Charities United States Animal Welfare Shedd Aquarium Society
Shedd Aquarium Society logo

Shedd Aquarium Society

The Shedd Aquarium Society Operates a public aquarium to encourage the connection between animals and guests through exhibits and education programs with the goal of promoting aquatic conservation.

Animal Welfare Chicago, IL EIN 362167918 · IRS Sign up to see website
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76
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
76/100 · methodology

About Shedd Aquarium Society

Look nature in the eye and discover the wonder of the aquatic animal world at Shedd Aquarium.

Founded
Headquarters
Chicago, IL
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
D500
IRS subsection
501(c)(c3)
Ruling date
Size
very-large

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1932

Mission

The Shedd Aquarium Society Operates a public aquarium to encourage the connection between animals and guests through exhibits and education programs with the goal of promoting aquatic conservation.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Animal Welfare · NTEE D500
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: 0.82%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 76
Peer average: 92

Red flags

· All clear
IRS revocation history
Open investigations
Governance scandals
Related-party deals
Excessive exec comp

Where every $1 goes

Program expenses$0.00 ($55.8 million)

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Shedd Aquarium Society is a registered animal welfare nonprofit based in Chicago, IL, 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 362167918. 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 $102M in annual revenue. 269 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Shedd Aquarium Society 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.

Shedd Aquarium Society is located in Chicago, IL, United States. The organization was established in 1924 and has been active for 102 years.

Based on official tax filings, Shedd Aquarium Society has $102M 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.

Shedd Aquarium Society 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 very-large organization. It has $102M in annual revenue. The organization has 269 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Shedd Aquarium Society. 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.

Shedd Aquarium Society 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%. 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.

Look nature in the eye and discover the wonder of the aquatic animal world at Shedd Aquarium. Shedd Aquarium Society is classified as a animal welfare organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1924.

Among animal welfare charities registered in United States: Shedd Aquarium Society'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 $102M is well above the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Shedd Aquarium Society are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Its EIN is 362167918, 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
$100M-$1B
0% 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.

Leadership

GA
Gary Gordon
Chief Financial & Admin Officer

Officers & trustees (25)

Source: Public filings

AL
Alex S•••••
TRUSTEE
AN
Anders G•••••••••
TRUSTEE
AN
Andrea R••••••
SVP, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS & MARKETING
AN
Andrew N••••••
TRUSTEE
AN
Anna M L•••••••••
TRUSTEE
AN
Anne E K••••
TRUSTEE
AN
Anne K••••
TRUSTEE - PART YEAR
BR
Brent G•••••••
TRUSTEE
BR
Brian A K•••••
TRUSTEE
BR
Bridget C••••••• P••
PRESIDENT/CEO
CA
Cara P••
TRUSTEE - PART YEAR
CA
Catherine C••••
VP & GENERAL COUNSEL
CH
Charles K••••
VP, CONSERVATION RESEARCH
CH
Charles S••••
TRUSTEE - PART YEAR
CY
Cynthia F•••••••
VP/CONTROLLER
DA
Danielle D••••••
VP, TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION SECURITY
DA
David F••••••
TRUSTEE
DA
David J K••
CHAIRMAN OF BOARD
DA
David L E••••••
TRUSTEE
DO
Dominic C•••••
TRUSTEE - PART YEAR
EL
Elizabeth H••••••• C•••••••
TRUSTEE
EL
Ellen L O•••••••
TRUSTEE
GA
Gary G•••••
CHIEF FINANCIAL & ADMIN OFFICER
GA
Gavin D K H•••••••••
TRUSTEE
GA
Gavin H•••••••••
TRUSTEE
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

Under the Sea at Prom - readtheforum.org
May 2026
readtheforum.org
Reimagined Immersion Theater by SimEx-Iwerks opens at Shedd Aquarium - InPark Magazine
May 2026
www.inparkmagazine.com
Shedd Aquarium and SimEx-Iwerks Open New 4D Immersion Theater in Chicago - interpark.co.uk
May 2026
interpark.co.uk
New Immersion Theater at Shedd Aquarium Chicago - News - EuroAmusement Professional - EuroAmusement Professional
May 2026
www.eap-magazin.de
SimEx-Iwerks | and Shedd Aquarium launch advanced 4D theatre - Blooloop
May 2026
blooloop.com
Shedd Aquarium opens first-of-its-kind 4D theater - Audacy
May 2026
www.audacy.com
Shedd aquarium launches new immersive 4D film experience - Secret Chicago
May 2026
secretchicago.com
'Remarkably Bright Creatures' heads to the big screen with Shedd Aquarium tie-in - FOX 32 Chicago
May 2026
www.fox32chicago.com
Editorial: Shedd Aquarium is up there with the Cubs when it comes to visitors - Chicago Tribune
Apr 2026
www.chicagotribune.com
Domino, the warty frogfish, is the first of its kind to be raised in captivity - NPR
Mar 2026
www.npr.org
Form filed
$102.0M revenue
FY2024
IRS_990
Form filed
$93.0M revenue
FY2023
IRS_990
Form filed
$94.9M revenue
FY2022
IRS_990
Form filed
$182.6M revenue
FY2021
IRS_990
Form filed
$48.3M revenue
FY2020
IRS_990

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Peer charities

Other animal welfare in United States, by integrity assessment

Charity Score Revenue Program %
Shedd Aquarium Society This page 76 $102.0 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 - 269 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 Shedd Aquarium Society

What is Shedd Aquarium Society?
Shedd Aquarium Society is a animal welfare publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Chicago, United States. Look nature in the eye and discover the wonder of the aquatic animal world at Shedd Aquarium.
When was Shedd Aquarium Society founded?
Shedd Aquarium Society was founded in 1924.
Who leads Shedd Aquarium Society?
Gary Gordon serves as Chief Financial & Admin Officer.
Where is Shedd Aquarium Society located?
Headquartered in Chicago, United States.
What is Shedd Aquarium Society's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $100M-$1B. 0% of expenses go to program services.
Is Shedd Aquarium Society trustworthy?
Shedd Aquarium Society 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 Shedd Aquarium Society's registration number?
IRS EIN: 362167918.
What is Shedd Aquarium Society's website?
http://www.sheddaquarium.org