Shedd Aquarium's mission is to spark compassion, curiosity and conservation for the aquatic animal world. This is driven by the organization's vision of a world thriving with aquatic life sustained by people who love, understand and protect it.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$780.1M
+10.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$325K
+28.9% YoY
Grant Count
3
-25.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$108K
+71.8% YoY
About Shedd Aquarium Society
Based on IRS filings
Shedd Aquarium Society is a nonprofit organization focused on Environment & Animals, based in CHICAGO, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $780.1M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 3 grants totaling $325K. Net investment income was $21.9M.
Focus Areas
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $780,057,975 | $703,914,325 | $628,183,114 |
| Revenue | $101,974,802 | $92,974,657 | $94,920,299 |
| Expenses | $72,794,544 | $66,994,472 | $57,622,512 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $21,888,406 | $15,981,297 | $10,086,197 |
| 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 3 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRIDGET COUGHLIN PHD | President/CEO | 45 | $874,176 |
| David J Koo | Chairman of Board | 1 | — |
| Alex Singla | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Anders Gustafsson | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Andrew Nocella | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Anna M Livingston | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Brent Gledhill | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Brian A Kenney | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Cara Pan | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Charles Smith | Trustee | 1 | — |
| David Foulkes | Trustee | 1 | — |
| David L Epstein | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Dominic Curcio | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Elizabeth Hartigan Connelly | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Ellen L O'Connor | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Ginevra Reed Ralph | Trustee | 1 | — |
| H John Gilbertson Jr | Trustee - Part-Year | 1 | — |
| Jane L Warner | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jeffrey Wright | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jerry Krulewitch | Trustee | 1 | — |
| John D Fumagalli | Trustee | 1 | — |
| John Hesselmann | Trustee | 1 | — |
| John Holmes | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Joseph S Braik | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Joyce St Clair | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Katie Lawler | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Kenneth Kuhrt | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Kimberly Simios | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Mark Stainton | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Mary L Burke | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Mary S Smith | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Nancy S Searle | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Neil Book | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Rahul Goyal | Trustee - Part-Year | 1 | — |
| Rev Michael Nabors DMin | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Richard E Erwin | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Richard J Tobin | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Robert H Jordan PhD | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Robert Lyons | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Sarah N Garvey | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Shannel Clubb | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Steve Weller | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Suzanne Yoon | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Thomas N King | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Tracie Haas | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Tracy Souder | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Tyrone C Fahner | Trustee - Part-Year | 1 | — |
| William J Chase | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Catherine J Casey | VP & General Counsel | 45 | $224,369 |
| GARY GORDON | Chief Financial & Admin Officer | 45 | $383,749 |
| Christine White | SVP, External Affairs & Marketing | 45 | $150,142 |
| Loraine Smedley | Chief Development Officer | 45 | $289,536 |
| Meghan Curran | Chief Marketing and Experience Officer | 45 | $375,846 |
| Nancy Anschel | SVP, Human Resources | 45 | $260,715 |
| Peggy E Sloan | Chief Animal Conservation Officer | 45 | $260,968 |
| Robert Wengel | SVP, Facilities and Security | 45 | $256,013 |
| CHARLES Knapp | VP, Conservation Research | 45 | $186,094 |
| Danielle M DuMerer | VP, Technology | 45 | $222,976 |
| Lisa Junkin Lopez | VP, Learning and Community | 45 | $180,037 |
| Patricia Fraser | VP, Guest Relations | 45 | $185,504 |
| Sarah Hezel | VP, Design and Exhibits | 45 | $215,705 |
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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