The Columbus Zoo Family of Parks is committed to being a good community partner.

There are wonderful organizations, causes, and events all over our community, and we wish we could support each one. Having to balance that with our role as good stewards of the communities investment in us is a challenging task. While we would love to fulfill every request we receive, we cannot. To aid in this process, we have developed the rules for charitable donations, sponsorships, and in-kind requests that you will find below.

Ticket Donation Requests:

Organizations can request one of the following to be utilized for raffles and auctions: four tickets from the zoo, two Open Air Safari tickets from the Wilds, or two tickets from Zoombezi Bay.

For your request to be considered, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Requesting organizations must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit or a government agency with tax-exempt status
  • Request must include a copy of the organization’s IRS tax determination letter
  • Organization must be based in one of the following Ohio counties: Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Guernsey, Licking, Madison, Morgan, Muskingum, Nobel, Pickaway, or Union
  • No third party requests will be approved
  • Organizations will be limited to one request per year
  • Your request must be submitted a minimum of three weeks in advance of your event

Additional items:

  • Tickets will become void after expiration and will not be reissued
  • Organization must have the ability to print off donated tickets via an email confirmation
  • Preference for Zoo tickets and Zoombezi Bay tickets will be given to organizations within Franklin County and preference for Wilds tickets will be given to organizations in Muskingum County
  • Donation requirements and policies are subject to change
  • Due to the large amount of requests, we are unable to provide information regarding the status of requests
  • The following groups are not eligible to make requests:
    • Individual/Families
    • Political parties or events
    • Organizations that will use the tickets as door prizes, contests, incentives, or for group admission

Group Grants:

Organizations may request a block of Zoo or Zoombezi Bay tickets to help serve your organization’s goals or group.

For your request to be considered, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Requesting organizations must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit or government agencies with tax-exempt status located in Franklin County, Ohio
  • No third party requests will be approved
  • All requests must be submitted online and received by the Zoo by the end of the month. The granting committee will consider the request at the beginning of the month following submission.
  • Organizations will be limited to one request per year

Additional items:

  • Preference is given to organizations who have not received tickets within the last five years
  • Due to limited availability, not all requests will be approved
  • Tickets may not be resold or used for raffles/auctions
  • Tickets will become void after expiration and will not be reissued. Expiration dates are approximately six months from the date issued.
  • Parking ($10 per vehicle) is not included in admission tickets
  • Donation requests must be utilized for the purpose stated on the grant application
  • Grants are not given to schools since the zoo offers a separate program for schools. Schools can find more information by visiting: https://columbuszoo.org/home/discover/scholarships
  • Due to a large number of requests, we are unable to provide information regarding the status of requests

Other In-Kind Donations:

In-kind requests other than tickets are allowed. These in-kind opportunities include gift baskets, Animal Program outreach, Behind the Scene Tours, Event Space, and sponsorships.

For your request to be considered, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Requesting organizations must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit or a government agency with tax-exempt status
  • Organizations must be based in one of the following Ohio counties: Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Guernsey, Licking, Madison, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Pickaway, or Union
  • No third-party requests will be considered
  • Organizations are limited to one request per year
  • Your request must be submitted a minimum of three weeks in advance of your event

Additional items:

  • All requests will be assessed based on availability of the requested resource, potential financial impact to the Zoo, contribution to members of the community, recognition of a worthwhile program/cause, and overall community impact
  • Preference will be given to organizations located within Franklin County (for Zoo and Zoombezi requests).
  • Donation requirements and policies are subject to change
  • Due to the large amount of requests, we are unable to provide information regarding the status of requests
  • The following groups will not be considered:
    • Individual/Individual Families
    • Political Parties
    • Organizations planning to use the tickets as door prizes, contests, incentives, or for group admission

Please complete the below form in its entirety, email [email protected] or send your request via mail to:

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
ATTN: External Affairs
P.O. Box 400
Powell OH 43065-0400

Organization Information

Ticket and Event Information

Requesting tickets from which property?
Tickets will be used for:

Donation Requester Information
 

Documentation and Other Information

One file only.
100 MB limit.
Allowed types: txt, rtf, pdf, doc, docx, odt, ppt, pptx, odp, xls, xlsx, ods.
Please tell us more about the purpose of your donation request.