ZBCF - For Applicants

Zoo Boise is expanding its focus towards conservation - from not only caring for the animals within zoo grounds, but towards helping animals in their natural environments. This is in response to the growing extinction crisis that threatens some of the world's most famous inhabitants within the next 50 years. This includes such species as rhinos, tigers, gorillas, pandas, Asian elephants, chimps and countless others. We must act on their behalf.

Grantmaking Philosophy
The Zoo Boise Conservation Fund is a joint project of the City of Boise and the Friends of Zoo Boise conceived with the intention of protecting wildlife and the habitat they need to survive. The Zoo Boise Conservation Fund seeks to directly involve the Boise Metropolitan Area in conservation decisions and broaden Zoo Boise’s/Boise Parks & Recreation’s ability to increase the understanding of conservation issues and provide opportunities for direct action by area residents, schools and zoo visitors.

To do this, Zoo Boise has created the Zoo Boise Conservation Fund.  Designed to support conservation programs in Idaho and around the globe, the fund focuses on projects that help protect animals found at Zoo Boise or in our Master Plan.  Revenue for the fund comes from a 35¢ fee included in admission prices and a $3.00 fee included in membership prices.  Zoo Boise was the first zoo in the country to create such a program.

Funding Priorities & Eligibilty
The Zoo Boise Conservation Fund is committed to funding projects involving species that are found in Zoo Boise’s collection or Master Plan.  Projects considered for funding should involve at least one of the following issue areas:
  • Habitat restoration
  • Wildlife conservation and management
  • Community-based conservation, including eco-tourism
  • Conservation education, including workshops and trainings
  • Scientific research related to natural history, ecology, habitat, national park inventories or biological assessments, although preference will be given to the other issue areas.  Generally, the Zoo Boise Conservation Fund does not support dissertation projects.
Groups seeking funding must either be a U.S. based nonprofit organization or have strong ties with a U.S. organization.

Within these broad areas, the Zoo Boise Conservation Fund provides general support and project grants in the range of $1,000 to $25,000.

Zoo Boise believes that conservation goals can best be reached without the support and understanding of the people living around wildlife.  Therefore, projects that receive funding must work with the local communities or demonstrate how the project will benefit the local community in addition to the wildlife.

Process
  1. From April to July of each year the Fund will accept proposals from eligible organizations meeting the funding criteria.
  2. The Zoo Boise Conservation Fund Advisory Committee will review the applications and select 6 mutually acceptable proposals.
  3. In October, the community will review the proposals and have an opportunity to vote on their top 3 choices.
  4. In November, the top 3 grant proposals selected by a full constituency vote will be awarded funding from the Zoo Boise Conservation Fund.
  5. Additionally, from time to time the Advisory Committee reserves the right to grant funds to exceptional projects that are presented and meet the funding criteria without a full constituency vote.
Restrictions
The Zoo Boise Conservation Fund will NOT fund the following: 
  • Capital Campaigns (building construction or renovation).
  • Organizations that practice or promote partisan or legally defined discriminatory policies relating to race, creed, gender, religion or national origin.
  • Projects involving legal action, lobbying or political activities.
  • University overhead or indirect costs.
Applications
2010 Application

Deadlines
Application packages for funding in the 2010 grant cycle must be received between April 1 and July 1, 2010.