Donate to
the Must Do Zoo
Donate to the Must Do Zoo
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Giving Programs
Tributes & Memorials
Other Ways to Help the Zoo
Giving Programs
The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium has earned the highest rating possible, four stars, from Charity Navigator.
The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium is recognized as an accredited charity by the Better Business Bureau.
Sturgeon Tag Program
Sturgeon Tag Program
Be a part of a unique conservation & reintroduction effort! Sponsor a lake sturgeon to be released into the Maumee River at our public event on Oct. 6, 2018. Each sturgeon will be marked with a unique microchip allowing permanent identification of that individual fish. If the sponsored sturgeon is ever recovered as part of the on-going monitoring efforts, Toledo Zoo staff will notify you!
Sponsorship options are $25, $50, $75 and $100 and all proceeds from this initiative assist with rearing efforts at the Toledo Zoo. Sponsors who purchase in person at the release event on Saturday, Oct. 6 are welcome to release their own fish! (Sponsorships are available anytime online, however, personal releases are only for in-person purchases on Oct 6.)
Monarch Release
Sponsor a Monarch Butterfly
Each year, tens of thousands of monarch butterflies make their annual voyage from their northern breeding grounds to their over-wintering site, high in the forests of Mexico. As part of your Zoo’s ongoing butterfly conservation work, we have bred more than 500 monarch butterflies for release on this yearly migration. As summer comes to an end, the monarchs are emerging and will soon be ready for release.
Before being released to start their long journey, each of the Zoo’s monarchs receives a unique (painless) tag to identify each animal, allowing the Zoo to receive data if the migratory animals are spotted on their 3,000+ mile journey toward Michoacán, Mexico. To date, close to 40 tag recoveries have been recovered and documented from the releases.
We invite you to be a part of their journey by sponsoring these little winged ambassadors, starting at just $10. Click above to sponsor a monarch! This incredible sponsorship opportunity will end on September 30th, so support a monarch butterfly today!
Then join us at the Zoo as we wish them well on their journey from the Midwest to Mexico with our public releases on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. in Nature’s Neighborhood.
*Zoo admission rates apply. Releases may be affected by weather and number of butterflies available for release that day.
Donate to Conservation
Why donate to conservation?
Together with partners across the globe, your Zoo is working tirelessly to safeguard a future for all endangered species. With your help, we are making a real difference for these animals, which in turn helps create a healthy web of life for all species, including humans. Your 100% tax deductible donation literally ensures future generations get to know, appreciate and love many species that could otherwise disappear from this earth!
View our Conservation Efforts
Conservation is at the core of our mission and our efforts span across the globe.
Learn more
Online contributions can be made from $1 to $1,000.
- Recognition in the Zoo’s annual report
- Listing on the Conservation Today recognition board in the Zoo’s entry complex
- Special invitation to the annual Zoo Donor’s Breakfast on July 14, 2018
Donors contributing $500 or more are also able to participate in an exclusive Zoo Donor Tour. Click here to learn more about Zoo Donor Tours where you can encounter Zoo animals up close, visit behind-the-scenes locations and meet Zoo staff members.
Adopt an Animal Through Zoo Pal
Anyone can sponsor an animal - individuals or groups. We have several donation levels and benefit options for you to choose from.
Be an animal parent without all the work!
Zoo PAL sponsorships are the public’s best way to take part in our animal care as donations go directly to the diet, enrichment and health of your chosen animal.
Benefits
Benefits of a Zoo PAL sponsorship include:
- Certificate of sponsorship with photo of animal
- Zoo PAL window decal
- Name listed on Zoo PAL board for one year
- Invitation to annual Zoo Friends’ Night
Donation Levels
- The minimum donation amount is $20
- Sponsors who donate $100 or more are also invited to our annual Zoo Donor Breakfast
- Sponsors who donate $200 or more have their names listed on a special plaque at their animal’s exhibit for one year and and are invited to our annual Lights Before Christmas Donor Party
- Donors contributing $500 or more are also invited to attend their choice of Zoo Donor Tours. Click here to learn more about Zoo Donor Tours where you can encounter Zoo animals up close, visit behind-the-scenes locations and meet Zoo staff members!
Current Promotions
Help Your Zoo with Capital Campaigns
With the help of Lucas County voters and community support, the Zoo has grown over the course of 100+ years from a community park to the #1 zoo in the nation in 2014 and Best Zoo Lights in 2016 & 2017!
Envision Extraordinary Capital Campaign
The Zoo strives to continue growing, contributing to our community and making a difference for animals across the world, but we can’t do it without you! Please support the Zoo’s current Envision Extraordinary Capital Campaign to continue renovations on our WPA-era structures, construct new exhibits and experiences and cement our status as as a world-class animal care and conservation organization.
Examples of past capital campaigns can be seen in the renovated Aquarium, Tembo Trail and Nature’s Neighborhood. Your donation to the Envision Extraordinary Capital Campaign will assist in the redevelopment of the beloved entry tunnel, the reestablishment of the Museum of Science as a natural history museum and new year-round habitats for some of our resident animals.
Questions? Please contact the Zoo’s development department at 419-385-5721, ext 2074.
Enroll in Companies for Kids
Companies for Kids provides free admission passes to the Toledo Zoo through the Disadvantaged Children’s Fund. This enables underprivileged, at-risk and disabled youth, who might not otherwise have the opportunity to visit the Toledo Zoo. Zoo passes prominently display the donating company’s name on each ticket. Benefiting students are requested to send thank you letters to contacts at each donating company for their generosity.
Benefits
All Companies for Kids members receive:
- Public acknowledgement in a local newspaper.
- Recognition on the Companies for Kids donor board located in the entry plaza of the Zoo.
- Recognition in the Zoo’s quarterly Safari Magazine.
- A number of free admission passes to the Zoo. Members may designate all of the passes for the Disadvantages Children’s Fund or retain half for the use of their employees or clients.
Planned Giving
Gifts to the Zoo's endowment and planned giving are convenient ways to help ensure that your Toledo Zoo will continue to delight and educate visitors for generations to come.
Gifts to the Endowment:
There are many ways to help ensure a longlasting future for the Toledo Zoo. Gifts to the Zoo could be in the form of charitable trusts, annuities, bequests, insurance policy beneficiaries or other financial or tangible means.
By listing the Zoo in your estate planning, you become eligible for membership in the prestigious Silverback Society. Just as the bold silverback gorilla defends and provides for his family, you can help to preserve and protect one of our community’s most important family institutions.
If you would like more information about the Toledo Zoological Society Foundation, planned giving, or the Silverback Society, please contact the Toledo Zoo’s Development Office at 419-385-5721 ext. 2074
Preserve your Memories
Read on for how you can leave a lasting legacy in the form of a landmark at the number one zoo in the nation!
TRIBUTE
Gifts in tribute are a source of support for the Toledo Zoo and a meaningful way to honor a special occasion or the memory of a friend or family member.
Landmarks
Purchase a subway tile in the newly renovated tunnel
Leave your mark on past and future Zoo memories! Tiles are $500 each and are available at the link below or by calling 419-385-5721 x2091.
These 3 inches high by 6 inches wide, glossy white ceramic tiles, can accommodate up to three lines of text with 20 characters per line.
Tiles will be located on interior walls of the tunnel near entry or exit points, providing easy viewing where your sentiment can be proudly displayed.
Tiles purchased before the end of October 2018 will be installed prior to the tunnel's grand re-opening during Lights Before Christmas, 2018. Future orders will be installed one time a year.
To learn more about these and other unique landmark opportunities at the Toledo Zoo, please contact the Zoo’s Development Department at 419-385-5721 ext. 2074
Other Ways to help the Zoo
