Lincoln Park Zoological Society
2001 N Clark St, Chicago, IL · IRS data through FY2025
Revenue, expenses and net assets
Revenue Expenses Net assets
| Tax year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $50,519,973 | $44,259,231 | $196,785,143 |
| FY2024 | $56,439,039 | $43,076,073 | $185,310,719 |
| FY2023 | $48,421,031 | $40,005,808 | $149,913,919 |
| FY2022 | $64,159,516 | $40,075,721 | $154,607,309 |
| FY2021 | $29,163,519 | $50,341,084 | $127,905,057 |
| FY2020 | $51,352,751 | $37,391,439 | $101,180,026 |
| FY2019 | $42,262,357 | $41,232,150 | $101,862,983 |
| FY2018 | $43,430,242 | $35,441,197 | $101,958,806 |
| FY2017 | $38,912,922 | $43,412,852 | $84,729,660 |
| FY2016 | $32,478,794 | $45,675,646 | $78,333,188 |
| FY2015 | $42,319,087 | $39,859,288 | $99,726,905 |
| FY2014 | $42,528,628 | $29,756,696 | $95,893,487 |
| FY2013 | $50,367,554 | $25,907,435 | $75,045,468 |
| FY2012 | $25,255,656 | $25,336,565 | $44,292,152 |
Form 990 filings
The returns filed by Lincoln Park Zoological Society (EIN 36-2512404), including Form 990 PDFs and e-file data by year, are available in ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. The figures on this page come from IRS data files built from those returns.
Where the revenue came from
| Source | Amount | % of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions & grants | $25,583,104 | 51% |
| Program service revenue | $15,322,081 | 30% |
| Other revenue | $9,614,788 | 19% |
Where the money was spent
| Category | Amount | % of expenses |
|---|---|---|
| Program services | $38,488,845 | 87% |
| Management & general | $2,546,492 | 6% |
| Fundraising | $3,223,894 | 7% |
What the numbers show
- Contributions & grants made up 51% of total revenue in FY2025.
- Program services accounted for 87% of functional expenses, management & general 6%, and fundraising 7%.
- 87% of functional expenses went to program services in FY2025. That is higher than 75.9% of 241 Animal-Related organizations nationwide (too few in IL for a state comparison).
- Net assets covered about 53.4 months of expenses at the end of the reporting year. That puts it in the 86th percentile among 382 Animal-Related organizations in IL.
- Total revenue was higher than 99.7% of 387 Animal-Related organizations in IL.
- Total revenue rose from $25,255,656 in FY2012 to $50,519,973 in FY2025. Revenue increased in 6 and decreased in 7 of 13 year-over-year comparisons.
- Expenses exceeded revenue in 4 of 14 reported years (FY2012, FY2016, FY2017, FY2021).
- The highest revenue on record here is $64,159,516 in FY2022.
- Net assets grew from $44,292,152 to $196,785,143 between FY2012 and FY2025.
- Contributions and grants made up 58% of revenue in FY2012 and 51% in FY2025.
- Listed in the IRS Publication 78 data as eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions (public charity).
Figures compared against other organizations of the same NTEE program area in the same state. See the methodology page for how these are calculated and the guide to reading nonprofit financials for their limits.
About this organization
LINCOLN PARK ZOO IS DEDICATED TO CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH NATURE BY PROVIDING A FREE, FAMILY-ORIENTED WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE IN THE HEART OF CHICAGO AND BY ADVANCING THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF ANIMAL CARE, EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION.
IRS status
| Ruling year | 1961 |
| Subsection | 501(c)(3) |
| Classification | Public charity |
| Program area (NTEE) | D500 — Animal-Related |
| Donations | Listed in the IRS Publication 78 data as eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions (public charity). |
Similar organizations
- Paws Chicago — Chicago, IL · $46,965,874
- Chicago Zoological Society — Brookfield, IL · $90,541,500
- Shedd Aquarium Society — Chicago, IL · $101,974,802
Source: Internal Revenue Service — Exempt Organizations Business Master File (downloaded November 4, 2026), Statistics of Income extracts, Form 990 e-file data, Publication 78 and the Automatic Revocation list. Figures are as reported by the organization; IRS processing may adjust them. This is not a charity rating and not tax advice. Confirm deductibility in IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.
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