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Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc

Potawatomi zoological society, inc. (the society) is an indiana nonprofit corporation whose primary mission is to assist and advise the city of south bend, indiana (the city) by …

Animal Welfare South Bend, IN EIN: 351183974 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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80
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
80/100 · methodology

About Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc

One of the oldest zoos in Indiana, Potawatomi Zoo features around 500 animals, with fun activities for everyone! Memberships also make for a unique and thoughtful gift for any occasion.

Founded
Headquarters
South Bend, IN
Foundation type
Supporting organization (509(a)(3))
NTEE code
D500
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
large

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1971

Mission

Potawatomi zoological society, inc. (the society) is an indiana nonprofit corporation whose primary mission is to assist and advise the city of south bend, indiana (the city) by acting as representatives of the community, and to provide funding with fiduciary responsibility for the south bend potawatomi park zoo (the zoo) in areas that promote excellence in education, conservation and improved animal quality of life. The zoo is recognized as a vital cultural and recreational community asset and wish to enhance the zoo's contributions to the community in the areas of recreation, education and conservation. The society is committed to the ongoing development, support and enrichment of the zoo and share the goal of providing a top flight zoo for a city the size of south bend, for its citizens of its neighbor communities, and for visitors to the south bend area. The society is organized to solicit, collect, and provide funds for securing and maintaining animals and facilities for the city

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. 8 similar animal welfare in United States
Program spending This charity: 54%
Peer average: 82%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 1.65%
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)
$0.55
Program$0.55

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

GiveRadar's verified records show Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc with a complete profile, sourced from the IRS.

  • Established in 1971, it predates 90% of the animal welfare charities in the United States GiveRadar has a founding year for. View this cohort
  • 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
  • By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 88% of the 16,157 animal welfare charities in the United States with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (5 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

Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc is a registered animal welfare nonprofit based in South Bend, IN, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1971 and has been operating for 55 years. Its EIN is 351183974. 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 $8M in annual revenue. 63 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 351183974. 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.

Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc 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. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for animal welfare charities in United States is 90/100.

Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc is located in South Bend, IN, United States. The organization was established in 1971 and has been active for 55 years.

Based on official tax filings, Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc has $8M in annual revenue. It allocates 54% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 82% 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.

Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc 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 large organization. It has $8M in annual revenue. The organization has 63 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Potawatomi Zoological Society 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.

According to GiveRadar's records, Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc 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 54% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 82%). 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.

One of the oldest zoos in Indiana, Potawatomi Zoo features around 500 animals, with fun activities for everyone! Memberships also make for a unique and thoughtful gift for any occasion. Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc is classified as an animal welfare organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1971.

Among animal welfare charities registered in United States: It allocates 54% of expenses to programs, below the peer average of 82%. Its annual revenue of $8M is well above the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 351183974, 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
$1M-$10M
54% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

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.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
147

Leadership

From FY2024 filing

JA
Jason S••••••
President

Officers & trustees (23)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

23 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
$7.8M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$7.7M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$7.1M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$6.3M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$6.2M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990

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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 - 63 disclosed in the public registry.

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 · 63 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 · 1971
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 Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc

What is Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc?
Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc is a animal welfare supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in South Bend, United States. One of the oldest zoos in Indiana, Potawatomi Zoo features around 500 animals, with fun activities for everyone! Memberships also make for a unique and thoughtful gift for any occasion.
When was Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc founded?
Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc was founded in 1971.
Who leads Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc?
Jason Schultz serves as President.
Where is Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc located?
Headquartered in South Bend, IN, United States.
What is Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $1M-$10M. 54% of expenses go to program services.
Is Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc trustworthy?
Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc 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 Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc's registration number?
IRS EIN: 351183974.
What is Potawatomi Zoological Society Inc's website?
http://www.potawatomizoo.org