Charities United States Animal Welfare Denver Zoological Foundation Inc
Denver Zoological Foundation Inc logo

Denver Zoological Foundation Inc

Denver zoo is a leader in animal care and guest experience. We are passionate about our commitment to excellence in support of our mission "inspiring communities to save …

Animal Welfare Denver, CO EIN 840502539 · IRS Sign up to see website
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77
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
77/100 · methodology

About Denver Zoological Foundation Inc

Your visit supports our wildlife conservation efforts in Colorado + worldwide

Founded
Headquarters
Denver, CO
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
D115
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
major

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1952

Mission

Denver zoo is a leader in animal care and guest experience. We are passionate about our commitment to excellence in support of our mission "inspiring communities to save wildlife for future generations". We provide extraordinary experiences every day for our animals and guests and our core values are evident in everything we do: welcoming united curious courageous transformative. In june 2024, the denver zoo rebranded to the denver zoo conservation alliance ("dzca") reflecting the evolution into a modern, mission-driven conservation organization focused on wildlife protection and community collaboration.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Animal Welfare · NTEE D115
Cause tags
SDG alignment The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the global agenda for ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity by 2030. We tag each charity to the goals its work advances.
SDG 15 SDG 15 · Life on Land Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity.

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar animal welfare in United States
Program spending This charity: 0%
Peer average: 96%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 0.90%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 77
Peer average: 92

Red flags

· All clear
IRS revocation history
OFAC / EU / UN sanctions
Open investigations
Governance scandals
Related-party deals
Excessive exec comp

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Denver Zoological Foundation Inc is a registered animal welfare nonprofit based in Denver, CO, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1950 and has been operating for 76 years. Its EIN is 840502539. It has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 77/100 (Strong transparency), indicating well-documented governance, financials, and contact details. This is below the average of 92/100 for animal welfare charities in United States. The organization reports $60M in annual revenue. 111 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Denver Zoological Foundation Inc has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 77/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 77 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for animal welfare charities in United States is 92/100.

Denver Zoological Foundation Inc is located in Denver, CO, United States. The organization was established in 1950 and has been active for 76 years.

Based on official tax filings, Denver Zoological Foundation Inc has $60M in annual revenue. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of $1M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Denver Zoological Foundation Inc is classified as a Animal Welfare organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a major organization. It has $60M in annual revenue. The organization has 111 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Denver Zoological Foundation Inc. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.

Denver Zoological Foundation Inc has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 77/100 (Strong transparency) and no red flags have been detected, which suggests it is a well-documented organization. It is regulated by the IRS. You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research purposes and does not endorse any organization. Always do your own due diligence.

Your visit supports our wildlife conservation efforts in Colorado + worldwide Denver Zoological Foundation Inc is classified as a animal welfare organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1950.

Among animal welfare charities registered in United States: Denver Zoological Foundation Inc's GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 77/100 is below the peer average of 92/100. Its annual revenue of $60M is well above the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Denver Zoological Foundation Inc are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Denver Zoological Foundation Inc is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 840502539, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Verified against 6 official sources, last refreshed .

Annual revenue
$10M-$100M
0% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

10 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020, FY2019, FY2018, FY2017, FY2016, FY2015.
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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Leadership

GR
Greg Vochis
Treas./CFO Beg 7/24

Officers & trustees (25)

Source: Public filings

AM
Amber C••••••••••
SENIOR VP OF GUEST EXPERIENCE/COO
BE
Bert V••••••••
PRESIDENT/CE
BR
Bret B••••
BOARD MEMBER
BR
Brian A•••••
SENIOR VP OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
CH
Charles S••••••
VICE CHAIR OF FINANCE
CH
Charles S••••••
VICE CHAIR F
CH
Charles W•••••
CFO/Treasurer
CH
Charlie W•••••
TREASURER/CF
CH
Chris R•••
BOARD MEMBER
DE
Desta A••••
BOARD MEMBER
EM
Emily I•••••••
GENERAL CURA
ER
Erica E•••••
SENIOR VP OF
GE
George P•••
EXTERNAL PLANNING & PROJECTS
GR
Greg V•••••
Treas./CFO Beg 7/24
HA
Happy H•••••
BOARD MEMBER
JA
Jacque T•••••
SENIOR VP OF HR
JA
James L L•••••••
SR. DIR. PD
JA
Jared H••••
GUEST OP SEN
JA
Jason R•••••
VICE CHAIR F
JO
John I••••
BOARD MEMBER
LY
Lyne A••••••
BOARD MEMBER
MA
Marcela D• L• M••
CHAIR
MA
Marie R••••••
VP OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS
ME
Meredith C••••
BOARD MEMBER
NO
Noelle D•••••
CDO
Full names, contact details & compensation

Free with an account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

10 articles found

From global news sources

Sentiment

Neutral

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Lawsuit filed over $19 million sea lion habitat renovation at Denver Zoo - Denver Gazette
Apr 2026
www.denvergazette.com
Lawsuit filed over $19 million sea lion habitat renovation at Denver Zoo - KUSA.com
Apr 2026
www.9news.com
Lawsuit filed over $19 million sea lion habitat renovation at Denver Zoo - KUSA.com
Apr 2026
www.9news.com
Denver Clerk & Recorder dismisses campaign finance complaint against Vibrant Denver Bond committee - Denver7
Oct 2025
www.denver7.com
Form filed
$60.1M revenue
FY2024
IRS_990
Timothy Granger Atkeson - The Denver Post
May 2024
www.denverpost.com
Jane Chisholm Obituary - The Denver Post
May 2024
www.denverpost.com
Tim Godbey Obituary - The Denver Post
May 2024
www.denverpost.com
Form filed
$61.8M revenue
FY2023
IRS_990
Form filed
$57.7M revenue
FY2022
IRS_990
From New Mexico to Mongolia: Researchers share ideas, interests in restoring landscapes, wildlife - lasvegasoptic.com
Mar 2022
www.lasvegasoptic.com
Form filed
$59.7M revenue
FY2021
IRS_990
Form filed
$46.3M revenue
FY2020
IRS_990
Form filed
$52.7M revenue
FY2019
PROPUBLICA
Form filed
$43.4M revenue
FY2018
PROPUBLICA
CU Boulder pika researcher wins conservation award - University of Colorado Boulder
Nov 2018
www.colorado.edu
Announcing the 2018 Denver Zoological Conservation Award Winner - Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance
Oct 2018
denverzoo.org
Form filed
$45.3M revenue
FY2017
PROPUBLICA
Form filed
$40.9M revenue
FY2016
PROPUBLICA
Form filed
$43.1M revenue
FY2015
PROPUBLICA

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Peer charities

Other animal welfare in United States, by integrity assessment

Charity Score Revenue Program %
Denver Zoological Foundation Inc This page 77 $60.1 million -
Critter Encounters 93 $230,370 100%
Wedrose Acres 93 $114,491 99%
Spca of Tennessee 93 $189,417 83%
Arizona Poodle Rescue Inc 93 $658,982 100%
Better Days Inc 93 $181,989 99%
Fifty Shades of Furr Inc 93 $314,656 94%
Bullpen Way Station & Sanctuary Ltd 90 $151,835 93%
Clay County Animal Rescue & Education Center Inc 90 $136,295 100%

Sources and verification

Refreshed

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 111 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News
Supplementary verification
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

Data freshness

Last updated
May 27, 2026
Profile completeness
100%

What we don't know

Honest gaps - our score reflects transparency, not impact

Programs & projects
No named programs listed by the charity
Operating reach
Countries where programs run not specified

Methodology

GiveRadar combines public registry filings, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and news archives into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Quick facts about Denver Zoological Foundation Inc

What is Denver Zoological Foundation Inc?
Denver Zoological Foundation Inc is a animal welfare publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Denver, United States. Your visit supports our wildlife conservation efforts in Colorado + worldwide
When was Denver Zoological Foundation Inc founded?
Denver Zoological Foundation Inc was founded in 1950.
Who leads Denver Zoological Foundation Inc?
Greg Vochis serves as Treas./CFO Beg 7/24.
Where is Denver Zoological Foundation Inc located?
Headquartered in Denver, United States.
What is Denver Zoological Foundation Inc's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $10M-$100M. 0% of expenses go to program services.
Is Denver Zoological Foundation Inc trustworthy?
Denver Zoological Foundation Inc has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 77 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Denver Zoological Foundation Inc's registration number?
IRS EIN: 840502539.
What is Denver Zoological Foundation Inc's website?
http://www.denverzoo.org