Mission
Our mission is to inspire conservation of the natural world by exhibiting and caring for animals, by excelling in education and research, and by providing an exceptional visitor experience.
Public Charity
South Carolina Aquarium
South Carolina Aquarium is a Public Charity headquartered in Charleston, SC. Financial data from the 2024 filing: $20.3M revenue, $17.3M expenses, $50.9M total assets. 98 publicly reported grants to this organization, totaling roughly $4.7M, appear in IRS filings.
EIN: 570961897
Charleston, SC
Zoos & Aquariums
NTEE: D50
Latest filing: 2024
Total Revenue$20.3M
Total Expenses$17.3M
Total Assets$50.9M
Grant Records98
Funding Total$4.7M
Filing Years2019–2024
Where $100 goes at South Carolina Aquarium
How South Carolina Aquarium divides every $100 it spends, from its own Form 990 filings, averaged across 7 years.
$73
Programs
the work itself
$19
Management
running the organization
$8
Fundraising
raising the next dollar
Inside the $73 for programs
$22
Guest program services include admissions and environmental services
$19
Education:Over the years, the education program has served more than one million students with educational programming and enriched the careers of more than five thousand teachers
$17
Facilities program services include all costs associated with the maintenance, security, and operation of a 20+ year-old Aquarium facility, exhibits, and animal life support systems
Plus 1 more program. Cost per person served and the full program breakdown are on the full profile.
Source: Form 990 filings with the IRS, latest fiscal year 2024. Shares are from the organization's reported expenses. Data by Imperigo; not affiliated with the IRS.
Sample Grants Received
GENERAL SUPPORT
$25,406
$209,000
ENVIRONMENTAL AND ANIMALS
$157,449
For grant recipient's exempt purposes
$133,435
FOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
$50,500
Showing up to 5 of 98 total records — full history available with membership.
Officers & Directors
Chief Marketing Officer
Amie Yam-Babinchak
Director
Anne W Cleveland
Chief Infrastructure Officer
Brian Brasher
Chief Experience Officer
Brian Thill
Director
Cara J Richard
Chief Advancement Officer
Courtenay B Lewandowski
Officer compensation and complete director data available with membership.
Top Grant Purposes
Financial Trends
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $20.3M | $17.3M | $50.9M |
| 2023 | $21.0M | $16.4M | $48.4M |
| 2022 | $28.2M | $14.1M | $43.7M |
| 2020 | $12.3M | $11.1M | $19.9M |
| 2019 | $14.6M | $12.3M | $20.1M |
Between 2019 and 2024, reported annual revenue grew from $14.6M to $20.3M (+39%), with total assets most recently reported at $50.9M.
Interactive year-over-year charts and full filing details available with membership.