irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $1.72MEDUCATION - PROVIDES PROGRAMS, WORKSHOPS AND SPECIAL EVENTS THAT ADVANCE A DUAL MISSION OF SUSTAINABILITY AND CULTURAL EXPRESSION. IN FY25 QBG EDUCATORS WORKED WITH 22,947 SCHOOL CHILDREN AND 3,624 TEACHERS AND CHAPERONES THROUGH ONSITE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION WORKSHOPS, TOURS AND TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS. EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOCUS ON STEAM LEARNING (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART, MATH) TO TEACH URBAN CHILDREN ABOUT PLANTS, ECOSYSTEMS, TREES, AND BEES. QBG IS HOME TO ONE OF THE LARGEST COMPOSTING EDUCATION SITES IN THE CITY, AND FOCUSES ON OUTREACH TO VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS IN QUEENS. QBG ALSO HOSTS SEVERAL NATURE-BASED PROGRAMS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL-AGED YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, RANGING FROM ONE-TIME CLASSES TO MULTI-WEEK SESSIONS DURING OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIMES.
- #2 $962KVISITOR SERVICES - PROMOTES A POSITIVE VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND WELCOMED OVER 250,000 VISITORS ONSITE IN FY25. QBG SERVED 259,013 PEOPLE WHICH INCLUDES 10,487 REACHED THROUGH OUR OUTREACH AND VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS. THE VISITOR & ADMINISTRATION BUILDING HOUSES A VARIETY OF AMENITIES INCLUDING THE GIFT SHOP, FOOD SERVICE CONCESSIONS, QBG GALLERY, SPECIAL EVENT & FACILITY RENTALS AND QBG MEMBERSHIP HOSPITALITY. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, VISITOR SERVICES PROVIDES MEANINGFUL, WORKPLACE READINESS VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCES FOR DOZENS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND COLLEGE INTERNS.PUBLIC PROGRAMS STAFF COORDINATE NEARLY 95 PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EVENTS FOR VISITORS IN A TYPICAL YEAR; PUBLIC PROGRAMS HIGHLIGHT THE CHANGES IN NATURE THROUGHOUT THE SEASONS, PLANT COLLECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE GARDEN, BEES AND HONEY, CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PLANTS, VISUAL ARTS, PERFORMING ARTS AND GREEN / SUSTAINABLE LIVING.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Environmental Education Program
Provides STEAM-based workshops, tours, and teacher training for school children focusing on plants, ecosystems, trees, bees, and composting; served over 22,000 students in FY25
Visitor Services and Public Programs
Hosts over 250,000 onsite visitors annually and coordinates nearly 100 public events highlighting seasonal changes, plant collections, bees, arts, and sustainable living
Youth Volunteer Program
Offers workplace readiness volunteer experiences for high school students and college interns through the Visitor Services department
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 5 activities
- Delivering environmental education programs for youthOffers seasonal and year-round educational programs for children and youth from Pre-K through grade 9, including hands-on gardening, nature exploration, art, cooking, science activities, and environmental justice education. Provides need-based scholarships via a sliding-scale, lottery-based financial aid system.
- Engaging the public through outreach and virtual programmingServed 259,013 people in FY25, including 10,487 reached through outreach and virtual engagement efforts. Offers interactive educational programs for learners of all ages focused on nature, gardening, and environmental stewardship.
- Hosting public programs and cultural eventsHosts nearly 95 public programs and events annually, including seasonal plant walks, art exhibitions, summer movie nights, cooking demonstrations, eco-printing workshops, and large-scale public screenings such as the 2026 World Cup finals. These events highlight seasonal changes, plant collections, cultural significance of plants, and sustainable living.
- Providing educational materials and visitor resourcesProvides garden maps, seasonal plant guides (including summer, winter, and Indigenous Heritage Plant Guides), and interactive signage to support visitor learning and engagement with the garden’s plant collections.
- Providing onsite environmental education and teacher trainingDelivered onsite environmental education workshops, tours, and teacher training programs to 22,947 school children and 3,624 teachers and chaperones in FY25. Programs are aligned with New York State Learning Standards and offer CTLE credit.
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Horticultural Education and Community Gardening 1 activity
- Delivering professional development for educatorsOffers multi-session and custom professional learning workshops for teachers, including a six-day program providing 45 CTLE hours and 3 P-Credits or A+ Credits. Workshops cover classroom gardening, botany, ecology, urban ecology, and integrating garden-based learning into math and ELA instruction.
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Equitable Access Admission Programs 1 activity
- Offering free and tiered admission programsOffers free admission on Wednesdays from 3–6pm and Sundays from 9–11am, as well as free admission from December 16 to March. Charges tiered fees for other visitors: $6 for adults, $4 for seniors/students/individuals with disabilities, $2 for children 4–12, and free for children 3 and under and members.
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Free Public Access Nature Sites 1 activity
- Operating a 39-acre public botanical gardenOperates a 39-acre botanical garden in Flushing, Queens, open to the public Tuesday through Sunday with seasonal hours, offering gardens, educational spaces, and visitor amenities. The site includes paved pathways and flat topography to support accessibility for visitors with ambulatory disabilities.
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Community Composting & Organic Waste Diversion 1 activity
- Operating composting and sustainability programsHosts weekly on-site compost builds that process community food scraps into nutrient-rich compost. Interactive ceramic urns collect written visitor reflections on garden-waste paper, which are burned and incorporated into the compost program.
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Museum Volunteer Engagement & Operations Support 1 activity
- Operating visitor and event facilitiesOperates a Visitor & Administration Building offering a gift shop, food service concessions, gallery space, and facilities for special events and rentals. Supports membership hospitality and public programming.
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Accessibility Services for Cultural Programs 1 activity
- Providing accessible visitor servicesProvides wheelchairs free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis at multiple entrances and uses Braille signage in the Visitor & Administration Building to support visitors who are blind or have low vision. Service animals are permitted on site in compliance with the ADA.
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Community Stewardship Volunteer Programs 1 activity
- Supporting volunteer and workforce readiness programsProvides workplace readiness volunteer experiences annually for dozens of high school students and college interns. Organizes volunteer gardening activities led by horticulture staff to maintain the garden and teach participants practical skills.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$6.71M
Contributions & grants$4.90M73%
Program service revenue$1.22M18%
Investment income$196K3%
Other revenue$392K
expenses
Total expenses$5.86M
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead16%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$4.49M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$16.22M
Cash$3.19M
Investments$5.87M
Liabilities$1.99M
Net assets$14.24M
Liquid reserves18.6 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -4.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 4
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| REBECCA WOLF-GURMAN | DEPUTY DIRECTOR | 35 | $150K |
| EVIE HANTZOPOULOS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 35 | $149K |
| LATEISHA JONES-THOMAS | DIRECTOR OF FINANCE | 35 | $117K |
| JATNNA RAMIREZ | DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS (THROUGH 12/24) | 35 | $109K |
board members · 17
- DMITRIY ROZENFELD — TRUSTEE
- DR ARI JONISCH — TRUSTEE
- EDWARD R POTTER — TREASURER
- GARETH MAHON — TRUSTEE
- JACKSON CHU — TRUSTEE
- JAMES MAGUIRE — TRUSTEE
- JASMINE KHANEJA — TRUSTEE
- JENNY YAN — TRUSTEE
- JENNY ZENG — TRUSTEE
- KELSEY BISHOP — TRUSTEE
- LI LI — SECRETARY
- MARGARTITA SOTO — TRUSTEE
- MARIA D'URSO — TRUSTEE
- NANCY SHANNON — VICE CHAIR
- RAYMOND D JASEN — BOARD CHAIR
- ROSE HUANG — TRUSTEE (THROUGH 12/24)
- SARA B HERBSTMAN — TRUSTEE
relationships · 27
Who they work with
- Amerasia Bank Partner — Sponsor of the Children’s Garden at Queens Botanical Garden.
- American Horticultural Society Partner — Partners to offer reciprocal free admission through the AHS Reciprocal Admissions Program.
- American Public Gardens Association Partner — Provides free admission to members as part of a reciprocal benefits program.
- Aviation Development Council Funder — Provides support for education programs.
- Blue Star Museums Partner — Offers free admission for active military members and up to five family members.
- City Gardens Club of New York City Funder — Provides support for education programs.
- Cool Culture Partner — Offers free admission for up to five family members through partnership with Cool Culture.
- Culture Pass Partner — Provides free admission to library cardholders who reserve tickets through the Culture Pass website.
- Dr. Robert C. & Tina Sohn Foundation Funder — Provides support for education programs.
- Fever Partner — Partners with Fever to distribute tickets through the Fever website and app.
- Flushing Town Hall Government — Administered New York State Council on the Arts regrant funds supporting the "We Are What We Grow" project at QBG.
- Flushing Town Hall Partner — Provides half-price admission and a 10% discount in the QBG Store for Flushing Town Hall members.
- Frank J. Antun Foundation Funder — Provides support for education programs.
- Grimshaw Architects Partner — Collaborated with QBG and other partners on the [re]fractal revived bench pavilion project.
- Hofstra University Partner — Partnered with QBG to support a workshop project for high school students involving architectural design and construction.
- Local residents of Queens Partner — Helped save and expand the original garden exhibit in 1946
- NYC DEP's Green Infrastructure team Partner — Collaborates with QBG to host educational events on rain garden stewardship and urban green infrastructure.
- New York City Tourism Foundation Funder — Funds marketing efforts at Queens Botanical Garden.
- New York Foundation for the Arts Government — Administered Queens Art Funds that supported the "Healing Leaves" exhibition at QBG.
- New York State Council on the Arts Funder — Provided funding support for the "We Are What We Grow" eco-printing project through its Statewide Community Regrants Program.
- New York State Learning Standards Government — Aligns teacher professional learning programs with New York State Learning Standards.
- One Point of Light Foundation Funder — Provides support for education programs.
- Queens Network — Focuses on outreach to various neighborhoods in Queens and serves as an educational and cultural resource for residents.
- TD Charitable Foundation Funder — Provides support for education programs.
- The Barker Welfare Foundation Funder — Provides support for education programs.
- Urban Advantage Partner — Collaborates with Urban Advantage for school field trips and educational programming.
- schlaich bergermann partner Partner — Partnered with QBG and others on the [re]fractal revived installation.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Experiential Environmental Educationmethodology: experiential-environmental-educationBy engaging participants in hands-on, guided experiences within gardens and natural systems, we cultivate deeper understanding of environmental stewardship, because direct interaction with nature fosters lasting ecological awareness and behavioral change.
- Inclusive Access and Community Engagementmethodology: inclusive_accessBy removing financial and social barriers through partnerships and intentional inclusivity, we expand access to nature education, because equitable access fosters broader community participation and belonging.
- Integration of Cultural and Ecological Learningmethodology: culture-and-environment-integrationBy weaving cultural diversity, Indigenous knowledge, and community identity into environmental programming, we strengthen engagement and stewardship, because connecting ecological education to cultural heritage deepens relevance and inclusivity.
- STEAM-Based Nature Educationmethodology: steam_educationBy integrating science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) into nature-based learning, we enhance urban children’s understanding of ecosystems, because interdisciplinary engagement makes abstract concepts tangible and memorable.
- Urban Sustainability Through Composting and Green Infrastructuremethodology: community_compostingBy combining community composting and green infrastructure education, we promote urban sustainability, because transforming waste into ecological resources teaches systems thinking and builds local resilience.