Animal-Related (D500) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

SHEDD AQUARIUM SOCIETY

EIN: 36-2167918 · CHICAGO, IL 60605-2402 · United States · FY 2024 Data

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

Financial strength (30%) 86/100

Reliability (20%) 70/100

Effectiveness (25%) 93/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2024 · Scored 9/13/2026

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Mission Statement

Shedd Aquarium's mission is, "Sparking compassion, curiosity and conservation for the aquatic animal world."

Financial Overview — FY 2024

$102.0M

Total Revenue

$72.8M

Total Expenses

$685.9M

Net Assets

659

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 76.7%

Fundraising Efficiency 4302.8%

Operating Reserve 113.07x

Liability-to-Asset 12.1%

Revenue Diversification 46.7%

Executive Compensation $3.8M

Compared with Peers

FY 2024

Compared with 157 similar organizations (United States, Animal-Related, $10M–$100M in expenses), FY 2024.

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	76.7%	82.1%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	17.2%	9.4%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	6.1%	6.1%	P10P90	Above median
Fundraising efficiency Fundraising expenses / gross fundraising income · lower is better	4302.8%	534.4%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	113.1 mo	23.7 mo	P10P90	Top quarter
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	12.1%	9.2%	P10P90	Below median
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	46.7%	71.2%	P10P90	Top quarter
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	9.7%	8.4%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	8.7%	8.4%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	28.6%	5.2%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2024	$102.0M	$72.8M	$685.9M	76.7%	659
2023	$93.0M	$67.0M	$611.0M	77.8%	612
2022	$94.9M	$57.6M	$540.0M	76.7%	545
2021	$182.6M	$55.8M	N/A	—	477

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Organization Details

EIN: 36-2167918
State: IL
City: CHICAGO
ZIP: 60605-2402
Classification: D500
Category: Animal-Related
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1924
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.
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