About Friends of the National Zoo
Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) is a not-for-profit corporation of individuals, families, and organizations dedicated to supporting the education, conservation, research, and recreation mission of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Founded in 1958, FONZ provides the Zoo with education programs, volunteers, and grants for Zoo scientists and – more... staff, guest services, and fundraising proceeds for Zoo projects. FONZ is led by a volunteer Board of Directors elected by its members.
Education forms an integral part of FONZ's mission. Its wildlife education program for children is one of the largest in the country. Thousands of children from regional schools, local inner city churches, recreation centers, and community centers are brought to the Zoo annually on class trips and for FONZ activities. FONZ provides teachers with curriculum support materials and helps them incorporate conservation themes and the Zoo's resources into their classrooms. Year-round, FONZ offers discovery classes for both children and adults that teach about animals and the environment. During the summer FONZ hosts a sleep-over camp at the Zoo's Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia, and week-long day camps at the Zoo. Meanwhile, a Zoo on Wheels program takes the Zoo on the road, visiting children in hospitals and seniors in care facilities.
FONZ supports the Zoo's educational exhibits also. FONZ monies helped fund the construction of Think Tank and provided support for the development of new animal identification labels and improvements to "Dr. Brasil's Field Station" in the Amazonia Exhibit. FONZ also supported the completion of the Great Cats exhibit. FONZ is also contributing substantially to programs for giant pandas through its Giant Panda Conservation Fund.
During 1999, FONZ's 1,400 volunteers contributed 87,000 hours of service to the Zoo. FONZ volunteers play a major role in interpreting Zoo exhibits to the public. They also staff How Do You Zoo, a hands-on learning room, and conduct tours of the Zoo. As "Behavior Watchers," volunteers further Zoo research by tracking behavior and collecting data on the Zoo's giant pandas, golden lion tamarins, cheetahs, and black-footed ferrets.
FONZ believes that increasing biological knowledge and spreading that knowledge as widely as possible is essential to all efforts to conserve the world's wildlife and wildlands. Over the past decade, FONZ grants have provided the necessary funds to realize an unparalleled variety of wildlife conservation projects, carried on at field stations around the world and right here at the Zoo. Perhaps the most dramatic example of FONZ grants at work is support for the research that allowed endangered golden lion tamarins, the Zoo's famous free-roaming residents, to be reintroduced successfully into the wilds of their native Brazil.
One source of money is the Zoo's concessions, which FONZ operates under a contract with the Smithsonian Institution. While the proceeds provide funding for Zoo programs and services, FONZ instills the young people who staff concessions with good work experience as well as a sense of importance of their mission at the Zoo.
Fundraising programs, like ADOPT-a-Species and Wildlife Walls, and events such as Guppy Gala, National ZooFari, and Boo at the Zoo are an important and growing source of income for FONZ. For instance, proceeds from Guppy Gala are dedicated to improving and expanding education programs at the Zoo.
In addition to education and volunteer opportunities, FONZ offers many recreational activities throughout the year to its international community of 75,000 members. Besides offering trips and safaris to wildlife-rich areas all over the globe, FONZ hosts ZooNight, an exciting and exclusive party for members; Sunset Serenades, a summer concert series; and many other free educational special events throughout the year.
Proceeds from all FONZ activities support the vital work of the National Zoo. This financial support exceeded $2.8 million in 1999. This amount does not include the value of the 87,000 hours of support donated by FONZ volunteers, which has an estimated value of more than $1.5 million. – less – More from ZoomInfo »
