Local Philanthropic

JACKSONVILLE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY INC
Using data as of: September 2015

Rating: RECOMMEND

About
The Jacksonville Zoo is considered one of the city's premiere attractions, with more than 2,000 different animals and over 1,000,000 visitors last year. It’s not just about the animals here as they are also known for their gardens, with over 1,000 different plant species on the property.

The zoo is active in animal conservation and participates in over 50 national and international conservation initiatives.

Interestingly, all land, animals, and equipment are owned by the city, who pays some of their operating expenses. Remaining costs are covered by their revenue earned through operations and donations.

More information on the Jacksonville Zoo can be found here:
http://www.jacksonvillezoo.org/

The Zoo Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleZooandGardens?fref=ts


Our Analysis

The Jacksonville Zoological Society (or the Jacksonville Zoo) had $16.3 million in revenue according to their latest report.


Of that $16.3 million in revenue, only $698 thousand came from external contributions and $396 thousand were raised through fundraisers. The bulk of their revenue came from operations, which contributed $7.9 million in revenue.


The Zoo is fairly efficient with their spending, with 89% of spending going to their mission. We like to see a charity spend at least 75% on their mission, so 89% is admirable. They spent 9% on administrative costs and a modest 2% on fundraising.

Spending on mission
15,051,442 ÷ 16,911,839 = 89.0%

Spending on administrative costs
1,528,134 ÷ 16,911,839 = 9.0%

Spending on fundraising
332,263 ÷ 16,911,839 = 2.0%


Our Conclusion
Their numbers look solid, but one concern we do have is their very large stable of advisors. There are 30 members of the Board with 16 honorary members, plus more than 80 members in their zoological society. Ideally, boards are smaller in size because it makes it easier to reach consensus and avoid information overload. We think a board of this size is more for show and not helpful for planning the Zoo’s operations.

Regardless of this, we think it’s hard to go wrong donating to the Zoo. If not a contribution, at least a visit to their park should be your “to-do” list. They are a good organization which we give a RECOMMEND rating.


Contact:
Jacksonville Zoo
370 Zoo Parkway
Jacksonville, FL 32218
(904) 757-4463, ext. 196


Form 990 Financial Information: LINK


Financial information comes from the latest Form 990 filing. This review is the opinion of Local Philanthropic and is provided for general information purposes only. Please conduct your own due diligence before donating to any nonprofit.