The Minnesota Zoo Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to help realize the mission of the Minnesota Zoo by raising contributed income from individuals, corporations and foundations; securing planned gifts; hosting special events; and advocating on behalf of the Zoo. The Minnesota Zoo opened in 1978 with a mission to connect people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife. Today the Minnesota Zoo is the state’s largest environmental learning center and an international leader in providing high-quality education and conservation programs that bring families in touch with the diverse habitats, cultures, and animals of the natural world.