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

MARK DOUGLASDIRECTOR

N CHARLES ANDERSONDIRECTOR

MATTHEW P CULLENDIRECTOR - TERM JUNE 2024

MARVIN DAITCHDIRECTOR - TERM MAY 2024

LARRY WOLFEDIRECTOR

MARIO MARROW SRDIRECTOR

MARIANNE VIDERSHAINDIRECTOR

MANNY TORGOWDIRECTOR

LLOYD A SEMPLECHAIR EMERITUS

JOEL D TAUBERDIRECTOR

RICK RUFFNERDIRECTOR

ROBERT G RINEYVICE CHAIR

SHARIMA BULCHAKDIRECTOR

SHAWN PATTERSONEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

SHIRLEY R STANCATODIRECTOR

STEPHEN R POLKVICE CHAIR

STUART ROBBINSDIRECTOR

TERRY S HARVILLEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

THOMAS C BUHLDIRECTOR

TOM LEWANDEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

TONYA BERRYDIRECTOR

WILLIAM CONWAYEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

DENISE J LEWISEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ALAN KAUFMANEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ALISHA BELLDIRECTOR

ANDREW BLAKEDIRECTOR

ANTHONY F EARLEY JRCHAIRMAN

BETH CHAPPELLDIRECTOR

BETH DALYDIRECTOR

BETTY CHUDIRECTOR

BONNIE LARSONEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

BRANDON KOLODIRECTOR

CHARLES ELLISDIRECTOR

CYNTHIA FORDEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

DAVID E DUPREYDIRECTOR

DENISE BROOKS-WILLIAMSDIRECTOR

KIMBERLY ANDREWS ESPYDIRECTOR

DIANE BANKSDIRECTOR

GINO RONCELLIDIRECTOR

HASSAN JABERDIRECTOR

ISAIAH MCKINNONDIRECTOR

ISMAEL AHMEDDIRECTOR

JAMES ROSENTHALDIRECTOR

JAMES SAWYERDIRECTOR

JAMES TATEDIRECTOR

JENNIFER GRIECODIRECTOR

ALAN KALTEREXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

JOHN ERBDIRECTOR

JOHN G SZNEWAJSTREASURER

About this charity

Recognized since: January 1958
Location: 8450 W 10 MILE RD, ROYAL OAK, MI 48067-3001
County: Oakland
In care of: % KELLY ZISLER
Primary officer: Robert Schumaker, Chief Financial Officer

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Phone(248) 541-5717 Officer phone(248) 336-5856

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: January 1, 2024
Return type: 990
NTEE classification: Animal-Related (D500)
Grant-giving organization: Yes