Detroit Zoological Society
About
See the animals, experience enrichments and find your friends.
The mission of the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) is to create meaningful connections between people, animals and the natural world so all can thrive. The vision of the DZS is to be a force for positive change in a world where animals and nature are valued, understood and protected by all people.
Focus & reach
Verification & registration
Every mark links to the official registry entry and opens in a new tab.
Integrity assessment
A score from 0 to 100 for how openly a charity shares public information across five areas: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and data recency. It does not measure programme impact. See exactly what we do and do not have →
Financials
IRS Form 990Leadership at a glance
Official filings
GiveRadar Intelligence
GiveRadar Analysis
Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, Detroit Zoological Society has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 5 independent sources including the IRS.
- GiveRadar has cross-referenced this organization across 5 independent sources, led by the IRS - among the most thoroughly sourced profiles in its cohort. See the sources
- Established in 1924, it is among the oldest animal welfare charities in the United States GiveRadar tracks. View this cohort
- It is one of the better-documented animal welfare charities in the United States GiveRadar currently tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
- government registration
- financial records (14 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-09-21. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Filing history
10 years on file from IRS Form 990: revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
Sign up to viewTax deductibility
Whether a gift to Detroit Zoological Society lowers your own taxes depends on where you pay them. Choose your country to see the rule that applies.
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
This is general guidance, not tax advice. Confirm treatment with the charity or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
Leadership & board
Official filingsBoard members and senior officers on record, with disclosed pay where available.
25 officers and trustees on file, free with a GiveRadar account.
No red flags detected
Timeline
From official filingsKey dates from this charity's official filings, newest first.
In the news
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
#1,345 of 40,470 animal welfare charities in the United States on integrity score
80/100 puts it in the top 4% of the cohort, tied with 1,338 others. Positions are competition ranks: ties share a position. Cohorts are the tightest local peer set with at least 30 comparable organizations; a metric is left out where the cohort is too small or nearly uniform.
Bars show the share of the cohort this charity outranks. Ranks describe how much is publicly disclosed, not how good the charity is.
How it stacks up against peers
Compared with 6 similar animal welfare charities in United States.
Cause areas in United States
Charities working in each area, this charity's highlighted.
Sources and verification
- Officers and trustees
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search · 295 disclosed in the public registry.
What we know and don't know
Every data point we track for this charity, and whether we have found it. Disclosure only, never a judgment of the charity's work.
Data freshness
How current this profile is, and when we last checked it against the official source.
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
Read full methodologyIf you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email info@giveradar.com with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.
Frequently asked questions about Detroit Zoological Society
Detroit Zoological Society is a registered animal welfare nonprofit based in Royal Oak, MI, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1924 and has been operating for 102 years. Its EIN is 386027356. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 80/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $64M in annual revenue. 295 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
Detroit Zoological Society's Chief Financial Officer, Robert Schumaker, received $516,947 in reported compensation in its most recent filing (2024). This figure comes straight from the organization's official filing and covers salary plus other reportable pay. Executive pay generally scales with the size and complexity of a nonprofit, so it is best read alongside the organization's revenue and what it does.
Based on official filings, Detroit Zoological Society has $64M in annual revenue. It allocates 85% of expenses to programs and services. This is in line with the average of 83% for animal welfare charities in United States. 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.
See the animals, experience enrichments and find your friends. Detroit Zoological Society is classified as an animal welfare organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1924.
Detroit Zoological Society is classified as an Animal Welfare organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). By size, it is categorized as a major organization. It has $64M in annual revenue. The organization has 295 disclosed officers and directors.
Detroit Zoological Society's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 386027356. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.
Detroit Zoological Society is located in Royal Oak, MI, United States. The organization was established in 1924 and has been active for 102 years.
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Quick facts about Detroit Zoological Society
- What is Detroit Zoological Society?
- Detroit Zoological Society is a animal welfare supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in Royal Oak, United States. See the animals, experience enrichments and find your friends.
- When was Detroit Zoological Society founded?
- Detroit Zoological Society was founded in 1924.
- Who leads Detroit Zoological Society?
- Robert Schumaker serves as Chief Financial Officer.
- Where is Detroit Zoological Society located?
- Headquartered in Royal Oak, MI, United States.
- What is Detroit Zoological Society's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is $64.1 million. 85% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Detroit Zoological Society trustworthy?
- Detroit Zoological Society has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80 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 Detroit Zoological Society's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 386027356.
- What is Detroit Zoological Society's website?
- http://www.detroitzoo.org/