A message from the Chairman of the Board and the President & CEO
E
very day, we focus on this pressing question—how do
we preserve and protect this amazing, fragile planet? The urgency
Jean M. Franczyk, President & CEO, and Robert F. Finke, Chairman of the Board
is not lost on us. Our scientists work every day at the Chicago Botanic Garden, where bald eagles soar over our prairie and native wildflowers bloom in our woods, and around the world to understand how the changing climate affects plants and pollinators. In 2018, with your help, we connected people to the beauty,
more than one million visitors—for the sixth year in a row. We also
healing power, and importance of the natural world. We celebrated
responded with a tight, balanced budget, consolidated operations,
two landmark openings that underscored our commitment to
and innovative ideas to generate revenue.
horticulture, urban agriculture, and the power of plants: the Robert F. Finke Greenhouses on the Kris Jarantoski Campus and the Farm on Ogden in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago. And we introduced new events, new plant science research, and new initiatives, including the relaunch of the global citizen scientist project Budburst.
None of this would have been possible without your support and encouragement and that of our longtime partner, the Forest Preserves of Cook County. We are deeply thankful for your commitment to every aspect of our great Garden of today and even greater Garden of tomorrow. A new five-year strategic plan, approved in 2018, articulates our future direction and identifies
At the same time, we had intense weather challenges, which
our goals. Together, we shall work to meet the challenge of sharing
meant a few less visitors and lower-than-expected earned
our Garden and its work with even more people throughout
revenues. But the Garden staff stepped up, and we enjoyed
Cook County and beyond.
We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life.
Our Garden, Our Planet, and Our Commitment to Plants Thanks to you, the Garden celebrated two openings that reveal our commitment to horticulture, urban agriculture, and showing the importance of plants to healthy lives, communities, and our planet.
Robert F. Finke Greenhouses at Kris Jarantoski Campus Our production facilities at the Jarantoski Campus are key to maintaining the quality and beauty of this great Garden. With the completion of the Robert F. Finke Greenhouses on the Jarantoski Campus, we have one of the most advanced production greenhouses at any botanic garden. It triples our production space and allows us to raise 160,000 annuals for our gardens and more than 25,000 plants to support plant conservation research and our learning programs.
The Farm on Ogden The Farm brings food, health, and jobs together in one location. This multiuse facility in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago opened in June 2018, and it already has become a community landmark. Its farmstand regularly sells out, the classroom spaces are heavily used, and thousands have come on tours to see the greenhouses, aquaponics, commercial kitchen, and more. The Farm is a partnership of the Garden and Lawndale Christian Health Center and is the home base for Windy City Harvest, our flagship community engagement program. Windy City Harvest produces more than 130,000 pounds of vegetables and fruits on 13 urban farms, most located on the near south and west sides of Chicago.
Year in Review 2018
attendance
2.7 million
25,000 Students participated in guided field trips
Living plants in permanent collection 2005: Less than 700,000 2018: More than 1 million for 6th year in a row
52%
100,000
Of the Garden’s scientific staff are women
Hours provided by 1,400 volunteers
An urban bee offers hope: Andrea Gruver, a student in the joint graduate program in plant biology and conservation through Northwestern University and the Garden, discovered critically endangered rusty patched bumblebees along rail tracks in Chicago, providing clues on how to promote these important pollinators in urban areas. This is just one way Garden scientists and students are understanding the threats to plants and pollinators—and the consequences of their decline.
10,200 Seed accessions in the Dixon National Tallgrass Seed Bank. Its ambitious goal is to preserve at least one sample of each of the 3,000 species in the tallgrass prairie ecosystem.
A prescription for a healthier life: Veggie Rx boxes, packed with vegetables and fruit from Windy City Harvest farms, were prescribed to food insecure patients at risk for diet-related diseases.
Plants and pollinators need each other: That’s where the citizen scientists of Budburst come in. The data they collect on the life cycle of plants can help scientists understand how plants are affected by our changing climate. In 2018, Budburst relaunches its website, starts its first research project, and partners with schools and the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Pollinators take a starring role in 2019 too: Throughout the year, the program Bees & Beyond will inspire a genuine appreciation for the vital role pollinators play in our everyday lives and in a healthy, diverse planet.
summer
Families flock to Butterflies & Blooms and the Model Railroad: Landmarks of America, and the Garden fills with music lovers for the popular Evenings events.
winter
Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns sells out, even with the addition of a fifth night, with more than 25,000 visitors coming to see intricately carved pumpkins along a lighted path.
fall
Every week, there is something new to see, whether it be the crocuses that fill Evening Island, the grand sweeps of tulips, blooming crabapples, or the trout lilies in McDonald Woods.
spring
The Garden Is a Four-Season Destination
The Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden holds classes yearround, enticing students of all ages to explore photography, horticulture, wellness and fitness, and more.
CHICAGO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Board of Directors Officers as of 12/31/2018
Robert F. Finke Chair
Nicole S. Williams Vice Chair & Senior Finance Counsel
David R. Casper Vice Chair & Chair, Finance & Investment and Treasurer
Jean M. Franczyk President & Chief Executive Officer
Jill M. Delaney Vice Chair & Chair, Buildings, Gardens and Visitor Experience Timothy A. Dugan Vice Chair, Nominating & Governance Peter M. Ellis Vice Chair, Government Relations John L. Howard Vice Chair
Fred Spicer Executive Vice President & Director Thomas J. Nissly Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer James F. Boudreau Executive Vice President, External Affairs Jennifer Schwarz-Ballard, Ph.D. Vice President, Learning & Engagement Aida Z. Giglio Vice President, Human Resources
Thomas E. Lanctot Vice Chair
Gregory Mueller, Ph.D. Chief Scientist & Negaunee Foundation Vice President of Science
Catherine M. Waddell Vice Chair, Science & Education Susan A. Willetts Vice Chair & Immediate Past Chair
Harriet Resnick Vice President, Visitor Experience & Business Development
2018 Board of Directors
2018 Life Directors
Russell F. Bartmes
Benjamin F. Lenhardt, Jr.
Marilynn B. Alsdorf
Martha D. Boudos
Anne Leventry
J. Melfort Campbell
Jennifer K. Brown˚
Diane vS. Levy
Barbara Whitney Carr
Neville F. Bryan
Laura M. Linger
Gary P. Coughlan
John H. Buehler
Anne S. Loucks
Peter R. Crane
Michael J. Busch
Michael J. McMurray
Suzanne S. Dixon
Heidi B. Capozzi
Christopher Merrill
Thomas A. Donahoe
Robin Colburn
William E. Moeller
Peter B. Foreman
James W. DeYoung
Gregory A. Moerschel
Ralph F. Fujimoto
Jean M. Franczyk˚
Lois L. Morrison
James J. Glasser
Dorothy H. Gardner
Jane S. Park
Caryn L. Harris
Steven J. Gavin
George A. Peinado
Florence S. Hart*
Arthur J. Gibson
Toni Preckwinkle˚
Pamela K. Hull
Nancy Gidwitz
Bob Probst
Thomas B. Hunter III
Christopher E. Girgenti
Arnold Randall˚
Posy L. Krehbiel
Ellis M. Goodman
John C. Robak
John K. Green
James Robinson
Charles V. Greener
Ryan S. Ruskin
Joseph P. Gromacki
Darren Serrao
Gillian Growdon
Robert E. Shaw
William J. Hagenah
Tom Skilling
Jonathan S. Holloway
Maria Smithburg
Jane Irwin
Harrison I. Steans*
Gregory K. Jones
Pam F. Szokol
Jennifer M. Kasten
Kim Vender Moffat˚
Peter Keehn
Andrew J. Warzecha
Angela Koromopilas
Melvin F. Williams, Jr.
Nancy Kurz˚
Michael R. Zimmerman
M. James Leider
Bill Kurtis Donna La Pietra Daniel I. H. Linzer Josephine P. Louis Robert H. Malott* Mary L. McCormack Jeanine McNally William A. Osborn Homi B. Patel Susan L. Regenstein Anne O. Scott David Byron Smith Susan K. Stone Richard L. Thomas Howard J. Trienens Ernest P. Waud III Arthur M. Wood, Jr.
˚ex officio *deceased
Statement of financial position As of December 31, 2018 (in millions of dollars) ASSETS Cash Pledges receivable Accounts receivable Investments Other assets Property and equipment
$2.2 11.4 0.7 104.2 1.1 129.4
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Liabilities Accounts payable and accrued expenses Other liabilities Bonds payable
Total liabilities
$249.0
$7.0 5.6 49.5
$62.1
NET ASSETS Without donor restrictions With donor restrictions
Total net assets
$128.2 58.7
$186.9
TOTAL
$249.0
Operating budget revenue and other support $37.8 million
ALLOCATION FROM LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS ALLOCATION FROM LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS 7% 7%
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EDUCATION FEES 6% EDUCATION FEES 6%
OTHER INCOME OTHER INCOME 2% 2%
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CONTRIBUTIONS CONTRIBUTIONS 16% 16%
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MEMBERSHIP 12% MEMBERSHIP 12%
9%
• •
VISITOR PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS VISITOR PROGRAMS 13% AND OPERATIONS 13%
GOVERNMENT GRANTS 9% GOVERNMENT GRANTS
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FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF COOK COUNTY FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT 25% OF COOK COUNTY 25%
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SPONSORSHIPS 2% SPONSORSHIPS
2% RESTRICTED PROGRAM GIFTS 8% RESTRICTED PROGRAM GIFTS 8%
Operating budget expenditures ADMINISTRATION 7% ADMINISTRATION 7% MEMBERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT 10% MEMBERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT 10% COMMUNICATIONS 7%
COMMUNICATIONS 7% VISITOR PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS 12% VISITOR PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS EDUCATION12% AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS 15% EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS 15%
$37.8 million • • •
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•
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•
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GARDENS AND GROUNDS 29%
GARDENS AND GROUNDS 29% SCIENCE AFFAIRS 20% SCIENCE AFFAIRS 20%
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Complete, audited financial statements for the Chicago Botanic Garden, including the auditor’s report, for the year ending December 31, 2018, are available at chicagobotanic.org/annual_report.
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
1000 lake cook road glencoe, illinois 60022
chicagobotanic.org One of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County
To find complete donor list and view our Annual Report online, please visit
chicagobotanic.org/annual_report
US POSTAGE PAID NORTHBROOK, IL PERMIT NO. 1568