About Cleveland Zoological Society
We create compelling experiences that connect people with wildlife and inspire personal responsibility for conserving the natural world.
Focus Areas
Animal care and welfareScience & conservation researchEnvironmental educationCapital projects/habitat developmentCommunity engagement
Who They Fund
primate populations (wild and captive)field conservation teams and programszoos and wildlife sanctuariesconservation research organizations/nonprofits
Funding Style
general operating supportcapital projects (infrastructure funding)
About Cleveland Zoological Society
A $9,000,000 grant for Primate Forest stands out in Cleveland Zoological Society’s recent giving and signals how central habitat and species-focused work is to its grantmaking. The foundation uses its resources to support Cleveland Metroparks Zoo programs and conservation partnerships, with funding that reaches animal care, education, capital projects, and field conservation. Its largest recent awards are paired with recurring support for general operations, suggesting a mix of project funding and core institutional support. The Cleveland Metropolitan Park District appears throughout the recent grants list, receiving support for Primate Forest, capital projects, general operating support, field conservation, education, and animal care and research. That pattern shows a funder that backs both on-site zoo priorities and conservation work beyond the zoo. Recent field conservation grants also extend to organizations such as Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Giraffe Conservation Foundation USA, and Wildlife Conservation Society, indicating that the foundation funds species and habitat work through a network of conservation partners. Across the dataset, its grantmaking is tied to wildlife, conservation research, and education rather than individual giving.
What Cleveland Zoological Society Funds
In habitat and species work, Cleveland Zoological Society funded the Cleveland Metropolitan Park District with $9,000,000 for Primate Forest and another $205,400 for capital projects. Those grants align with its emphasis on primate habitat and forest conservation, along with zoo and sanctuary infrastructure. For field conservation, it gave $85,966 to Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International for field conservation, $60,000 to Giraffe Conservation Foundation USA for field conservation, and $21,300 to Wildlife Conservation Society for field conservation. Those awards show support for conservation organizations working on threatened species and habitat protection. Education is another clear theme. The foundation awarded $266,915 to the Cleveland Metropolitan Park District for education and $169,905 for education in an earlier year, alongside $164,148 for education in 2025. Animal care and research also appears repeatedly, including $407,194 and $232,452 to the same recipient for animal care and research.
How Cleveland Zoological Society Gives
Typical grants cluster in the six-figure range, with p25 at $185,542, a median of $328,327, and p75 at $2,382,668. The recent record shows repeated support to the Cleveland Metropolitan Park District across multiple years, including general operating support, education, field conservation, animal care and research, capital projects, and Primate Forest. That pattern points to recurring institutional funding rather than isolated awards. The foundation is not structured around individual giving and does not make program-related investments. Its active programs are listed as Education, Conservation Support, Capital Improvements Funding, Animal Care Support, and Education Support, and unsolicited applications are not accepted for those programs.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$13.1M
Total Assets
$41.6M
Total Revenue
$14.6M
Total Expenses
$16.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $186K and $2.4M, with a median of $328K.
25th Percentile
$186K
Median
$328K
75th Percentile
$2.4M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in OH.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
SARAH CRUPI
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