About Friends of the Zoo of Kansas City Foundation
The Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium connects all people to each other and the natural world to promote understanding, appreciation, and conservation.
Focus Areas
ConservationEnvironmental educationAnimal welfarePlanned giving / legacy giftsCommunity programming
Who They Fund
public aquarium/nonprofit aquarium organizationmuseum/aquarium visitors/general publicstudents and educators (informal STEM/marine education)
Funding Style
capital project supportinfrastructure/facilities fundingrestricted/project-specific
About Friends of the Zoo of Kansas City Foundation
A sequence of capital grants for aquarium exhibit work defines Friends of the Zoo of Kansas City Foundation’s recent giving. In 2023, the foundation awarded $16,100,000 to Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City for a capital project tied to the aquarium exhibit, followed by $9,555,000 in 2024 for the same type of project. A 2025 grant of $967,402 continued the aquarium-related pattern. Those awards point to a funder centered on the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium’s facilities, visitor experience, and long-term institutional development. The foundation’s stated focus areas include conservation, environmental education, animal welfare, planned giving and legacy gifts, and community programming. Its planned giving program is structured to receive bequests, wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, and other planned gifts, with support directed to zoo operations, animal care and conservation, education, and capital projects. Recent grantmaking is restricted to Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City, the operating organization behind the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, showing a close relationship between the funder and the institution it supports.
What Friends of the Zoo of Kansas City Foundation Funds
Capital projects are the clearest thread in the foundation’s recent support. In 2023, it gave $16,100,000 to Friends of the Zoo Inc of Kansas City for a capital project - aquarium exhibit. In 2024, it followed with $9,555,000 for the same purpose. A 2025 grant of $967,402 was also designated for a capital project - aquarium. That repeated purpose shows a strong emphasis on aquarium-related infrastructure and exhibit work. The foundation’s stated focus areas also include conservation and environmental education, alongside animal welfare and community programming. Its planned giving program ties those priorities to future support for zoo operations, animal care and conservation, education, and capital projects. The beneficiary types listed include a public aquarium/nonprofit aquarium organization, museum and aquarium visitors, and students and educators engaged in informal STEM and marine education.
How Friends of the Zoo of Kansas City Foundation Gives
Recent grants are large and tightly clustered: the p25 is $11,191,250, the median is $12,827,500, and the p75 is $14,463,750. That distribution reflects a small number of substantial project grants rather than many small awards. The available record shows repeated support in 2023, 2024, and 2025, all directed to the same recipient organization, which suggests ongoing relationship-based funding. The foundation accepts unsolicited planned gifts through its bequests, wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, and other legacy-gift channels. It does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$967K
Total Assets
$5.9M
Total Revenue
$759K
Total Expenses
$974K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $11.2M and $14.5M, with a median of $12.8M.
25th Percentile
$11.2M
Median
$12.8M
75th Percentile
$14.5M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in MO.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
SEAN PUTNEY
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