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Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo

The kansas city zoo & aquarium, with its world-class animal habitats and exceptional programs, attracts visitors from around the world and families from close to home.

Animal Welfare Kansas City, MO EIN: 436048888 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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80
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
80/100 · methodology

About Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo

With more than 1700 animals and over 200 acres, the Zoo is the most affordable fun in Kansas City. Plan your visit today!

Founded
Headquarters
Kansas City, MO
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
D115
IRS subsection
501(c)(c3)
Ruling date
Size
major

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1964

Mission

The kansas city zoo & aquarium, with its world-class animal habitats and exceptional programs, attracts visitors from around the world and families from close to home.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
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.

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 6 similar animal welfare in United States
Program spending This charity: 93%
Peer average: 83%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 0.64%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 80
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for IRS revocation history, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

Where every $1 goes

· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)
$0.93
Program$0.93
93% to programs beats the peer average (83%) and beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 4 independent sources including the IRS.

  • GiveRadar has cross-referenced this organization across 4 independent sources, led by the IRS - among the most thoroughly sourced profiles in its cohort. See the sources
  • GiveRadar holds 14 years of financial filings for this organization, the most recent for fiscal year 2024 - a deeper filing history than 99% of the 16,398 animal welfare charities in the United States with filings on record. See the filings
  • GiveRadar holds a more complete profile for this organization than for 93% of the 40,468 animal welfare charities in the United States it tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (14 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo is a registered animal welfare nonprofit based in Kansas City, MO, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1959 and has been operating for 67 years. Its EIN is 436048888. 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 $54M in annual revenue. 162 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 436048888. 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.

Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80/100. 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 80 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 93% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for animal welfare charities in United States is 90/100.

Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo is located in Kansas City, MO, United States. The organization was established in 1959 and has been active for 67 years.

Based on official tax filings, Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo has $54M in annual revenue. It allocates 93% of expenses to programs and services. This is above 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.

Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo is classified as an 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 $54M in annual revenue. The organization has 162 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo. 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.

According to GiveRadar's records, Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo 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. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 93% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 83%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

With more than 1700 animals and over 200 acres, the Zoo is the most affordable fun in Kansas City. Plan your visit today! Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo is classified as an animal welfare organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1959.

Among animal welfare charities registered in United States: It allocates 93% of expenses to programs, above the peer average of 83%. Its annual revenue of $54M is well above the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Its EIN is 436048888, 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.

Annual revenue
$10M-$100M
93% 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.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

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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.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
725

Leadership

From FY2024 filing

LI
Linda F•••
Chief Operating Officer

Officers & trustees (25)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

25 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

No recent news coverage found

News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Form filed
$53.6M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$62.5M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$74.1M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$52.0M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$31.5M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990
Form filed
$29.1M revenue
FY2019
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$27.5M revenue
FY2018
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$26.8M revenue
FY2017
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$25.9M revenue
FY2016
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$27.1M revenue
FY2015
IRS/ProPublica

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Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services 322,679
Education 195,586
Arts & Culture 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 53,450
Animal Welfare this charity 40,468
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

Sources and verification

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 - 162 disclosed in the public registry.
Supplementary verification
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 12, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
90%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2024 on record
  • Named leadership · 162 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 1959
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

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 methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo

What is Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo?
Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo is a animal welfare publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Kansas City, United States. With more than 1700 animals and over 200 acres, the Zoo is the most affordable fun in Kansas City. Plan your visit today!
When was Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo founded?
Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo was founded in 1959.
Who leads Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo?
Linda Falk serves as Chief Operating Officer.
Where is Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo located?
Headquartered in Kansas City, MO, United States.
What is Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $10M-$100M. 93% of expenses go to program services.
Is Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo trustworthy?
Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo 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 Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo's registration number?
IRS EIN: 436048888.
What is Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City Mo's website?
http://www.kansascityzoo.org