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NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN
BRONX, NY · EIN 131693134 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE C410 · Environment · Very Large (>$50M) · nybg.org
revenue
$124.7M
expenses
$105.1M
net assets
$653.2M
employees
935
volunteers
1,328
program ratio
79%
mission · from form 990

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) is a museum of plants, a center for learning, and a plant science leader in the Bronx. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)

profile · synthesized from sources

The New York Botanical Garden is a museum of plants and a center for learning and plant science in the Bronx. It maintains over one million plants across 50 gardens and collections, including a historic Victorian conservatory and a 50-acre old-growth forest. The institution offers public exhibitions, educational programs, and scientific research initiatives, while also supporting community greening through its Bronx Green-Up outreach program.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $23.61M
    EDUCATION AND OUTREACH DEVELOPMENT, ORGANIZATION, AND PRESENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL COURSES. THE GARDEN'S ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM OFFERS 750 CLASSES AT THE BOTANICAL GARDEN, ONLINE, AND AT THE MIDTOWN EDUCATION CENTER IN MANHATTAN. CERTIFICATES ARE OFFERED IN EIGHT PROGRAM AREAS: BOTANICAL ART & ILLUSTRATION, BOTANY, FLORAL DESIGN, GARDENING, HORTICULTURAL THERAPY, HORTICULTURE, LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND URBAN NATURE. THREE ANNUAL LECTURE PROGRAMS, LANDSCAPE DESIGN PORTFOLIOS LECTURE SERIES, WINTER LECTURE SERIES, AND ANDREW CARNEGIE DISTINGUISHED LECTURE, FEATURE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SPEAKERS.
  2. #2 $22.07M
    PLANT SCIENCE COLLECTING FOR AND MAINTAINING THE GARDEN HERBARIUM FOR PUBLIC USE, INCLUDING RESEARCH. THE BOTANICAL GARDEN'S SCIENTISTS, LIBRARIANS, STAFF, GRADUATE STUDENTS, HONORARY RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, AND CURATORS PERFORM FIELDWORK AND CONDUCT CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH IN PLANT SYSTEMATICS, ECONOMIC BOTANY, ECOLOGY, MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS, AND PLANT GENOMICS.
named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

Adult Education Program
Offers 750 classes annually in areas including botany, horticulture, landscape design, and floral design, with certificate programs and annual lecture series
Bronx Green-Up
Community gardening outreach program providing horticultural education, training, and technical assistance to Bronx residents, community gardeners, urban farmers, schools, and community organizations
Edible Academy
Culinary and gardening education center offering programs on growing and cooking fresh food; collaborates with Bronx Community Farm Hubs Network
Plant People Podcast
Podcast series featuring conversations with scientists, gardeners, authors, and activists about the impact of plants on human life
The Orchid Show
Annual special exhibition featuring artistic displays of orchids in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, combining horticulture and cityscape themes
Welikia Project
Initiative to reconstruct and educate the public about the ecological history of New York City before urban development
Winter Lecture Series
Annual series featuring thought leaders in horticulture, design, and environmental storytelling
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Horticultural Education and Community Gardening 3 activities
    • Deliver horticulture education and community gardening outreach in the Bronx
      Provides horticulture education, training, and technical assistance to Bronx residents, community gardeners, urban farmers, schools, and community organizations. Supports a network of over 200 community gardens and urban farms, and has helped establish over 300 community gardens in the Bronx through the Bronx Green-Up program.
    • Offer adult and continuing education programs in gardening and botanical arts
      Offers 750 adult education classes annually in eight certificate areas including botany, horticulture, landscape design, and botanical art, delivered on-site, online, and at the Midtown Education Center. Also provides free certificate courses and workshops in urban gardening topics such as pruning, composting, and vegetable growing.
    • Provide digital tools and visitor resources for garden navigation and engagement
      Offers digital resources including an interactive online map, downloadable maps, bloom trackers, and a PlantTracker tool to locate plant species across the garden. Also produces the Plant People podcast featuring conversations on plants and human life.
  • Public Garden Tours and Events 1 activity
    • Host exhibitions, events, and public programs for diverse audiences
      Hosts seasonal exhibitions such as The Orchid Show, expert lectures, family programs, seasonal camps, and public events including the Harvest Fair and Seed Giveaway. Offers drop-in programs, guided tours, tram highlights, and curated group activities for all ages.
  • Free Public Access Nature Sites 1 activity
    • Maintain and provide public access to a 250-acre botanical garden with living collections
      Operates a 250-acre living learning space with indoor and outdoor collections of over one million unique plant and fungal specimens, including 50 gardens and collections such as the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the Thain Family Forest, and the Native Plant Garden. Offers public visiting hours Tuesday through Sunday, with accessibility accommodations and visitor services including maps, navigation tools, and restrooms.
  • Event Venue Rental Services 1 activity
    • Provide venue and event services for private and corporate gatherings
      Offers rental spaces including the Ross Lecture Hall (seating up to 400), classrooms in the Watson Building, and outdoor locations for corporate retreats, team-building events, social gatherings, and film shoots. Provides catering through on-site food services and all-inclusive dining packages with admission and tours.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Conduct plant science research and maintain the Garden Herbarium
      Conducts research in plant systematics, economic botany, ecology, molecular systematics, and plant genomics, with fieldwork and public access to the Garden Herbarium. Also leads the Welikia Project to reconstruct the historical ecology of New York City over the past 400 years.
    • Offer marriage proposal packages and related services
      Provides designated outdoor and indoor locations for marriage proposals, with tiered packages ranging from $350 to $1,500 that include guided tours, event management, tickets, parking, and floral arrangements. Offers add-on services such as professional photography permits, rose bouquets, and golf cart tours.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$124.69M
Contributions & grants$75.82M61%
Program service revenue$20.61M17%
Investment income$21.05M17%
Other revenue$7.21M
expenses
Total expenses$105.06M
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead14%
Fundraising7%
Salaries & benefits$61.46M
Grants paid out$59K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$700.40M
Cash$23.39M
Investments$439.60M
Liabilities$47.17M
Net assets$653.23M
Liquid reserves52.9 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +12.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 12
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
JENNIFER BERNSTEIN CEO & The William C. Steer Sr. President 35 $921K
LAUREN TURCHIO Chief Operating Officer 35 $504K
TODD FORREST ARTHUR ROSS VP HORTICULTURE & LIVING 35 $452K
JUSTIN JAMAIL GENERAL COUNSEL 35 $424K
ISAAC THWEATT CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER 35 $415K
MICHAEL CROWLEY CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER 35 $413K
EMILY SCHWARZ CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 35 $405K
MAURICIO DIAZGRANADOS CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER 35 $403K
URSULA HOSKINS VP CAPITAL PROJECTS 35 $391K
LAWRENCE SMITH VP INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 35 $372K
ERIC SANDERSON VP FOR URBAN CONSERVATION 35 $318K
JESSICA B HARRIS PHD TRUSTEE 1 $19K
board members · 13
  • ANTHONY PEREZ — TRUSTEE
  • BETHANY MILLARD — TRUSTEE
  • CAROLINE A WAMSLER PHD — SENIOR VICE CHAIR
  • Cristin SAMPER PHD — TRUSTEE
  • DEBORAH GOODRICH ROYCE — TRUSTEE
  • DIANE KATZIN — TRUSTEE
  • DIANNE RENWICK — SENIOR VICE CHAIR
  • DOUGLAS DOCKERY THOMAS — TRUSTEE
  • EDWARD P BASS — VICE CHAIR
  • ERIC C HENRY — TRUSTEE
  • FERNANDO DELGADO PHD — TRUSTEE
  • GARY A BELLER — TRUSTEE (END 11/2024)
  • GEORGE M MILNE JR PHD — TRUSTEE
relationships · 11

Who they work with

  • Bronx Green-Up Partner — Collaborative program providing training and support to local community gardens in the Bronx.
  • Constellation Partner — In-house catering partner providing innovative dining experiences for events at NYBG.
  • Constellation Culinary Group Partner — Partners with NYBG to provide food and beverage services to visitors.
  • Edible Academy Partner — Collaborates with Bronx Green-Up to support the Bronx Community Farm Hub network.
  • Enid A. Haupt Conservatory Partner — Historic conservatory used as a venue for romantic proposals and group visits.
  • Midtown Education Center Partner — Hosts NYBG adult education classes in Manhattan.
  • Mr. Flower Fantastic Partner — Collaborates on The Orchid Show: Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle, integrating artistic vision with botanical display.
  • NYCHA’s Farms and Gardens Programs Partner — Partnership to co-manage Karol’s Urban Community Farm at Castle Hill Houses.
  • New York Botanical Garden Network — Bronx Green-Up is the community gardening outreach program of the New York Botanical Garden.
  • Sponsor Partner — Sponsor of the bloom and foliage tracker initiative
  • Work With Our Partners Partner — Collaborates with partner organizations to provide volunteer, internship, and employment opportunities to the community.
strategies · 3

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.

  • Community-Led Greening and Stewardship
    methodology: community_led_gardening
    By supporting grassroots leadership and community-driven initiatives in urban greening, we foster local ownership and long-term sustainability of gardens, because community-led efforts are more resilient and culturally relevant than top-down interventions.
  • Integrated Conservation Through Public Access
    methodology: integrated_conservation
    By maintaining diverse plant collections and historic landscapes within an urban forest, we advance conservation and research, because public engagement and ecological preservation are mutually reinforcing—access fosters stewardship, and stewardship sustains biodiversity.
  • Nature-Based Engagement for Education and Wellness
    methodology: nature_based_engagement
    By integrating nature-based experiences into educational and wellness programming, we improve learning outcomes and psychological well-being, because immersive, sensory-rich interactions with plants deepen engagement and promote holistic development.