TOTAL REVENUE - FISCAL 2025
$4,890,455
Down 35.7% from $7,609,996 in fiscal 2024.
Niagara Aquarium Foundation
Niagara Falls, New York - EIN 16-1448764 - Latest filing: fiscal 2025 (Oct 1, 2024 - Sep 30, 2025)
HOW TO READ THIS PAGE
How to read this page: every figure below is from the fiscal-2025 Form 990, filed Jun 12, 2026. People named below are shown as reported on the fiscal-2025 Form 990, filed Jun 12, 2026 - the filing is a snapshot of that fiscal year, not a list of current officeholders.
THE FILING IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Niagara Aquarium Foundation reported $4,890,455 in revenue and $5,787,999 in expenses in fiscal 2025, a deficit of $897,544 for the year. Program services took $3,894,395 of expenses, or 67.3%. The organization closed the year with $12,827,550 in net assets - about 26.6 months of expenses at the fiscal-2025 spending level.
At a Glance - Fiscal 2025
All values are fiscal 2025 unless a tile says otherwise.
TOTAL EXPENSES - FISCAL 2025
$5,787,999
Revenue minus expenses: -$897,544 in fiscal 2025.
PROGRAM EXPENSE SHARE - FISCAL 2025
67.3%
$3,894,395 of $5,787,999 went to program services.
NET ASSETS - END OF FISCAL 2025
$12,827,550
Total assets $16,158,114 minus total liabilities $3,330,564.
TOP EXECUTIVE PAY - FISCAL 2025
$120,904
Tracie Schafer, Chief Financial & Admin Officer, as reported on the fiscal-2025 Form 990, filed Jun 12, 2026. Total across all compensation columns.
PEOPLE REPORTED - FISCAL 2025
85 Employees
Plus 22 volunteers reported on the fiscal-2025 Form 990.
Money In, Money Out - Fiscal 2025
Revenue and expenses as reported on the fiscal-2025 Form 990, filed Jun 12, 2026. Donated goods are separated from cash so food and supply donations do not read as cash income.
Where the Money Went - Fiscal 2025
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 2025: $0.21 - $211,571 in fundraising expenses divided by $1,023,130 in total contributions.
Where the Money Came From - Fiscal 2025
| Source | Fiscal 2025 |
|---|---|
| Total Contributions | $1,023,130 |
| Fundraising Events | $96,299 |
| Government Grants | $661,645 |
| All Other Contributions | $265,186 |
| Program Service Revenue | $3,127,489 |
| Investment Income | $237,734 |
| Other Revenue | $502,102 |
| Total Revenue (All Sources) | $4,890,455 |
Reserves and Balance Sheet - Fiscal 2025
Reserves and Runway
26.6 Months
of reserves - $12,827,550 in net assets at the end of fiscal 2025, divided by average monthly expenses of about $482,333 in fiscal 2025.
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 2025
| Total Assets | $16,158,114 |
| Total Liabilities | $3,330,564 |
| Liabilities as Share of Assets | 20.6% |
| Net Assets | $12,827,550 |
Leadership Pay - Fiscal 2025
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-2025 Form 990, filed Jun 12, 2026.
| Name and Title, as Reported | Total Pay - Fiscal 2025 | Share of Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| Tracie Schafer - Chief Financial & Admin Officer | $120,904 | 2.09% |
| Chad Fifer - President/ceo | $104,981 | 1.81% |
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 2025
Board and policy answers as reported on the fiscal-2025 Form 990, filed Jun 12, 2026.
Board Roster - as Reported on the Fiscal-2025 Form 990
11 voting members, 11 independent - independence count as reported on the fiscal-2025 Form 990.
| Name, as Reported | Role, as Reported |
|---|---|
| Tracie Schafer | Chief Financial & Admin Officer |
| Chad Fifer | President/ceo |
| Thomas Huebsch | Chair |
| Kelly Reitnour | Vice Chair |
| Scott Ernst | Second Vice Chair |
| Luke Woeppel | Treasurer |
| Kimberlee Dunlop | Secretary |
| Laura Cianflone | Trustee |
| Andrea Gray | Trustee |
| Eric Hepkins | Trustee |
| Laura Jacobs | Trustee |
| Carly Owczarczak | Trustee |
| Sean Rahill | Trustee |
Governance Policy Flags - Fiscal 2025
Conflict of Interest PolicyYes - Reported
Whistleblower PolicyYes - Reported
Document Retention PolicyNo
Audited Financial StatementsYes - Reported
Audit CommitteeYes - Reported
Board Size and Independence11 voting / 11 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 2025
Grants Made - Fiscal 2025
This organization reported $0 in grants paid and filed no Schedule I for fiscal 2025. 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 2024 (Prior-Year Column on the Fiscal-2025 Filing) | $7,609,996 | - |
| Fiscal 2025 | $4,890,455 | -35.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2024 - Sep 30, 2025 | Form 990 | In Force - Filed Jun 12, 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.