Our Donors

Introduction

Since 2000, the Zoo Society has provided more than $55 million in funding for the Zoo’s capital improvement projects. From past projects that are now guest favorites to upcoming habitats, the Zoo Society works to support the Zoo’s strategic plan.

Visionaries

• The Cleveland Foundation

• Cuyahoga County

• The Estate of Nancy Hansen

• The Louise H. and David S. Ingalls Foundation

• The Walter and Jean Kalberer Foundation

• The Lubrizol Foundation

• MCPC Inc.

• Samuel H. Miller Foundation

• John P. Murphy Foundation 

• The New York Community Trust - The Thomas W. and Florence T. Murphy Fund No. 2

• Dr. Vasu & Lisa Pandrangi and Family

• Thomas F. Peterson Jr Charitable Trust

• PNC

• Stuart B. Reese Living Trust

• Carol and Walt Rosebrough

• State of Ohio

• Zubizarreta Family 

Champions

• The Abington Foundation
• Patricia and James Bemer
• GiGi Benjamin and Phil Woodcock
• Bicknell Fund
• Muffy and Jim Boland
• Dane and Dottie Carney
• The Cashy Family
• William E. Conway
• The Conway Family Foundation
• Jane G. Cunningham Foundation
• Ginny and Howard Essner
• Kristen and Tom Fistek
• Jim and Linda Francis
• Hanes Family Foundation
• Amy and Tom Haught
• The Hershey Foundation
• Stephen and Joanne Kirk 

• Leveranz Fund, a Donor Advised Fund of Renaissance Charitable Foundation
• The Mistysyn Family
• Christine and Randy Myeroff
• Kevin and Lois Myeroff
• The James Parish Family
• David and Margo Petlowany
• Albert and Audrey Ratner
• Sylvia and Robert Reitman Family
• Albert G. and Olive H. Schlink Foundation
• The David Steffee Chair of Veterinary Medicine Gift Fund
• Michael Talty and Helen Talty Charitable Trust
• The Thomas Family
• Tom and Dianne Tyrrell
• Joseph A. Urick
• Tom and Shirley Waltermire
• Karen Wilber
• Kay Zielazienski 

Patrons

• Anonymous (2)
• Carol A. Barnak
• Beeb
• John and Susan Benedejcic
• Barbara Brown and Steve Ward
• Tom and Anita Cook
• Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities
• Robert and Karen Fein and Family
• Carol B. Hall*
• Leigh and Eric Hall
• Lawrence and Linda Hatch
• Robin Heiser
• Higley Construction
• The Higley Fund
• Nancy and Bernie Karr 

• The Estate of Antonette J. Liskay
• Jill and Ken Marous
• Anthony and Mary Messina
• Barbara and Abraham Miller
• Dan and Marjorie Moore
• Gregg and Deanna Muresan
• Anna Nagy
• Brian and Cheryl O'Neill
• Shelly Peet and Robert Martinko
• The Perkins Charitable Foundation
• Dr. Melinda S. Phinney
• Racey Family
• Thomas V.H.* and Iris* J. Vail
• Barbara Weiss 

Conservators

• Myles and Karen Abbott
• American Fundraising Foundation
• Steve M. Began & Susan L. Herbold
• Coty and Jessica Franklin
• Drs. Adam and Jennifer Hechko Family Foundation
• James and Marilyn Jaroszewski
• Susan M. King
• The Estate of William L. Kish
• The Estate of Carl Lezius
• Ronald Sr. and Frances Mawaka
• Scott and Julie Mawaka 

• Thomas and Ruth Meadows
• Lisa and David O'Brien
• Russell O'Rourke and Georgia Froelich
• Rob and Kris Rogers
• Mary Kay Schneider
• David and Mary Ellen Szamborski
• Steve and Sarah Taylor
• WDM Architects
• Richard and Mary Lynn Wills
• Susan L. Zanetti and Dr. Christine Zirafi 

Keepers

• Jane Anthony
• Cheryl Bailey
• Jules and Fran Belkin
• Carl and Dawn Black
• Mr. Skip Cannon
• Community Fund Ohio
• Karen* and Doug Cooper
• Christine and Spencer Dieken
• Kent and Elaine Downing
• Bob and Ruthi Duale
• Julie and Adrian Edgar
• Robert and Lindsay Elmore
• Freda Giving Fund
• Patricia and Timothy Gabb
• Patricia F. Giblin
• Elaine Good-Ross
• Rick and Mary Ann Greiner Charitable Fund
• Lindsay, Andrew and Peter Guzowski
• Scott and Marian Harmount
• William E. Harris Family Fund
• In memory of James E. Herrle, John Herrle, and Marie Herrle
• Jones Day
• Jessica M. Jung
• Marilyn and Rick Kay 

• W. Paul Kithcart
• David and Hope Koncal
• Susan Krall
• E. Gary Laughlin and Mary Lynn Laughlin
• Tom and Kathy Leiden
• Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Mahovlic
• Ki and Tasha Mixon
• Beth E. Mooney
• Deanna and Joe Murlin
• Nancy E. Parks
• Dr. Julian L. Peskin and Ms. Anne Peskin
• Andrew and Karen Rebholz
• The Antheia Fund at The Sears-Swetland Family Foundation
• Richard and Rhyna Sensiba
• Dr. Donald Shafer and Katherine Stokes-Shafer
• Rebecca and Thomas Truelson
• The Van Auken Family
• Theodore and Kristin Wagner
• The Brian and Jackie Welch Family Foundation
• Franz Welser-Möst and Angelika Möst
• Westfield
• Katie and Donald Woodcock
• Brian and Jill Zimmerman
• Martha H. Zlotnik 

Special Gifts

• Ms. Sue Allen
• Anonymous
• The Estate of Betty E. Beauchamp
• Anne E. Bingham
• Charles and Christy Bittenbender
• Blue Point Capital Partners
• The Bottlehouse Brewery and Meadery
• Alana and Conor Coakley
• Peter and Sue Danford
• Kay and Paul David
• Kathy and Jim Donchess
• The Phyllis H. & William H. Evans Charitable Foundation
• Charley Geiger
• Ted and Nancy Goble Fund
• Charles and Rosemary Griffee
• Gregory and Whitney Hartman
• Thomas and Iris Harvie
• Robert and Alyce Hobbs
• Lisa and Tom Hunt
• Karen and John Kaminski
• Jonathan and Rosemary Kesselman 

• Susan Kozak Charitable Fund
• Todd and Melissa Lawrence
• William B. and Mary Margaret Lawrence
• Barbara and Richard Lederman
• Mark and Kimberly Levinson 
• Lewis Family Fund
• James and Susan Massie
• Don and Sally Messinger
• Biserka Mikleus
• Ken and Sharon Mountcastle
• Nehez Family
• Kimberly Pinter
• Mr. and Mrs. Ron Plazek
• Russell Randazzo
• Catherine and Gregory Saluga
• Sharon and James Skirbunt
• Mary E. Vantz
• Jack Wensink
• Sylvia Wildner and Sue Delaney
• Jody M. Wilson 

*Deceased
*Donors as of 1/5/2026