The Maryland Zoological Society INC EIN 52-0996352

The Maryland Zoological Society INC

EIN  52-0996352 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Baltimore, MD Founded 1876
Form 990 (PDF) Compare with another nonprofit →
Verified accurate 8/8/26 · see original filing: IRS
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Size
$10–100M
What they do
Researches and cares for animals, educating the public about them.
Leadership
Kirby Fowler JR · Presidentceo · $319K
Money in and out
$25.0M revenue, $21.6M expenses
Bottom line
87% program efficiency

Researches and cares for animals, educating the public about them. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $25.0M in revenue, $21.6M in expenses, and $76.7M in net assets.Pt I

Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$25.0M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$21.6M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$76.7M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $3.3M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.87 Management & general $0.10 Fundraising $0.03
Program efficiency
87%
of spending reaches programs
Operating runway
3.0mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate
Surplus margin
+13%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -40% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$25.0M
FY2024▼ -11%
Expenses
$21.6M
FY2024▼ -1%
Total assets
$81.6M
FY2024▲ +3%
Total liabilities
$4.9M
FY2024▼ -21%
Total revenue
$25.0M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$21.6M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$76.7M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$3.3M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$81.6M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B87%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 344
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 444
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $18.8M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Visitor Services

Provide assistance to over 383,000 guests, annually. Services include ticket and membership sales, shuttle service, carousel and train rides and animal experiences, including giraffe feeding and penguin encounters. The zoo also provides security and first aid. Zoo publications include an annual report and monthly e-mail updates.

$13.7Mprogram expense
02

Flora and Fauna

Zoo staff provide daily care for over 1,130 animals from routine husbandry procedures, I.E. Care and feeding, training and enrichment, special assistance with breeding and births. Zoo animal, horticulture, maintenance and exhibit staff provide upkeep to exhibit areas, as well as gardens and fauna found elsewhere on zoo grounds.

$4.5Mprogram expense
03

Educational Services

The zoo offers a variety of educational programs for students and teachers, both on and off zoo grounds. Staff and volunteers are stationed throughout the zoo daily to teach guests about wildlife and conservation through stations, scripted talks, exhibit interpretation, and handling animal ambassadors.

$590Kprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CThe Maryland Zoological Society INC
EINHdr · item D52-0996352
Principal addressHdr · item CBaltimore, MD
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.marylandzoo.org
Year of formationHdr · item L1876
State of legal domicileHdr · item MMD
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFAnimals (D500)
Ruling yearIRS BMFMay 1974

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a44
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b44
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2Yes

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Presidentceo
$318,722Pt VII · Sec A
Exec VP of Financecfo
$169,964Pt VII · Sec A
Executive VP of Animal Programs
$148,122Pt VII · Sec A
SR Dir of Business Development
$135,391Pt VII · Sec A
SR Dir of Health & Conservation
$131,653Pt VII · Sec A
Controller
$122,863Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President of Guest Experience
$111,192Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Kirby Fowler JR’s $319K as Presidentceo is at the 65th percentile of top reported officer pay among 224 $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

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Kirby Fowler JR$318,722$288,097$289,200
Donald Hutchinson$242,398$206,103
J Kirby Fowler JR$202,710
Michele Rutkowski$169,964$159,973$147,012
Karl Kranz$148,122$136,290$134,161$126,165$118,259
Nancy Noppenberger$143,189$139,007
Shannon Brown$135,391$108,676$100,802
Ellen Bronson Zak$131,653$110,309

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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$16.3M · 65%
Program service revenue$7.8M · 31%
Other revenue$691K · 3%
Investment income$199K · 1%
Contributions & grants65%$16.3M
Program service revenue31%$7.8M
Other revenue3%$691K
Investment income1%$199K
— government grantsLn 1e$13.0M
Total revenueLn 12$25.0M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.87 Management & general $0.10 Fundraising $0.03
Program services87%$18.8M
Management & general10%$2.2M
Fundraising3%$710K
Total functional expensesLn 25$21.6M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$5.2M
Total assetsLn 16$81.6M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$4.9M
Total net assetsLn 32$76.7M
Months of cash on handcomputed2.9

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $5.5M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $21.6M · Less non-cash grants $106K · Cash operating expenses/yr $21.5M
3.0 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $18.8M · Total expenses $21.6M
87%
Management & General
Management & general $2.2M · Total expenses $21.6M
10%
Fundraising
Fundraising $710K · Total expenses $21.6M
3%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (2-yr avg) $780K · Solicited contributions (2-yr avg) $3.1M
$0.25 to raise $1 (2-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $16.3M · Total revenue $25.0M
65%
Government reliance
Government grants $13.0M · Total revenue $25.0M
52%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $7.8M · Total revenue $25.0M
31%
Investment reliance
Investment income $199K · Total revenue $25.0M
+1%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $7.8M · Total expenses $21.6M
36%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $25.0M · Prior year $28.2M
-11%
Revenue CAGR
FY2019 $18.5M · FY2024 $25.0M
+6%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $76.7M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $25.0M · Expenses $21.6M
+13%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $81.6M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $76.7M · Total assets $81.6M
94%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $238K · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $81.6M
0%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Kirby Fowler JR · Reported title PRESIDENTCEO · Highest reported compensation $319K · Total expenses $21.6M
1%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $12.8M · Total expenses $21.6M
59%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 87%
Overhead ratio 10%
Fundraising cost ratio 4%
Revenue growth -11%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$42K
Grants paid · 6 grants · $69K · 2021–2024
Polar Bears InternationalMT · FY2022$6,000
Prdproject Golden FrogTX · FY2021$20,000

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2024$28.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$21.6M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$20.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$21.9M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$18.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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