Animal-Related (D115) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

FRIENDS OF THE ZOO INC

EIN: 58-1661267 · CHATTANOOGA, TN 37404-2306 · United States · FY 2025 Data

3 out of 5 59 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 88/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 88/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2025 · Scored 9/13/2026

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CharityAI™ Score

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Mission Statement

The mission of the Chattanooga Zoo is to engage and inspire our community to better understand and preserve wildlife by creating meaningful connections between people and animals. With our intimate, innovative exhibits, wide-ranging educational offerings and commitment to conservation, our vision is to be a top destination for residents and visitors alike and the pride of our community.

Financial Overview — FY 2025

$6.8M

Total Revenue

$7.6M

Total Expenses

$1.5M

Net Assets

146

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 81.4%

Fundraising Efficiency N/A

Operating Reserve 2.33x

Liability-to-Asset 37.2%

Revenue Diversification 73.8%

Executive Compensation $99K

Compared with Peers

FY 2025

Compared with 399 similar organizations (United States, Animal-Related, $1M–$10M in expenses), FY 2025.

This organization Middle half of peers (P25–P75) Peer median

Ratio	This org	Peer median	Position (P10 → P90)
Program expense ratio Program expenses / total expenses · higher is better	81.4%	84.2%	P10P90	Below median
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	15.7%	9.4%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	2.9%	4.5%	P10P90	Above median
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	2.3 mo	19.1 mo	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	37.2%	3.6%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	73.8%	77.8%	P10P90	Above median
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	6.8%	10.2%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	-17.6%	8.4%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	-11.4%	5.1%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2025	$6.8M	$7.6M	$1.5M	81.4%	146
2024	$6.4M	$9.2M	$2.2M	87.3%	143
2023	$6.7M	$5.8M	$5.3M	80.4%	134
2022	$6.4M	$4.3M	N/A	—	117
2021	$5.5M	$3.6M	N/A	—	106

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Organization Details

EIN: 58-1661267
State: TN
City: CHATTANOOGA
ZIP: 37404-2306
Classification: D115
Category: Animal-Related
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
Foundation Code: 15
Form 990: On File

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CharityAI™ rates charities from 0 to 100 using public filings (IRS Form 990 and the equivalent registries outside the US) together with the information the charity itself provides on DonationX. Ratings are recalculated every quarter, without human bias, and shown as stars.

Four pillars

Financial strength30%

Program expense ratio, fundraising efficiency, operating reserves, liabilities and revenue diversification, compared with similar organizations.

Reliability20%

Standing with the registry, filing history, verification and how complete the profile is.

Effectiveness25%

How much goes to programs and how consistently the organization delivers them.

Impact25%

The outcomes the charity reports on DonationX: people served, cost per service and results.

Stars

★★★★★ 80–100 ★★★★☆ 60–79 ★★★☆☆ 40–59 ★★☆☆☆ 20–39 ★☆☆☆☆ 1–19

A pillar with no data counts as zero. Without impact metrics the score is capped at 59 (three stars): only the charity can supply that data.
The coverage grade (A to D) says how much filing data the score rests on; NONE means there is not enough to rate.
An organization that is not in good standing with its registry (for example a revoked tax exemption) is shown as Not rated.
"Compared with peers" places the charity's key ratios against organizations of the same country, sector and size.

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