What does Cleveland Zoological Society do?

The organization is the nonprofit partner of cleveland metroparks zoo, committed to raising awareness of the zoo as a community priority; securing private donations; and running a membership program that provides operating and conservation funding. Through targeted programs and services, it works to achieve measurable outcomes aligned with this core mission.

Who is eligible for services?

Programs are designed to serve General public based on need and program requirements. The organization strives to provide accessible services to diverse populations.

How is the organization funded?

With approximately $14.6 million in annual revenue, operations are supported through grants, donations, and program fees. Financial information is publicly available through IRS Form 990 filings.

How can someone get involved?

Community members can connect through the organization's website or contact the Cleveland, OH office. Opportunities may include volunteering, donations, or program participation.

Cleveland Zoological Society

Cleveland, OH · Founded 1957

Nonprofit organization operating Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and promoting wildlife conservation

Primary audience

General public

Work area

Community services

Topic

Environmental protection

Contact

Sarah Crupi

Website Contact

About Organization

Cleveland Zoological Society manages zoo operations, conducts conservation programs, and provides educational experiences. Based in Cleveland, OH, the organization operates with $31.5 million in annual revenue, maintaining animal collections and facilities.

What They Focus On

Mission Delivery

Implementing core programs that directly advance organizational purpose.

Capacity Building

Strengthening infrastructure through strategic planning and resource development.

Community Impact

Creating measurable outcomes that benefit populations served.

Financial Information

Form 990 data showing organizational financial health and growth.

Revenue (2024)

$14.6M

+9.3% vs 2023

Expenses (2024)

$16.9M

+119.7% vs 2023

Assets (2024)

$41.6M

+17.2% vs 2023

Employees (2024)

+0% vs 2023

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Assets	Employees
2024	$14,559,194	$16,904,424	$41,562,540	26
2023	$13,324,293	$7,695,996	$35,448,440	26
2022	$13,952,854	$10,341,983	$30,703,125	32
2021	$12,846,131	$10,879,215	$29,186,847	27
2020	$9,541,232	$9,751,874	$22,626,585	27
2019	$8,395,729	$8,804,931	$19,548,263	27
2018	$8,658,586	$6,895,362	$15,481,299	27

Source: IRS Form 990 filings. All figures in USD.

01

Identify Needs

Assess community priorities through stakeholder engagement and analysis.
02

Plan Initiatives

Design strategic programs and allocate resources to address needs.
03

Execute Programs

Implement services through trained staff while maintaining quality standards.
04

Evaluate Results

Measure outcomes and gather feedback to assess impact and improve.

Programs and Initiatives

Services and programs offered by Cleveland Zoological Society

General Support

Grant-funded initiative supporting organizational mission and community needs.

For Program Support.

Grant-funded initiative supporting organizational mission and community needs.

See Part Iv

Grant-funded initiative supporting organizational mission and community needs.

Animal Related

Chairman Emeritus

1 hrs/week

Milestones

1957

Organization Founded

1957

Cleveland Zoological Society was established to address community needs and advance its mission.

1965

Leadership Development

1965

Strengthened governance with expanded board and executive team.

2021

Program Expansion

2021

Significant growth in organizational capacity and service delivery.

2024

Community Impact

2024

Demonstrated effectiveness through measurable program outcomes.

Associated People

Board members, advisors, and key contributors

Board of Directors

Alana Coakley Director 1.00 hrs/week

Anne E Bingham Director 1.00 hrs/week

Barbara Brown PHD Secretary 4.00 hrs/week

Bernard L Karr Director 1.00 hrs/week

Carl E Black Director 2.00 hrs/week

Cheryl Bailey Director 1.00 hrs/week

Christine Myeroff Chair 4.00 hrs/week

Coty Franklin Director 1.00 hrs/week

Deanna M Murlin Director 1.00 hrs/week

Denise Zubizarreta Director 1.00 hrs/week

Eric S Gordon Director 1.00 hrs/week

Howard S Essner Director 3.00 hrs/week

James M Donchess Director 1.00 hrs/week

James M Parish Director 1.00 hrs/week

Joanne M Kirk Director 1.00 hrs/week

Jonathan Kesselman Director 1.00 hrs/week

Karen Kaminski Director 1.00 hrs/week

Kenneth J Mountcastle Director 1.00 hrs/week

Kevin P Murphy Director 2.00 hrs/week

Kimberly Levinson Director 1.00 hrs/week

Kimberly Pinter Director 3.00 hrs/week

Lawrence H Hatch Director 1.00 hrs/week

Lori J Kalberer Director 3.00 hrs/week

Martha Boland Director 1.00 hrs/week

Melinda Phinney MD Director 1.00 hrs/week

Myles M Abbott Director 1.00 hrs/week

Patricia O Bemer Director 3.00 hrs/week

Paul A Hechko Dvm Director 3.00 hrs/week

Rebecca Truelson Director 3.00 hrs/week

Robert Elmore Director 1.00 hrs/week

Russell O'Rourke Director 1.00 hrs/week

Sarah Taylor Director 1.00 hrs/week

Spencer Dieken Director 1.00 hrs/week

Susan L Racey Director 1.00 hrs/week

Susan M Zanetti Director 1.00 hrs/week

Theodore A Wagner Treasurer 4.00 hrs/week

Theodore R Evans Jr Director 1.00 hrs/week

Thomas A Waltermire Director 3.00 hrs/week

Thomas G Fistek Vice Chair 4.00 hrs/week

Thomas N Tyrrell Director 2.00 hrs/week

Ven Ochaya PHD Director 1.00 hrs/week

Vishnu B Chandran Director 1.00 hrs/week

Information compiled from IRS Form 990 and organizational materials.

Executive Compensation

Top compensated officers & key employees from IRS Form 990

Total Reported (2024)

$786K

Highest Paid

$221K

Sarah Crupi

Compensated Officers

Name	Title	Base	Other	Total	Hrs/Wk
Sarah Crupi	CEO	$193,885	$27,532	$221,417	50
Eustacia Netzel-Hatcher	Director Of Finance	$139,024	$18,491	$157,515	45
Rachael Fuller	Director Of Marketing & Ev	$135,704	$8,942	$144,646	45
Andrea Ponikvar	Director Of Advancement	$121,776	$21,830	$143,606	45
Nicole Stracensky	Capital Campaigns Director	$102,305	$16,310	$118,615	45

Name	Title	Base	Other	Total	Hrs/Wk
Sarah Crupi	CEO	$189,609	$25,478	$215,087	50
Eustacia Netzel-Hatcher	Director Of Finance	$130,058	$14,970	$145,028	45
Rachael Fuller	Director Of Marketing & Events	$126,519	$8,030	$134,549	45
Andrea Ponikvar	Director Of Advancement	$101,842	$19,728	$121,570	45

Name	Title	Base	Other	Total	Hrs/Wk
Sarah Crupi	CEO	$173,097	$36,874	$209,971	50
Leta Obertacz	Director Of Advancement, 1/1-8/2	$117,906	$22,854	$140,760	50
Mary Mcmillan	Controller	$106,167	$16,390	$122,557	45
Rachael Fuller	Director Of Marketing & Events	$109,908	$6,954	$116,862	45

Name	Title	Base	Other	Total	Hrs/Wk
Sarah Crupi	Executive Director	$174,760	$37,656	$212,416	50
Leta Obertacz	Director Of Advancement	$111,539	$26,964	$138,503	50
Mary Mcmillan	Controller	$116,160	$16,191	$132,351	45

Name	Title	Base	Other	Total	Hrs/Wk
Sarah Crupi	Executive Director	$153,070	$30,563	$183,633	40
Mary Mcmillan	Controller	$116,160	$13,529	$129,689	40
Leta Obertacz	Director Of Advancement	$102,206	$22,608	$124,814	40
Jason Orlando	Director Of Operations	$103,385	$13,145	$116,530	40

Source: IRS Form 990 filings. Compensation includes base and other reported compensation.

COVID-19 PPP Loans

Paycheck Protection Program (2020-2021)

Fully Forgiven

Total Approved

$572K

Total Forgiven

$576K

101% forgiven

Jobs Retained

Loan Details 2 loans

$285,960

Forgiven

Forgiven: $287,637 100%

Approved Apr 10, 2020

Lender KeyBank National Association

Jobs Reported 20

Forgiven On Nov 23, 2020

$285,960

Forgiven

Forgiven: $287,981 100%

Approved Jan 28, 2021

Lender KeyBank National Association

Jobs Reported 22

Forgiven On Oct 26, 2021

Source: Small Business Administration • Paycheck Protection Program (2020-2021)

Partners & Funders

Grant funding relationships from IRS Form 990 filings

$970K Grants Received

$4.1M Grants Given

13 Organizations

Top Funders

12 total

The Cleveland Foundation

$433K

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund

$191K

The New York Community Trust

$150K

Jones Day Foundation

$83K

Pricewaterhousecoopers Charitable

$25K

American Endowment Foundation

$23K

Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc.

$20K

Charities Aid Foundation America

$13K

Johnson Charitable Gift Fund

$10K

American Online Giving Foundation Inc.

$8K

+2 more funders

Top Grantees

1 total

Cleveland Metropolitan Park District CLEVELAND, OH · 5 grants

$4.1M

The Cleveland Foundation Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund The New York Community Trust Jones Day Foundation Pricewaterhousecoopers Charitable American Endowment Foundation Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc. Charities Aid Foundation America Johnson Charitable Gift Fund American Online Giving Foundation Inc. Cleveland Bakers Local Union No 19 Atlanta Fulton County Zoo Inc. Cleveland Metropolitan Park District

Source: IRS Form 990 Schedule I filings. Amounts may span multiple tax years.

Contact

Get in touch with Cleveland Zoological Society

Phone

(216) 635-3368 (216) 635-3329

Social

Visit Website

3900 Wildlife Way Cleveland, OH 44109

Cleveland Zoological Society

What They Focus On

Financial Information

How They Work

Identify Needs

Plan Initiatives

Execute Programs

Evaluate Results

Programs and Initiatives

General Support

For Program Support.

See Part Iv

Animal Related

Unrestricted General Support

Team & Leadership

Sarah Crupi

Eustacia Netzel-Hatcher

Rachael Fuller

Andrea Ponikvar

Nicole Stracensky

Carol B Hall

George S Coakley

Gregory D Friedman

James L Francis

Joseph J Mahovlic

Lauren B Spilman

Marilyn K Brown

Robert J Rogers

Sally Everett

Sally S Messinger

Virginia D Benjamin

Robert S Reitman

Milestones

Organization Founded

Leadership Development

Program Expansion

Community Impact

Associated People

Board of Directors

Executive Compensation

COVID-19 PPP Loans

Loan Details 2 loans

Partners & Funders

Top Funders

Top Grantees

Contact

Phone

Social