Chicago Horticultural Society: $76.9M Revenue, $54.5M Program Expenses

Chicago Horticultural Society grades a B on the nonprofit efficiency rubric. 68/100 on the composite — above the national median, with strong performance on some factors balanced by middling performance on others.

At $76.9M in 2023 revenue, Chicago Horticultural Society sits in the mid-range of the U.S. nonprofit distribution. Most organizations of this scale operate regionally or focus on a single program area. Chicago Horticultural Society directs 80% of its expenses to programs — above the third-party-rater threshold for an efficient organization.

Five-year revenue trend is mildly negative: a modest decline that could reflect grant-cycle timing, donor turnover, or program wind-down. Worth checking against the program-spending pattern to see whether the decline is structural. CEO compensation is reported as zero in the filing — typical for nonprofits where the chief executive is paid through a related entity (parent system, university, or foundation) rather than the filing organization itself, or for small organizations whose chief is a volunteer or board member. Chicago Horticultural Society works in Environment & Animals — environmental, conservation, animal-welfare, and natural-resources programs. The sector spans large international conservation groups and small local land trusts; the financial profile varies accordingly.