TOTAL REVENUE - FISCAL 2026
$34,386,132
Down 19.6% from $42,790,405 in fiscal 2025.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoological
Colorado Springs, Colorado - EIN 84-0407039 - Latest filing: fiscal 2026 (May 1, 2025 - Apr 30, 2026)
HOW TO READ THIS PAGE
How to read this page: every figure below is from the fiscal-2026 Form 990, filed Aug 14, 2026. People named below are shown as reported on the fiscal-2026 Form 990, filed Aug 14, 2026 - the filing is a snapshot of that fiscal year, not a list of current officeholders.
THE FILING IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Cheyenne Mountain Zoological reported $34,386,132 in revenue and $28,354,469 in expenses in fiscal 2026, a surplus of $6,031,663 for the year. Program services took $23,481,467 of expenses, or 82.8%. The organization closed the year with $135,137,986 in net assets - about 57.2 months of expenses at the fiscal-2026 spending level.
At a Glance - Fiscal 2026
All values are fiscal 2026 unless a tile says otherwise.
TOTAL EXPENSES - FISCAL 2026
$28,354,469
Revenue minus expenses: $6,031,663 in fiscal 2026.
PROGRAM EXPENSE SHARE - FISCAL 2026
82.8%
$23,481,467 of $28,354,469 went to program services.
NET ASSETS - END OF FISCAL 2026
$135,137,986
Total assets $145,797,216 minus total liabilities $10,659,230.
TOP EXECUTIVE PAY - FISCAL 2026
$478,224
Robert L Chastain III, President &, as reported on the fiscal-2026 Form 990, filed Aug 14, 2026. Total across all compensation columns.
PEOPLE REPORTED - FISCAL 2026
363 Employees
Plus 300 volunteers reported on the fiscal-2026 Form 990.
Money In, Money Out - Fiscal 2026
Revenue and expenses as reported on the fiscal-2026 Form 990, filed Aug 14, 2026. Donated goods are separated from cash so food and supply donations do not read as cash income.
Where the Money Went - Fiscal 2026
Management and general is the figure reported on the filing (Part IX total); where a filing does not carry it, it is computed as the residual of total expenses minus program and fundraising expenses. Cost to raise a dollar in fiscal 2026: $0.20 - $1,226,081 in fundraising expenses divided by $6,113,428 in total contributions. On cash contributions only: $0.20.
Where the Money Came From - Fiscal 2026
| Source | Fiscal 2026 |
|---|---|
| Total Contributions | $6,113,428 |
| Of Which Cash Contributions | $5,994,283 |
| Of Which Donated Goods (Noncash) | $119,145 |
| Fundraising Events | $453,993 |
| Related Organizations | $544,410 |
| All Other Contributions | $5,115,025 |
| Program Service Revenue | $25,940,876 |
| Investment Income | $2,251,554 |
| Other Revenue | $80,274 |
| Total Revenue (All Sources) | $34,386,132 |
Government Grants - Not Broken Out
The fiscal-2026 Form 990 does not break out government grants as a separate line for this organization. This page shows Not Broken Out instead of estimating a figure.
The fiscal-2026 Form 990 does not break out government grants as a separate line for this organization. This page shows Not Broken Out instead of estimating a figure.
Reserves and Balance Sheet - Fiscal 2026
Reserves and Runway
57.2 Months
of reserves - $135,137,986 in net assets at the end of fiscal 2026, divided by average monthly expenses of about $2,362,872 in fiscal 2026.
Net assets can include donor-restricted funds, buildings and other assets that cannot be spent like cash. Treat months of reserves as a scale measure, not as cash in the bank.
Balance Sheet - End of Fiscal 2026
| Total Assets | $145,797,216 |
| Total Liabilities | $10,659,230 |
| Liabilities as Share of Assets | 7.3% |
| Net Assets | $135,137,986 |
Leadership Pay - Fiscal 2026
Pay is the summed total across all compensation columns on the Form 990 - pay from the organization, pay from related organizations, and other compensation. People are shown as reported on the fiscal-2026 Form 990, filed Aug 14, 2026.
| Name and Title, as Reported | Total Pay - Fiscal 2026 | Share of Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| Robert L Chastain III - President & | $478,224 | 1.69% |
| Kathy French - VP Finance | $206,245 | 0.73% |
| Dave Ruhl - Executive Vi | $203,955 | 0.72% |
| Jeff Halter - VP Animal Ca | $146,019 | 0.51% |
| Tracey Gazibara - Executive Vi | $144,509 | 0.51% |
| Kelley Parker - Dir Of Devel | $138,538 | 0.49% |
| Dr Eric Klaphake - Head Veterin | $137,804 | 0.49% |
| Justin Weis - Sr Dir Of Op | $128,585 | 0.45% |
| Miriam Shalabi-Lopez - It Director | $124,468 | 0.44% |
The full Part VII table lists every officer, director, trustee and key employee named on the filing, with hours and the same summed total. Compensation is reported for the calendar year ending within the fiscal year, per the Form 990.
Board and Governance - Fiscal 2026
Board and policy answers as reported on the fiscal-2026 Form 990, filed Aug 14, 2026.
Board Roster - as Reported on the Fiscal-2026 Form 990
24 voting members, 24 independent - independence count as reported on the fiscal-2026 Form 990.
| Name, as Reported | Role, as Reported |
|---|---|
| Robert L Chastain III | President & |
| Kathy French | VP Finance |
| Dave Ruhl | Executive Vi |
| Jeff Halter | VP Animal Ca |
| Tracey Gazibara | Executive Vi |
| Kelley Parker | Dir Of Devel |
| Dr Eric Klaphake | Head Veterin |
| Justin Weis | Sr Dir Of Op |
| Miriam Shalabi-Lopez | It Director |
| Ann Naughton | Chair |
| Mike Edmonds | Vice Chair |
| Peri Faricy | Secretary |
| Steve Schneider | Treasurer |
| Tia Ferguson | Past Chair |
| Paul Ackerman | Director |
| Ed Anderson | Director Sin |
| Vic Andrews | Director Sin |
| Dr Elizabeth Domangue | Director |
| Karen Eberhart | Director |
| Carlos Jimenez | Director |
| Greta Johnson | Director |
| Geoff Lawhorn | Director |
| Carol Kleiner | Director Sin |
| Hans Mueh | Director Sin |
| Jacey Sharping | Director |
| Joelle Shreves | Director Sin |
| Betsy Sobral | Director |
| Mike Suggs | Director Sin |
| Ryan Trujillo | Director |
| Davis Tutt | Director Sin |
| Sally Veitch | Director |
| Susie Burghart | Honorary Dir |
| Katherine H Loo | Honorary Dir |
| Marianne Brooks | Director Thr |
| Matt Carpenter | Director Thr |
| Kevin Kratt | Director Thr |
| Trevor Miller | Director Thr |
| Greg Raymond | Director Thr |
| Gary Winegar | Director Thr |
Governance Policy Flags - Fiscal 2026
Conflict of Interest PolicyYes - Reported
Whistleblower PolicyYes - Reported
Document Retention PolicyYes - Reported
Audited Financial StatementsYes - Reported
Audit CommitteeYes - Reported
Board Size and Independence24 voting / 24 independent
Flags report what the organization answered on the Form 990. A Yes means the policy was reported on the filing; it is not an outside review of how the policy works in practice.
Grants - Fiscal 2026
Grants Made - Fiscal 2026
This organization reported $0 in grants paid and filed no Schedule I for fiscal 2026. The page states that directly instead of leaving a blank grants section. Grantmaking organizations show a full recipient list in this section - recipient name, amount and stated purpose, as reported.
Trend - Revenue
Years are shown only where a filing is held. Missing years are absent, never filled in.
| Fiscal Year | Revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Fiscal 2025 (Prior-Year Column on the Fiscal-2026 Filing) | $42,790,405 | - |
| Fiscal 2026 | $34,386,132 | -19.6% |
This table grows to a 10-year view (revenue, expenses, net assets and top pay) as earlier filings for this organization are added to the record. Missing years are absent, never filled in.
Filings on Record
| Tax Period | Form | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2025 - Apr 30, 2026 | Form 990 | In Force - Filed Aug 14, 2026 | Original Filing at the IRS |
If an amended return is filed, the newest amended return supersedes the earlier one and the table marks which filing is in force.