Charities United States Animal Welfare Houston Zoo Inc
HO

Houston Zoo Inc

To connect communities with animals, inspiring action to save wildlife.

Animal Welfare Houston, TX EIN 741590271 · IRS Sign up to see website
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76
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
76/100 · methodology

About Houston Zoo Inc

Houston Zoo Inc is a animal welfare organization based in HOUSTON, United States. Annual revenue: $84.5 million. 0% of spending goes directly to programs. EIN: 741590271.

Founded
Headquarters
Houston, TX
Foundation type
Supporting organization (509(a)(3))
NTEE code
D115
IRS subsection
501(c)(c3)
Ruling date
Size
large

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1967

Mission

To connect communities with animals, inspiring action to save wildlife.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Animal Welfare · NTEE D115
Cause tags

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: 0.75%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 76
Peer average: 92

Red flags

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

Where every $1 goes

Program expenses$0.00 ($54.4 million)

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Houston Zoo Inc is a registered animal welfare nonprofit based in Houston, TX, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1920 and has been operating for 106 years. Its EIN is 741590271. It has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 76/100 (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 $83M in annual revenue. 224 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Houston Zoo Inc has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 76/100. 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 76 ('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.

Houston Zoo Inc is located in Houston, TX, United States. The organization was established in 1920 and has been active for 106 years.

Based on official tax filings, Houston Zoo Inc has $83M in annual revenue. It allocates 0% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 96% 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.

Houston Zoo Inc is classified as a Animal Welfare organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). By size, it is categorized as a large organization. It has $83M in annual revenue. The organization has 224 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Houston Zoo 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.

Houston Zoo Inc has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 76/100 (Strong transparency) and no red flags have been detected, which suggests it is a well-documented organization. It is regulated by the IRS. 0% of expenses go to programs. The peer average is 96%. Visit the Houston Zoo Inc profile on GiveRadar for full details before deciding. GiveRadar provides data for research purposes and does not endorse any organization. Always do your own due diligence.

Houston Zoo Inc is a animal welfare organization based in HOUSTON, United States. Annual revenue: $84.5 million. 0% of spending goes directly to programs. EIN: 741590271. Houston Zoo Inc is classified as a animal welfare organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1920.

Among animal welfare charities registered in United States: Houston Zoo Inc's GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 76/100 is below the peer average of 92/100. It allocates 0% of expenses to programs, below the peer average of 96%. Its annual revenue of $83M is well above the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Houston Zoo Inc are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Its EIN is 741590271, 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 5 official sources, last refreshed .

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

5 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.
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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

JE
Jeri Nordbrock
CFO

Officers & trustees (25)

Source: Public filings

AL
Alie P•••••
Board Member
AM
Amy G•••••
Board Member thru 6/22
AN
Anne C••••••••••
Board Member
AN
Anne D•••••
Member Emeritus
AU
Austin Y••••
Member Emeritus
BA
Bas S••••••••
Board Member
BE
Beto C•••••••
Board Member
BI
Bill B••••••
Member Emeritus
BR
Brian T•••••
Board Member as of 7/23
BR
Bryon P•••
Board Member
BY
Byron P•••
Board Member
CA
Carlos B••••
Board Member
CA
Cay N•••
Board Member thru 6/23
CL
Claire L••
Board Member
CL
Clay N•••
Board Member
CO
Conor L••••
Exhibit Artist
CU
Cullen G••••••••
Vice Chair thru 6/23
CY
Cynthia W•••••
Board Member
EU
Eureka G•••••
Board Member
GE
George B•••
Board Member
GI
Gillian H•••••
Board Member thru 6/23
HE
Heather C••••••
Board Member as of 7/23
JA
James H•••••••••
Director
JE
Jeff D•••••••
Board Member thru 6/22
JE
Jennifer L••••••
Board Member
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

LIVE KPRC 2 Storm Tracker - Click2Houston
May 2026
www.click2houston.com
Could Bastrop State Park egg release help save the endangered Houston toad? - Austin American-Statesman
May 2026
www.statesman.com
How Houston's nonprofits are evolving and growing following recent cuts - The Business Journals
May 2026
www.bizjournals.com
Why the Houston Zoo named a baby howler monkey in honor of Astros star Jose Altuve - Houston Chronicle
May 2026
www.houstonchronicle.com
MVP, World Series champ and ... namesake of a zoo animal? Tuve, meet Tuve! - MLB.com
May 2026
www.mlb.com
1 cool thing: Houston Zoo's new CT machine - Axios
May 2026
www.axios.com
What it looks like when the Houston Zoo gives a 13-foot anaconda a CT scan - KHOU
May 2026
www.khou.com
Jose Altuve now has a baby monkey named after him at the Houston Zoo - Chron
May 2026
www.chron.com
A behind the scenes look at the new things coming to the Houston Zoo - Spectrum News
Apr 2026
spectrumlocalnews.com
Houston Zoo could unveil major $4.6 million upgrade in months - Chron
Apr 2026
www.chron.com
Form filed
$82.7M revenue
FY2024
IRS_990
Form filed
$82.5M revenue
FY2023
IRS_990
Form filed
$68.2M revenue
FY2022
IRS_990
Form filed
$84.5M revenue
FY2021
IRS_990
Form filed
$54.4M revenue
FY2020
IRS_990

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Peer charities

Other animal welfare in United States, by integrity assessment

Charity Score Revenue Program %
Houston Zoo Inc This page 76 $82.5 million 0%
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 - 224 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News
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 Houston Zoo Inc

What is Houston Zoo Inc?
Houston Zoo Inc is a animal welfare supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in Houston, United States. Houston Zoo Inc is a animal welfare organization based in HOUSTON, United States. Annual revenue: $84.5 million. 0% of spending goes directly to programs. EIN: 741590271.
When was Houston Zoo Inc founded?
Houston Zoo Inc was founded in 1920.
Who leads Houston Zoo Inc?
Jeri Nordbrock serves as CFO.
Where is Houston Zoo Inc located?
Headquartered in Houston, United States.
What is Houston Zoo Inc's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $10M-$100M. 0% of expenses go to program services.
Is Houston Zoo Inc trustworthy?
Houston Zoo Inc has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 76 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 Houston Zoo Inc's registration number?
IRS EIN: 741590271.
What is Houston Zoo Inc's website?
http://www.houstonzoo.org