FOUNDED IN 1984, THE OMAHA ZOO FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THE MISSION, RESEARCH AND PROGRAMS BENEFITTING OMAHA'S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM. TO ENSURE A GROWING, VIBRANT ZOO FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, IT IS OUR PRIORITY TO BUILD A SOLID PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATION FOR OMAHA'SCOMMUNITY TREASURE.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$185.8M
+5.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$20.8M
+162.8% YoY
Grant Count
1
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$20.8M
+162.8% YoY
About Omaha Zoo Foundation
Based on IRS filings
Omaha Zoo Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on Environment & Animals, based in OMAHA, NE. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $185.8M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 1 grants totaling $20.8M. Net investment income was $7.2M.
Focus Areas
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $185,760,101 | $176,399,926 | $145,072,070 |
| Revenue | $26,326,840 | $31,905,904 | $25,005,850 |
| Expenses | $24,708,993 | $10,861,921 | $21,713,185 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $7,235,399 | $5,515,357 | $1,801,655 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 1 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
5 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| HOWARD L HAWKS | DIRECTOR (THRU 12/6/2024) | 1 | — |
| MOGENS C BAY | CHAIRMAN | 1 | — |
| CALVIN SISSON | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL R MCCARTHY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TINA CHERICA | PRESIDENT & CEO | 40 | $403,033 |
| KILEY THIELE | VP OF DEVELOPMENT | 40 | $180,518 |
| DR LEE G SIMMONS | VP OF DONOR RELATIONS | 40 | $342,786 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
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