Minnesota Zoo Foundation
The Minnesota Zoo Foundation raises contributed income and supports conservation and animal care programs on behalf of the Minnesota zoo. The mission of the Minnesota zoo is to connect people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife.
Minnesota Zoo Foundation at a glance
In short: Minnesota Zoo Foundation gave $6.2M across 4 grants in 2025 (avg $1.6M), mostly in Minnesota. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $6,211,805
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 4
- -20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,552,951
- +38.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $120,297
- Total assets
- $18,850,827
- +32.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Minnesota Zoo Foundation
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Minnesota Zoo Foundation
Who Minnesota Zoo Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 4 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Minnesota Zoo ($6.0M). Together the top 4 received $6.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
20 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 10 grants of 20 (50%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 4 itemized grants.
Cities
How Minnesota Zoo Foundation gives
- Giving fell 26% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.4M (2019) to $8.4M (2022). In 2025 it made 4 grants totaling $6.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Zoo Apple Valley, MN | Zoo Operations and Capital Projects | $5,958,711 |
| Wildlife Conservation Society Bronx, NY | Conservation | $219,594 |
| Woodland Park Zoo Seattle, WA | Conservation | $21,000 |
| Zoo Conservation Outreach Silver Spring, MD | Conservation | $12,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $18,850,827 | $14,486,591 | $10,344,349 | $6,211,805 | 4 | $619,599 |
| 2024 | $14,216,605 | $8,484,895 | $8,991,857 | $5,592,836 | 5 | $408,257 |
| 2023 | $14,549,028 | $6,270,098 | $9,382,230 | $6,304,339 | 5 | $227,007 |
| 2022 | $17,621,312 | $10,864,177 | $10,533,077 | $8,396,808 | 3 | $-256,058 |
| 2021 | $17,754,103 | $7,959,459 | $4,964,056 | $3,540,657 | 3 | $23,738 |
| 2020 | $13,711,600 | $6,244,952 | $6,255,107 | $4,239,881 | 7 | $82,497 |
| 2019 | $13,611,111 | $10,999,926 | $3,390,223 | $1,422,318 | 4 | $132,879 |
About Minnesota Zoo Foundation
Based on IRS filings
Minnesota Zoo Foundation is a public charity focused on Environment & Animals, based in Apple Valley, MN. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $18.9M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 4 grants totaling $6.2M. Net investment income was $620K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Minnesota Zoo Foundation is led by John Frawley, President on every filing since 2020; 5 of 23 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John Frawley
President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$44K (2022) → $80K (2025)
Jamie Flaws
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$162K (2024) → $187K (2025)
Blake Grams
Board Chair
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Sweeney
Director of Operations
Operations Officer → Director of Operations, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$54K (2021) → $106K (2025)
Elisabeth Comeaux
Director Corporate & Foundation Relations
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$101K (2024) → $107K (2025)
Jeffrey Sulzbach
Director of Major Gifts
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$122K (2025)
Aimee Dayhoff
Trustee
Trustee → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jean Taylor
Trustee
Trustee → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Shomenta Maki
Trustee
Trustee → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charlene Jundt
Trustee
Trustee → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ellie Crosby
Trustee
Trustee → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Louis Doth
Trustee
Trustee → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dale Kivimaki
Trustee
Trustee → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Phil Gaarder
Trustee
Trustee → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jane Pirtle
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Nordmeyer
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peggy Burnet
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Davis
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Kunkel
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew McCarthy
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chet Ellingson
Board Secretary
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Larsen
Board Treasurer
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne Gappa
Board Vice Chair
Board Member → Trustee, 2022
Trustee → Board Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (25)
- Former: Joe Ravens (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Doug Fulton (2022–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Anne Weber-Smith (2019–2023) — Director of Major Gifts
- Former: Ed Heffernan (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Lori Marco (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Chad Dayton (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: John Geisler (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Paul Reppenhagen (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Bill Gray (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: David Schmidt (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Joe Kalkman (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Mark Mortenson (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Samantha Capen Muldoon (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Tim Mulcahy (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Anthony Grundhauser (2019–2020) — Executive Director
- Former: David Romans (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Dustee Jenkins (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Eric Galler (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Grace Chou (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Janis Clay (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Katy Marvin Kirchner (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Matt Pierre (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Melinda Conness (2019–2020) — Director Finance & Administrator
- Former: Timothy Mulcahy (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Tom Lindell (2019–2020) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $187K, to Jamie Flaws (Executive Director). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Minnesota Zoo Foundation
How much does Minnesota Zoo Foundation give each year?
Minnesota Zoo Foundation gave $6.2M across 4 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $5.6M across 5 grants.
What is Minnesota Zoo Foundation's typical grant size?
Minnesota Zoo Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $120,297, and its average grant was $1,552,951, across 4 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Minnesota Zoo Foundation give grants?
Minnesota Zoo Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there.
Does Minnesota Zoo Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 4 grants with a stated purpose on Minnesota Zoo Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Conservation" (3 grants).
How large is Minnesota Zoo Foundation?
Minnesota Zoo Foundation reported $18.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $14.5M.
What is Minnesota Zoo Foundation?
Minnesota Zoo Foundation is a public charity focused on Environment & Animals, based in Apple Valley, MN. It holds $18.9M in total assets as of 2025.
What is Minnesota Zoo Foundation's EIN?
Minnesota Zoo Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0147653. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 21, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 29, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Minnesota Zoo Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Minnesota Zoo Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?