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As the Zoo’s nonprofit advocate and partner, the Cleveland Zoological Society is committed to:
- Raising awareness of the Zoo as a community priority
- Improving all aspects of the Zoo, from exhibits to programs to daily operations
- Giving visitors, members and donors great value for their investment
Founded in 1957, the Zoo Society strives to ensure that Cleveland Metroparks Zoo remains one of the region’s preeminent destinations. The Zoo Society maintains the largest membership program in Northeast Ohio (41,500 households) and helps generate the margin of excellence that takes our Zoo from good to great. Zoo Society donors underwrite that margin of excellence through membership support, contributing approximately 50% of funding for major new exhibits and capital improvements and 20% to the Zoo’s annual operating budget.
Leadership
- Patrick S. Mullin, Chairman, Board of Trustees
- Robert J. Rogers, President, Board of Trustees
- Elizabeth T. Fowler, Executive Director
Finances (as of 12/31/08)
- ZooFutures Endowment Fund $1.8 M
- Sustaining Fund $1.9 M
- Membership Dues $2.4 M
- Annual Operating & Programmatic Support to the Zoo, including signature Educational Outreach Programs $1.8 M
- Capital Campaign for African Elephant Crossing: $10.3 M raised to date
- International Conservation Grants: Average $260,000 annually
- 73% of all funds raised directly support mission-critical programs, services, and capital improvements
Visitor Profile
- 41,500 member households (168,000 residents), including >1,000 ZooKeepers’ Circle VIP members
- Families with children 12 & younger and college educated· Household incomes >$75,000
- 1.2 million Zoo visitors annually
Major Projects
- Capital Campaign for the Zoo's new African Elephant Crossing exhibit – 2/3 to project goal
- The Schreckengost Mammoth and Mastodon Project, with a project cost of $775,000, is a joint effort of the Zoo Society and Cleveland Metroparks, along with Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Institute of Art and Cleveland Public Art to restore and relocate two life-size sculptures created by noted mid-century master Viktor Schreckengost.
- Completed a $4.5 M Campaign for the Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine (opened 2004)
- Secured the Zoo's first Endowed Chair – the David Steffee Chair of Veterinary Medicine
- ClevelandZooSociety.org now raises almost $1M annually and sets the bar for the region's e-philanthropy initiatives
Yearly Activities
- Membership and Adopt an Animal sales & services
- International Travel Program – Wildlife Safaris
- Award-winning publications Z magazine and ZtoU
- Fundraising & Cultivation Events: ZippityZooDoo, Twilight at the Zoo, Animal Attractions, ZooKeepers' Circle VIP Tours, ZooFriends' Night
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