In 2024,
Desert Botanical Garden proudly celebrated its 85th anniversary, marking nearly nine decades of conservation, education and inspiration in the Sonoran Desert. This milestone year was a testament to our community’s dedication to preserving and showcasing the beauty of desert plants.
Throughout the year, we introduced new Garden exhibits like Light Bloom, research initiatives such as the 3rd Annual Saguaro Census and returned field trips to the Garden for school children that deepened our impact. We expanded conservation efforts to protect desert habitats, welcomed more than 630,000 visitors to experience seasonal events, and engaged students of all ages through hands-on learning opportunities.
One highlight of the year was the opening of the Christensen Family Desert Oasis, which brought new ways for guests to connect with the desert landscape. Additionally, we continued our commitment to revitalizing the trails for our guests with the reimagined Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert trail and we even debuted the Garden’s first-ever Lottery ticket, in conjunction with the Arizona Lottery and inspired by the Garden’s Lotería events.
As we look ahead, the Garden remains dedicated to its mission, ensuring that future generations can enjoy and learn from this extraordinary living museum. Thank you for being part of this journey in 2024—your support makes everything we do possible.
With gratitude,
Ken Schutz
The Dr. William Huizingh Executive Director
Board of Trustees
634K+
86K+
Complimentary Admissions Through Monthly Community Days, Act One Culture Pass & Other Donations
Visitors from 50 States and 82 Countries
28,826
Member Households
26M Social Media Impressions
6.3M Website Views
100,000 Herbarium Specimens
10,000 Orchids Propagated for Conservation
6,139 Seed Accessions
4,818 Taxa 548 Rare, Threatened & Endangered Taxa
16 Published Peer Reviewed Research Papers
9 Countries with Active Collaborations
53K+ Volunteer & Guest Interactions Hours
153
Total Volunteers 770 New Volunteers
110K+
85 YEARSCelebrating 1939 – 2024
In 2024, the Garden proudly marked its 85th anniversary with a full year of celebratory programming that honored the Garden’s legacy, engaged the community and showcased the beauty and diversity of the Sonoran Desert. The anniversary celebration served as a vibrant reflection of the Garden’s enduring mission to connect people with the desert and care about it.
Grey Shed Studio
Grey Shed
Studio
After school field trips and adult education classes were paused for a few years, these programs are back. Schools have returned for the first time since COVID-19. With the re-launch of the Learn Catalog, adult education has also made its comeback, offering hundreds of exceptional classes for lifelong learners.
CHILDREN'S EDUCATION
89 Desert Discovery Campers
ADULT EDUCATION
17,273 Cactus Clubhouse, Storytime & School Visit Attendees Classes
2,965
Participants
197
FINANCIAL REPORT 2024
We are pleased to share the Garden’s financial statements for the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2024. Last year, the Garden celebrated its 85th anniversary, opened the new Christensen Family Desert Oasis, welcomed back K-12 school field trips, collaborated with artists from around the world for engaging festivals and added over 600 new accessions to the plant collection. These efforts have resulted in continued growth in overall attendance, audience diversity and donations to support the mission pillars of education, research, exhibition and conservation.
The Consolidated Statement of Activities shows that total revenues for the year exceeded total expenditures by $6.8 million, driven by positive admissions, contributions, special events and membership.
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
$15,291,091
$2,550,296
$3,698,504
& Membership $2,780,105 Total Expenditures $24,319,996
Change in Net Assets: $6,778,443
The Garden’s Net Assets continue to be managed with careful stewardship in mind, while at the same time seizing opportunities for improvement, growth and greater mission impact.
The Consolidated Statement of Financial Position shows the Garden’s fiscal standing remains solid, with more than $81 million in total assets and approximately $6.7 million in total liabilities. Unrestricted cash and Board-designated cash, totaling $22 million, is sufficient for normal operations and to provide funds for repair and maintenance of major building systems as facilities age.
The Garden Foundation manages endowment assets conservatively with an annual target of a 4.25 percent distribution from the Foundation to the Garden’s operating budget. The Garden’s total debt of $0.63 million represents less than 1 percent of the total combined assets of the Garden and Foundation.
The Garden’s financial health and success in achieving its mission would not be possible without your commitment, dedication and generosity.
On behalf of the Garden’s board, staff & volunteers, we extend our heartfelt gratitude.
Ken Schutz
The Dr. William Huizingh Executive Director
Margie Burke Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Bruce Macdonough Treasurer
$81,868,115
$5,938,701
$34,740,917 Total Net Assets: $75,202,210
Liabilities and Net Assets: $81,868,115
Desert Botanical Garden is committed to full transparency in financial stewardship. View complete audited financial statements and annual IRS Form 990 filings for both the Garden and Foundation at dbg.org/financials
The Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities reports the results of Garden Operations excluding the effect of depreciation expense. Depreciation refers to the systematic allocation of the cost of long-lived assets, including buildings, furniture, fixtures and equipment, to the periods that benefit from their use. Recording depreciation has no effect on the liquidity or cash flow of the Garden. It reflects an estimate of the using up of the economic value of tangible assets. In the financial statements it reduces the Change in Net Assets (and, therefore, Total Net Assets) and the carrying basis of Property and Equipment.
Unlike for-profit firms, not-for-profit organizations generally do not provide for the addition or replacement of major long-lived assets out of operations. Historically such entities look to capital contributions for those improvements. Hence, the financial performance for not-for-profits is best evaluated by analyzing operating results excluding the effects of depreciation. Depreciation expense recognized in the Garden’s records for 2024 was $1.41 million.
Auditors’ Opinion | Desert Botanical Garden, Inc. has received an unmodified opinion from their auditors, CBIZ CPAs, P.C., on the audit of Desert Botanical Garden, Inc. and Affiliates’ consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended September 30, 2024.
The Garden’s commitment to the community is to advance excellence in education, research, exhibition and conservation of desert plants of the world with emphasis on the Sonoran Desert. We will ensure that the Garden is always a compelling attraction that brings to life the many wonders of the desert.
Thank you to our Corporate Sponsors:
