Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc
Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc is a public charity based in Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1970, it operates and maintains the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens, a 119-acre zoological and botanical facility accredited by the American Zoo & Aquarium Association.
Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc at a glance
In short: Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc gave $329K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), mostly in Florida. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $328,616
- -4.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $21,908
- -4.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $19,000
- Total assets
- $132,935,745
- +28.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Florida (51% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 370 Zoo Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32218-5799
Phone: (904) 757-4463
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was International Rhino Foundation ($48K). Together the top 10 received $281K.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 65 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Florida (51%), Texas (21%), North Carolina (13%), California (7%), and Oregon (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 15 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. How we count
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $147K (2020) to $344K (2024). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $329K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| International Rhino Foundation Fort Worth, TX | Conservation support - bukit selatan national rhino protection units | $48,000 |
| Uf Foundation Gainesville, FL | Conservation Support - Guyana Wildlife Conservation Initiative | $42,105 |
| Friends of Bonoboslola Ya Bonobo-USA Durham, NC | Conservation Support - Lola Ya Bonobo Sanctuary | $42,000 |
| Wildlife Conservation Global Inc Jacksonville, FL | Conservation Support - Okapi Conservation | $40,000 |
| South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction & Conservation Yulee, FL | Conservation Support | $23,000 |
| International Iguana Foundation Fort Worth, TX | Conservation Support - Iguana Conservation | $20,000 |
| Naples Zoo Naples, FL | Conservation support - madagascar fauna and flora group quarantine facilities and monthly patrols | $19,511 |
| Pan African Sanctuaries Alliance Portland, OR | Conservation Support - Kinshasa Based Wildlife Tracking Coordinator | $19,000 |
| Save the Manatee Club Maitland, FL | Conservation Support - Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation | $15,000 |
| Wildlife Conservation Network Inc San Francisco, CA | Conservation Support - Grevy Zebras, Cheetah Conservation Botswana | $12,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $132,935,745 | $50,606,141 | $29,669,605 | $328,616 | 15 | $574,386 |
| 2024 | $103,787,794 | $39,286,259 | $29,429,211 | $344,077 | 15 | $786,710 |
| 2023 | $89,637,100 | $37,302,218 | $29,367,920 | $306,229 | 15 | $773,527 |
| 2022 | $81,018,008 | $35,336,419 | $26,593,126 | $240,404 | 11 | $6,541 |
| 2021 | $79,943,781 | $26,076,784 | $21,158,147 | $187,925 | 9 | $-85,074 |
| 2020 | $69,716,366 | $20,692,721 | $20,630,179 | $147,370 | 8 | $1,456 |
| 2019 | $67,160,450 | $22,982,300 | $21,132,308 | $336,729 | 16 | $-1,765 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization states its mission is “connecting communities with wildlife and wild places.” Its vision is a community energized by a connection to nature that enriches lives and inspires people to preserve and protect the natural world.
The organization’s grants include conservation support for wildlife and habitat initiatives, as well as an animal behavior research fellowship. Among its grantees, Friends of Bonobos describes its work as protecting bonobos and their rainforest home through rescue, sanctuary, rewilding, and partnerships with local communities. Wildlife Conservation Global says it works with conservation authorities and communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to protect the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. The South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction & Conservation describes its work as addressing reproductive challenges to support endangered species populations in captivity and in the wild. The International Iguana Foundation says it supports conservation, awareness, and scientific programs for wild iguanas and their habitats.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the organization reported 15 grants totaling $328,616. Grant amounts ranged from $7,500 to $48,000, with a median of $19,000.
Largest reported grants included $48,000 to the International Rhino Foundation for conservation support for Bukit Selatan National Rhino Protection Units; $42,105 to the UF Foundation for a Guyana wildlife conservation initiative; $42,000 to Friends of Bonobos Lola ya Bonobo-USA for the Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary; and $40,000 to Wildlife Conservation Global Inc for okapi conservation. Other reported grants included $23,000 to the South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction & Conservation, $20,000 to the International Iguana Foundation, and $19,511 to Naples Zoo for Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group quarantine facilities and monthly patrols.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing include Lucia Lindsey, board chair; George Mikes, treasurer and vice president of finance; Kelly Coker-Daniel, secretary; Anne Marie Cushmac, vice chair of governance; Charles Ged, immediate past chair; Paul Renfro, vice chair of education; Param Sahni, vice chair of capital campaign; Karen Estella Smith, vice chair of garden and AR; Kerri Stewart, vice chair of special projects; and Salamann Wahidi, vice chair of animal care.
Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc is led by Jeff Ettling, President & N CEO since 2025 (on filings since 2023); 5 of 30 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeff Ettling
President & N CEO
President & CEO → President & N CEO, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$184K (2023) → $276K (2025)
Lucia Lindsey
Board Chair
Vice Chair - Gardens & Art → Vice Chair - Capital Campa, 2022
Vice Chair - Capital Campa → Board Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Holly Ellis
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$118K (2019) → $157K (2025)
Nikki Smith
Chief Philanthropy Officer
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$124K (2023) → $143K (2025)
David Hagan
Chief Life Sciences Officer
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$140K (2024) → $126K (2025)
Paula Shields
Chief People & Culture Officer
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$121K (2024) → $107K (2025)
Anne Marie Cushmac
Vice Chair - Governance
Board Member → Vice Chair - Governance, 2022
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles Ged
Immediate Past Chair
Treasurer & Vice Chair - F → Board Chair, 2022
Board Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Estella Smith
Vice Chair - Garden
Secretary → Vice Chair - Garden & Arts, 2022
Vice Chair - Garden & Arts → Vice Chair - Garden, 2023
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelly Coker-Daniel
Secretary
Board Member → Vice Chair - Education, 2020
Vice Chair - Education → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kerri Stewart
Vice Chair - Special Proje
Board Member → Vice Chair - Special Projects, 2020
Vice Chair - Special Projects → Vice Chair - Special Proje, 2021
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leanna Cumber
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pamela Phillips
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Renee Kurzius
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Witt
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George Mikes
Treasurer & Vice President of Financ
Board Member → Treasurer & Vice President of Finance, 2022
Treasurer & Vice President of Finance → Treasurer & Vice President of Financ, 2023
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joel Swanson
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Chamberlayne
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kenyonn Demps
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Salamann Wahidi
Vice Chair - Animal Care
Board Member → Vice Chair - Animal Care, 2023
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Clint Pyle
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Missy Peters
Board Member
Secretary → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Param Sahni
Vice Chair - Capital Campaign
Board Member → Vice Chair - Capital Campaign, 2025
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dan Fields
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Donna Deegan
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Renfro
Vice Chair - Education
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelli O'Leary
Mayoral Appointee
On filings since 2024
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ken Amaro
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Gay
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Willie Gonzalez
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (34)
- Former: Teresa Kennedy (2020–2024) — Chief Operating Officer
- Former: Anita Martin (2024) — Director of Accounting & Controller
- Former: Al Ferraro (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Barnwell Lane (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Tony Vecchio (2019–2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Paul Sandler (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Paul Blackstone (2021–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Jonathan Coles (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Cyrus Moshiree (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Leanne Cryer (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Asher Chanan-Khan (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Darryl Willie (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Janna McNicholas (2019–2022) — Vice Chair - Animal Care
- Former: John McIlvaine (2019–2022) — Vice Chair - Marketing & D
- Former: John Naugle (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Lenny Curry (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Margaret Hicks (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: William Rowe (2019–2022) — Past Board Chair
- Former: Ju'coby Pittman (2021–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Leeann Krieg (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Ann Harwood-Nuss (2019–2021) — Vice Chair - Animal Care
- Former: Carl Cannon (2019–2021) — Vice Chair - Capital Campa
- Former: Jordan Elsbury (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Jessica Fowler (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Krystyn Collier (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Martha Baker (2019–2020) — Past Chair
- Former: Susan Welsh (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Terrence Freeman (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Bryan Rhode (2019) — Secretary
- Former: Jed Davis (2019) — Board Member
- Former: John Hayt (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Lori Boyer (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Morrie Zimmerman (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Paisley Boney (2019) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $276K, to Jeff Ettling (President & N CEO). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc
How much does Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc give each year?
Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc gave $329K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $344K across 15 grants.
What is Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc's typical grant size?
Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc's median grant in 2025 was $19,000, and its average grant was $21,908, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc give grants?
Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc gives mostly in Florida: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Texas (21%) and North Carolina (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fort Worth, TX (2 grants) and Jacksonville, FL (2 grants).
Does Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc's largest grantees?
Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc's largest 2025 grantees include International Rhino Foundation ($48,000), Uf Foundation ($42,105) and Friends of Bonoboslola Ya Bonobo-USA ($42,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc?
Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc reported $132.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $50.6M.
What does Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc fund?
The organization states its mission is “connecting communities with wildlife and wild places.” Its vision is a community energized by a connection to nature that enriches lives and inspires people to preserve and protect the natural world. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc?
Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc's EIN?
Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 59-1319010. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 28, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 18, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 6, 2023)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jacksonville-zoological-society-inc-morg_92a62065b465497cb5a0d1692b1161c7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_591319010_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jacksonville-zoological-society-inc-morg_92a62065b465497cb5a0d1692b1161c7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?