Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, registered in 1958, with $7,505,438 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it D.
Revenue (FY2023)
$7.5M
▼ 74.6% vs prior year
Animals median: $151K
Expenses (FY2023)
$15.7M
Net assets
$30.5M
Employees
—
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. Not scored for Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium— this filing type doesn't report it, and the rating simply skips it (never counts it against the organization). See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium: 23 mo reserves · -109% margin earns a F on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. Not scored for Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium— this filing type doesn't report it, and the rating simply skips it (never counts it against the organization). See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium: 2 of 5 disclosure signals earns a C on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Revenue grew from $4.6M (FY2013) to $7.5M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
-108.9%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$32.2M
Total liabilities
$1.7M
Net assets
$30.5M
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $7,505,438▼74.6% | $15,675,298▲162% | $30,459,412▼11.7% | $32,183,723▼9.2% | 990 |
| 2022 | $29,508,398▲336% | $5,985,243▲33.3% | $34,481,276▲206% | $35,425,267▲192% | 990 |
| 2021 | $6,769,374▲51.1% | $4,490,418▲23.9% | $11,278,418▲28.1% | $12,144,836▲23.0% | 990 |
| 2020 | $4,479,727▼18.9% | $3,624,227▼7.6% | $8,802,603▲14.6% | $9,873,534▲16.2% | 990 |
| 2019 | $5,526,158▼35.1% | $3,923,145▼25.8% | $7,679,058▲31.0% | $8,498,787▲30.3% | 990 |
| 2018 | $8,509,753▲54.1% | $5,284,558▼24.1% | $5,861,220▲106% | $6,523,549▲84.3% | 990 |
| 2017 | $5,523,793▲4.0% | $6,962,377▲33.6% | $2,840,133▼45.6% | $3,539,339▼38.3% | 990 |
| 2016 | $5,309,247▼9.2% | $5,212,766▲13.3% | $5,220,691▲4.8% | $5,736,648▲6.3% | 990 |
| 2015 | $5,844,318▲21.7% | $4,601,912▲1.3% | $4,983,146▲27.8% | $5,398,649▲24.5% | 990 |
| 2014 | $4,804,108▲3.6% | $4,542,406▼16.6% | $3,899,155▲10.0% | $4,335,857▲11.9% | 990 |
| 2013 | $4,636,120 | $5,448,591▼10.0% | $3,545,058▼11.7% | $3,874,731▼10.8% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $6,050,983▲75.7% | $4,012,784▼20.5% | $4,344,030▼18.5% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $3,444,811▼25.7% | $5,049,480▲8.4% | $5,328,148▲7.7% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $4,637,793 | $4,657,678 | $4,945,487 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
31 grants to Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium totaling $5.8M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation Inc | General support, campaign support, butterfly house | 2024 | $488,689 |
| Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation Inc | Butterfly house & aquarium, general support | 2023 | $253,918 |
| Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation Inc | General support, lions project, capital campaigns | 2022 | $419,079 |
| National Fish and Wildlife Foundation | Eagle nesting surveys | 2022 | $10,800 |
| Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation Inc | General support, program support | 2021 | $430,546 |
| Avera Health | Sponsorship | 2021 | $60,000 |
| Sanford | Economic development | 2021 | $37,500 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2021 | $15,000 |
| Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation Inc | Lions commitments, black bear exhibit, general support | 2020 | $425,364 |
| National Philanthropic Tr | Environment, animals | 2020 | $200,000 |
| Sanford | Yearly donation support for the great plains zoo | 2020 | $65,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Environmental and animals | 2020 | $7,750 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Environmental and animals | 2020 | $7,750 |
| Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation Inc | General support, lions | 2019 | $175,383 |
| National Philanthropic Tr | Culture & arts | 2019 | $125,000 |
Explore more
Data for Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium (EIN 46-6015015) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.