Houston Botanic Garden

Analysis

Houston Botanic Garden is a registered charity in United States, based in Houston, TX. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in August 2002, 24 years ago. Its declared purposes cover environment, which this site groups under environment and conservation. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (gross receipts test) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending December 2022, Houston Botanic Garden reported income of $5.1m and spending of $8.3m, spending 163% of what it took in. Across the 4 years on record, from December 2019 to December 2022, income fell from $8.7m to $5.1m (-42%), an average of -16% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2020, when income dropped by 54%. Over the whole period it spent 82% of the income it received.

Among 10,430 United States charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, Houston Botanic Garden sits at the 94th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 92nd percentile, and in the 94th percentile within TX. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Waterfront Botanical Gardens Inc ($5.1m), The East Cut Community Benefit District ($5.1m) and Willamette Falls Trust ($5.1m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending December 2022, revenue came from contributions and grants 70% and program service revenue 28% of the total. Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees was $368k (4.4% of expenses). Other salaries and wages came to $1.5m. It paid $92k in professional fundraising fees. At year end it held assets of $36.4m against liabilities of $1.9m, net assets of $34.4m. It reported 51 employees.