2026
Annual Report
Providing critical funding and resources that support the Minnesota Zoo’s initiatives and expand its impact.
You Help Champion the Zoo’s Success
In July 2025, the Minnesota Zoo Foundation celebrated its 50th anniversary. For five decades, the generosity and support of people like you have helped the Minnesota Zoo strengthen its role as a critical asset to Minnesotans, the diverse ecosystems within our state, and wildlife around the world — and this year was no exception.
This past year, your generosity propelled the Zoo’s wildlife-saving efforts to award-winning heights. In October 2025, the Minnesota Zoo, along with partner institutions John Ball Zoo and Assiniboine Park Zoo, received the prestigious North American Conservation Award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Just months earlier, Zoo conservation scientists Cale Nordmeyer and Erik Runquist were named 2024 Recovery Champions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Both honors recognized the Zoo’s groundbreaking work to save the critically endangered Poweshiek skipperling butterfly — work made possible by your support.
Fall of 2025 also marked the beginning of a major transformation along the Zoo's waterfront. Now complete, the Waterfront Renewal Project creates additional wetland habitat, expands guest access to nature, and includes a full remodel of the Zoo’s troop of Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys. Their new habitat is designed to provide everything they need to thrive. Your support helps make extraordinary care like this possible for macaques and all the animals that call the Zoo home.
We cannot thank you enough for all you have made possible over the past 50 years. As we build on this remarkable legacy, we look forward to all we will accomplish together in the years ahead. From a top-of-the-line, donor-funded animal hospital to a new, immersive conservation center, we will continue working to ensure the Zoo is a place where people from Minnesota and beyond can gather to connect deeply with wildlife, nature, and one another.
By investing in ground-breaking projects such as these, the Zoo continues its work as a leader in extraordinary animal care, research, and conservation as it works to connect people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife.
We thank you for choosing the Minnesota Zoo Foundation and investing in our mission. We are truly grateful for your efforts and those of our board members, state representatives, volunteers, and employees who advocate tirelessly to ensure wildlife thrives in Minnesota and beyond. On behalf of the Minnesota Zoo Foundation and Minnesota Zoo, we thank you.
John Frawley
Minnesota Zoo Director
Minnesota Zoo Foundation President
Suzanne Gappa
Minnesota Zoo Foundation Board Chair
Community Volunteer
Supporting & Scaling Important Zoo Initiatives
Increasing Nature Access
In 2025, the Minnesota Zoo welcomed more than 8,600 guests for its second annual Nature Wellness Day, a unique program designed to explore the connection between nature and human well-being. Thanks to generous sponsorships from Children’s Minnesota and The Mother Baby Center, this immersive experience was free with standard Zoo admission and offered a wide range of activities for guests of all ages.
Amplifying Impact
This summer, the Minnesota Zoo opened one of its most highly anticipated new habitats — Red Panda Forest. Funded through the generosity of Circle of Life Society donors to the Minnesota Zoo Foundation, this multispecies habitat has quickly become a guest favorite, bringing more and new visitors to the Zoo where they’ve connected with the habitat’s threatened and endangered animals.
Redefining the Modern Zoo
From butterflies and bison to rhinos and coral, the Minnesota Zoo is redefining the role of the modern zoo through our vast and growing conservation work, driven in part by the generous support of Minnesota Zoo Foundation donors. As an active participant in Saving Animals From Extinction programs, the Zoo works hand in hand with experts around the world to protect vulnerable species and ecosystems.
Ensuring Excellence
From Minnesota’s native mussels to red pandas in Nepal, the Minnesota Zoo’s conservation efforts span the globe, powered by an unwavering commitment to the care and protection of wildlife and the natural world. One key driver of this work is the Ulysses S. Seal grant program, an industry-leading conservation initiative funded by the Minnesota Zoo Foundation and its donors.
Donations By The Numbers
8,983 Total Donors
4,059 New Donors
3,857 Friends Donors
485 Director’s Circle Donors
82 President’s Club Donors
172 Circle of Life Donors
932 Monthly Donors
825 Volunteers
1,355,236 Zoo Visitors
Saving Wildlife
Saving Wildlife: Conservation
Saving Wildlife: Funding
Animals & the Natural World
4,495 Animals at the Zoo
550 Global Species
A Night to Remember
“The speakers were fantastic, I loved the stations, and the venue was beautiful.”
Wildlife Conservation Benefit
The 2025 Wildlife Conservation Benefit brought in new donors and new partners to highlight and gain support for the Minnesota Zoo’s critical conservation work that is making a difference for wildlife in our state.
342 participants
Over $165,000 raised
One-of-a-kind look at how new technologies are saving threatened bird species
Beastly Bash
The 2025 Beastly Bash gala was a roaring success for wildlife. Featuring an incredible story of collaboration and excellence, the event shined a light on the Zoo’s important work rescuing orphaned injured, and at-risk wildlife.
Nearly 900 participants
Over $820,000 raised
Emmy-winning documentary on record-breaking rescue of animals from SeaQuest (watch here)
Minnesota Zoo Foundation Financials
Statement of Revenue and Expenses for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2026.
Note: The Minnesota Zoo Foundation , and as such both Revenue and Expenses are significantly impacted by the variability of a multi-year capital campaign.
Revenue
⬤ Individual $5,864,241
⬤ Corporations $798,190
⬤ Foundations $589,626
⬤ Groups, Schools and Governments $192,913
⬤ Event, Net of Direct Benefit $677,824
⬤ Other Income $2,057,253
TOTAL $10,180,047
Expenses
⬤ Grants to the Zoo* $4,107,150
⬤ Other Grants $298,577
⬤ Other Program Expenses $594,427
⬤ General Operations $4,427,486
TOTAL $9,427,640
Net assets: Beginning of Year
$18,850,826
Net assets: End of Year
$20,103,246
Change in Net Assets: $1,252,420
*Includes In-Kind Contributions and Capital Grants
****Substantial large new capital contributions were received in FY25 and FY26 to be granted in next fiscal year (FY27), leading to high variability in net assets year over year. The Foundation has accumulated net assets due to the recognition of multi-year pledges, and payments against those pledges are not reflected as new revenue. Net assets are generally used within two fiscal years that gifts or pledge payments are received, and are expended for grants, program expenses, and operations. The exception to this is for Zoo Capital Projects, where funds are raised and kept at the Foundation until the Zoo requests those funds.
Explore More
-
Make a Gift
Help make our next fiscal year just as successful.
-
Board of Directors
View our board of directors.
-
Report Summary
View our condensed report.