Tennessee Aquarium
The mission of the Tennessee Aquarium is to connect people with nature and empower them to make informed decisions about water and wildlife.
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Visit www.tnaqua.orgAbout Tennessee Aquarium
Situated on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, TN, the Tennessee Aquarium is home to 10,000 animals and an IMAX theater. Plan your visit today!
Verified certifications
Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.
Mission
The mission of the Tennessee Aquarium is to connect people with nature and empower them to make informed decisions about water and wildlife.
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 6 similar animal welfare in United StatesConcerns
· None foundWhere every $1 goes
· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)GiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
GiveRadar's verified records show Tennessee Aquarium with a complete profile, cross-referenced across 6 independent sources including the IRS.
- 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 has cross-referenced this organization across 6 independent sources, led by the IRS - more than 97% of similar organizations. See the sources
- GiveRadar has verified more about this organization than about 91% 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
- government registration
- financial records (14 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- third-party accreditation
- a contact email
- a donation page
- 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 + methodologyTennessee Aquarium is a registered animal welfare nonprofit based in Chattanooga, TN, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1989 and has been operating for 37 years. Its EIN is 581837154. 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 77/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $34M in annual revenue. 95 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
Tennessee Aquarium's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 581837154. 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.
Tennessee Aquarium has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 77/100. 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 77 ('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.
Tennessee Aquarium is located in Chattanooga, TN, United States. The organization was established in 1989 and has been active for 37 years.
Based on official tax filings, Tennessee Aquarium has $34M in annual revenue. It allocates 71% of expenses to programs and services. This is below 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.
Tennessee Aquarium 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 large organization. It has $34M in annual revenue. The organization has 95 disclosed officers and directors.
No red flags have been detected for Tennessee Aquarium. 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, Tennessee Aquarium 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 71% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 83%). 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.
Situated on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, TN, the Tennessee Aquarium is home to 10,000 animals and an IMAX theater. Plan your visit today! Tennessee Aquarium is classified as an animal welfare organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1989.
Among animal welfare charities registered in United States: It allocates 71% of expenses to programs, below the peer average of 83%. Its annual revenue of $34M is well above the peer average of $1M.
Yes, donations to Tennessee Aquarium are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Its EIN is 581837154, 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.
Filing history
10 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
Sign up to viewTaxes
Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
TENNESSEE AQUARIUM 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.
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
Leadership
From FY2024 filing
Officers & trustees (25)
Source: Public filings
25 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.
Latest news
From global news sources
10 articles found
From news sources and the organization. Shown for transparency; news never affects the integrity score.
Spring break camp at the Tennessee Aquarium - Chattanooga Times Free Press
Tennessee Aquarium introduces Scuttlebutt Reef Gallery - Tullahoma News
Biofluorescent sharks illuminate new Tennessee Aquarium exhibit - WKRN News 2
Lemurs and tortoises at the Tennessee Aquarium - WKRN News 2
Testing strength at Tennessee Aquarium’s Scuttlebutt Reef - WKRN News 2
Go under the sea for Spring Break and beyond at the Tennessee Aquarium - WAFF
Tennessee Aquarium opens new "Scuttlebutt Reef" exhibit - WTVC
Tennessee Aquarium to open Scuttlebutt Reef exhibit - WVLT
Tennessee Aquarium discusses new exhibit - WVLT
Tennessee Aquarium discusses new exhibit - KTTC | Rochester, MN
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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Sign up to write a reviewCause areas in United States
How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
Most common causes in United States
Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.
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 - 95 disclosed in the public registry.
- News and media coverage
- GDELT Project + Google News
- Supplementary verification
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
- Supplementary verification
- Wikidata structured data
- Supplementary verification
- Charity Navigator
Data freshness
What we know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
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Financial data · FY2024 on record
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Named leadership · 95 officers on file
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Executive pay · Disclosed
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Government registration · Registered with an official registry
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Mission statement · Published
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Official website · On record
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Headquarters address · On file
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Direct contact · Email or phone published
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Tax-deductibility · Verified
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Founding date · 1989
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Programs & activitiesNo 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.
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Quick facts about Tennessee Aquarium
- What is Tennessee Aquarium?
- Tennessee Aquarium is a animal welfare publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Chattanooga, United States. Situated on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, TN, the Tennessee Aquarium is home to 10,000 animals and an IMAX theater. Plan your visit today!
- When was Tennessee Aquarium founded?
- Tennessee Aquarium was founded in 1989.
- Who leads Tennessee Aquarium?
- Gordon A Stalans serves as CFO.
- Where is Tennessee Aquarium located?
- Headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, United States.
- What is Tennessee Aquarium's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $10M-$100M. 71% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Tennessee Aquarium trustworthy?
- Tennessee Aquarium has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 77 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 Tennessee Aquarium's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 581837154.
- What is Tennessee Aquarium's website?
- http://www.tnaqua.org