Employer · plans filed under one EIN
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
San Diego, CA · Arts, entertainment and recreation
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, based in San Diego, California, sponsors 3 retirement plans with 100 or more participants: 1 defined contribution and 2 defined benefit. Together they reported 6,180 participant records and $391M in net assets.
The largest is San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance 403(b) Plan, a 403(b) plan with 3,539 participants. A person can be counted in more than one plan, so the participant total is a count of records rather than of people.
Employer contributions across the plans were $6.1M and participant contributions $9.8M in the latest plan years; benefits paid were $29.8M. Schedule C compensation reported to service provider organisations totalled $1.3M.
Combined net assets moved from $93.9M in 2009 to $391M in 2024 (up 317%). Plan mergers and spin-offs show up here as steps in the series.
Plans
| Plan | Kind | Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance 403(b) Plan | 403(b) plan | 2024 | 3,539 | $186M | $52,421 | $1,718 | $256K |
| Zoological Society of San Diego Restated Pension Plan for Union Employees | defined benefit pension plan | 2024 | 1,590 | $97.8M | $61,492 | $0 | $541K |
| Zoological Society of San Diego Restated Pension Plan for Non-Union Employees | cash balance pension plan | 2024 | 1,051 | $108M | $102,826 | $1,818 | $490K |
| US median, plan year 2024: DC plans $53,102 per participant, $2,175 employer contribution per active participant; DB plans $86,221 and $10,244. | |||||||
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Plans | Participant records | Net assets | Employer contributions | Participant contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | 6,180 | $391M | $6.1M | $9.8M |
| 2023 | 3 | 6,427 | $376M | $4.9M | $9.2M |
| 2022 | 3 | 6,470 | $348M | $4.3M | $8.4M |
| 2021 | 3 | 6,329 | $418M | $31.4M | $7.3M |
| 2020 | 3 | 6,446 | $390M | $13.5M | $8.2M |
| 2019 | 3 | 6,568 | $358M | $19.2M | $7.4M |
| 2018 | 3 | 6,112 | $283M | $11.4M | $7.1M |
| 2017 | 3 | 6,051 | $305M | $10.3M | $6.8M |
| 2016 | 3 | 6,064 | $256M | $15.6M | $2.3M |
| 2015 | 3 | 4,867 | $169M | $8.7M | $2.3M |
| 2014 | 3 | 5,117 | $180M | $5.0M | $2.0M |
| 2013 | 3 | 4,942 | $169M | $12.6M | $1.9M |
| 2012 | 3 | 4,755 | $134M | $1.9M | $1.7M |
| 2011 | 3 | 4,726 | $117M | $15.1M | $1.7M |
| 2010 | 3 | 5,065 | $106M | $3.0M | $1.5M |
| 2009 | 3 | 5,083 | $93.9M | $13.1M | $1.5M |
History of the plans listed above, in the years each filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants. Plans that have since terminated are not included.
Service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Plans | Compensation reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| McGriff, a Marsh & McLennan Company | Actuarial | 2 | $584,498 |
| Principal Life Insurance Company | Contract Administrator; Participant loan processing | 1 | $210,806 |
| Meketa Investment Group Inc. | Investment advisory (plan); Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution); Trustee (directed); Investment management | 3 | $201,828 |
| MetLife Investment Management | Investment advisory (plan) | 2 | $191,600 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution); Trustee (directed); Investment management | 1 | $77,885 |
| BlackRock Institutional Trust Co. | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution); Trustee (discretionary); Investment management | 1 | $19,840 |
Organisations paid $5,000 or more by any of these plans, from Schedule C. Individuals are not shown.
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans does San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance have?
3 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 under its employer identification number for the latest plan years: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance 403(b) Plan, Zoological Society of San Diego Restated Pension Plan for Union Employees and Zoological Society of San Diego Restated Pension Plan for Non-Union Employees. Smaller plans and plans filed under a subsidiary's number are not grouped here.
How much does San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance contribute to its plans?
$6,126,085 in employer contributions across these plans in their latest plan years, about $1,397 per active participant record. Form 5500 reports totals and not the match or accrual formula.
Who provides services to these plans?
Schedule C filings name McGriff, a Marsh & McLennan Company, Principal Life Insurance Company, Meketa Investment Group Inc. and MetLife Investment Management and others. Only organisations paid $5,000 or more by a plan are listed on Schedule C.
Where does this come from?
Form 5500 annual reports filed with the Department of Labor's EFAST2 system, from the EBSA research files, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Figures are as filed and may be amended.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Plans are grouped by the sponsor's employer identification number exactly as filed; a company that files under several EINs appears as several employers. See the methodology and corrections.