Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Oct 1975.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
67 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
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Who runs it and what they're paid
23 people listed on the 990; $603K paid to officers and key staff.
Jamie Flaws’s $187K as Executive Director is at the 21st percentile of top reported officer pay among 225 $10–100M animals nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Flaws | $187,048 | $161,538 | — | — | — | — |
| Anthony Grundhauser | — | — | — | — | — | $182,212 |
| Anne Weber-Smith | — | — | $126,018 | $126,018 | $124,800 | $116,878 |
| Jeffrey Sulzbach | $122,052 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Elisabeth Comeaux | $107,126 | $101,434 | — | — | — | — |
| Ryan Sweeney | $106,470 | $92,688 | $84,633 | $85,883 | $54,385 | — |
| Melinda Conness | — | — | — | — | — | $101,218 |
| John Frawley | $80,468 | $79,395 | — | $44,396 | — | — |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
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Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Funds zoo initiatives connecting people, animals, and nature to save wildlife globally.
Questions for Minnesota Zoo Foundation
Your first name shows with your question. Minnesota Zoo Foundation answers here, for everyone.
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Zoo Capital Projects
Our support propels leading-edge ideas that redefine the role and impact of modern zoos, such as the creation of innovative nature experiences, best-in-class education programs, and industry-leading conservation efforts.
Zoo Support
The minnesota zoo foundation helps open doors to uniquely immersive nature experiences that benefit the well-being of all by sponsoring programs that bring the minnesota zoo experience to minnesota communities and reduce physical, financial, and cultural barriers to the zoo.
Conservation
The minnesota zoo is able to lead and participate in industry-leading conservation programs that are saving wildlife because of funding from the minnesota zoo foundation. From native mussel restoration work and turtle head-start programs here in minnesota to global efforts through the ulysses s.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2025 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY25 | End FY25 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $7.6M | $7.0M |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $2.8M | $3.0M |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $14.2M | $18.9M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $677K | $1.1M |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $13.5M | $17.8M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1 | $6.3M | $6.3M | ||
| Grants to domestic individualsLn 2 | $19K | $19K | ||
| Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3 | $62K | $62K | ||
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $469K | $42K | $253K | $173K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $1.4M | $122K | $734K | $503K |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $45K | $4K | $24K | $17K |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $235K | $21K | $127K | $87K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $144K | $13K | $78K | $53K |
| Legal feesLn 11b | $837 | $837 | ||
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $142K | $142K | ||
| Lobbying feesLn 11d | $81K | $81K | ||
| Professional fundraising feesLn 11e | $146K | $146K | ||
| Investment management feesLn 11f | $14K | $14K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $114K | $94K | $19K | |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $462K | $35K | $209K | $217K |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $163K | $163K | ||
| OccupancyLn 16 | $134K | $12K | $73K | $50K |
| TravelLn 17 | $36K | $3K | $20K | $13K |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $16K | $1K | $11K | $4K |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $365K | $32K | $206K | $127K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $10.3M | $6.9M | $2.1M | $1.4M |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest Viewing | $14.5M | $10.3M | $4.1M | $17.8M | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $8.5M | $9.0M | −$507K | $13.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $6.3M | $9.4M | −$3.1M | $13.9M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $10.9M | $10.5M | $331K | $16.9M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 | $8.0M | $5.0M | $3.0M | $16.9M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 | $6.2M | $6.3M | −$10K | $13.1M | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $14,486,591 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 18 of 18 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $14,486,591 across 9 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $10,344,349 across 20 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $18,850,827 assets, 14 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $17,785,227 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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