Skip to content
Arizona Center for Nature Conservation at a glanceMostly funded, not a grantmaker: see who funds it →

· Public charity

Arizona Center for Nature Conservation

The ARIZONA CENTER FOR NATURE CONSERVATION advances the stewardship and conservation of animals and their habitats while providing experiences that inspire people and motivate them to care for the natural world.

$451k
Granted FY2025still arriving
10
Grants FY2025still arriving
6
States reached
$42k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Animals$747kEnvironment$49kEducation$44kArts & Culture$25kHealth$10kPublic Benefit$5kRecreation & Sports$2kYouth Development$750
02FY2025 · 10 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

How this is measured
The 10 grants below total $189,345, the rows itemized in this filing. The $451,418 headline is the total grant expense on the return; the other $262,073 is giving the schedule does not break out (grants under the $5,000 itemization floor, grants to individuals, grants on other schedules). Every figure below describes the itemized rows only.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k5 grants · $37k
  • $10k–50k5 grants · $152k
$15,000
Median grant
6
States reached
$133M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ZOO KEEPERS$42,000
PRAIRIE WILDLIFE RESEARCH$36,408
ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS & AQUARIUMS$35,000
BUFFALO NATIONS GRASSLANDS ALLIANCE$23,490
MINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATION$15,000
ZOO CONSERVATION OUTREACH GROUP$9,000
PEREGRINE FUND$8,000
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA FOUNDATION$7,947
ARIZONA GAME & FISH$6,500
GREATER LOS ANGELES ZOO$6,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY17–25) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 52% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants spread fairly evenly across need levels.

area typical 10%UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA: $18k → 15%MCDOWELL SONORAN CONSERVANCY: $3k → 18%PEREGRINE FUND: $19k → 8%MINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATION: $15k → 6%GREATER LOS ANGELES ZOO: $6k → 14%SANTA BARBARA ZOO: $3k → 14%TURTLE CONSERVANCY: $3k → 17%CONSERVATION CENTERS FOR SPECIES SURVIVAL: $5k → 10%TURTLE SURVIVAL ALLIANCE: $4k → 11%SOYSAMBU CONSERVANCY USA: $10k → 13%TEXAS AGRILIFE RESEARCH: $3k → 22%SAINT LOUIS ZOO FOUNDATION: $5k → 21%PRAIRIE WILDLIFE RESEARCH: $36k → 10%HEALTH IN HARMONY: $10k → 12%DIAN FOSSEY GORILLA FUND IN: $10k → 13%CLEVELAND METROPARKS: $10k → 17%SNOW LEOPARD TRUS: $3k → 9%ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS & AQUAR: $25k → 10%ZOO CONSERVATION OUTREACH GROUP: $9k → 8%THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA FOUNDATION: $8k → 11%UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA FOUNDATION: $8k → 15%PEREGRINE FUND: $8k → 8%MINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATION: $15k → 6%GREATER LOS ANGELES ZOO ASSOCIATION: $6k → 14%TURTLE SURVIVAL ALLIANCE: $3k → 11%SOYSAMBU CONSERVANCY USA: $9k → 13%SAINT LOUIS ZOO FOUNDATION: $5k → 21%BUFFALO NATIONS GRASSLANDS ALLIANCE: $23k → 10%HEALTH IN HARMONY: $5k → 12%DIAN FOSSEY GORILLA FUND INTERNATIONAL: $10k → 13%ZOO CONSERVATION OUTREACH GROUP: $9k → 8%ARIZONA COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCATION: $7k → 11%PEREGRINE FUND: $8k → 8%MINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATION: $15k → 6%GREATER LOS ANGELES ZOO: $6k → 14%SAINT LOUIS ZOO F: $5k → 21%HEALTH IN HARMONY: $5k → 12%DIAN FOSSEY GORIL: $10k → 13%ZOO CONSERVATION OUTREACH GROUP: $7k → 8%MINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATION: $15k → 6%GLAZA (GREATER LA ZOO ASSOCIATION): $6k → 14%HEALTH IN HARMONY INC: $5k → 12%ARIZONA COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCATION: $7k → 11%MINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATION: $10k → 6%MINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATION: $5k → 6%ARIZONA GAME & FISH: $7k → 11%MINNESOTA ZOO FOU: $5k → 6%MINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATION: $5k → 6%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.

Which US states its grants reach

WA
ID
MN
IL
WI
NY
OR
OH
CA
CO
MO
MD
AZ
HI
GA
TX
FL

Grants abroad, by region: $191k on the FY2025 return

Schedule F, as filed: 5 regions. The IRS asks for region and purpose, not the recipient, so no country or grantee can be named here.

Paraguay$141k · 74% · 1 grant

Stated purpose: CHACOAN PECCARY CONSERVATION

Malaysia$20k · 10% · 2 grants

Stated purpose: ORANGUTAN CONSERVATION · BORNEAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION

Kenya$10k · 5% · 1 grant

Stated purpose: ZEBRA CONSERVATION

Brazil$10k · 5% · 1 grant

Stated purpose: GIANT ARMADILLO & ANTEATER CONSERVATION

United Kingdom$10k · 5% · 1 grant

Stated purpose: LION CONSERVATION

How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving. Grants abroad on Schedule F are filed by region, purpose and amount with no recipient name, so they are shown by region and cannot be placed on the country map or matched to a grantee.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

83%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$669k · 20 repeat orgs$134k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +72% since the first grant, against +36% for those funded once.

20 repeat relationships: 7 still active in FY2025, 13 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

20
14

Total granted

$669k
$66k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+72%
+36%

Still filing today

85%
79%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 64% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $68k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
AnimalsEducationHealthPublic BenefitEnvironmentArts & CultureOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • MZ
    MINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATION
    8× · 2017–2025 · $85k · revenue +158%
  • University of Arizona Foundation
    4× · 2017–2020 · $61k · revenue +109%
  • TP
    THE PEREGRINE FUND INC
    4× · 2017–2025 · $40k · revenue +122%

Funded once

  • AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS
    one grant, 2018 · $25k · revenue -16%
  • UO
    UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
    one grant, 2021 · $17k
  • IS
    INTERNATIONAL SNOW LEOPARD TRUSTgraduated
    one grant, 2018 · $3k · revenue +36%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Conservation Society of California

Through management of oakland zoo, the conservation society of california deepens connection with animals, saves wildlife, and inspires champions for the natural world.

Animals
2
Zoological Society of Pittsburgh

The zoological society of pittsburgh is dedicated to being a leader in, and significant contributor to, the conservation of endangered and threatened species. the society provides an enjoyable family experience that fosters understanding,…

Animals
3
Sacramento Zoological Society

The sacramento zoo inspires appreciation, respect and a connection with wildlife and nature through education, recreation and conservation.

Animals
4
Dallas Zoo Management Inc

Organization's mission to manage, operate and promote the dallas zoo on behalf of the dallas zoological society pursuant to agreement with the city of dallas, including the care and well-being of the zoo's animals and the promotion of the…

Animals
5
Rainforest Trust

Rainforest trust saves endangered wildlife and protects our planet by creating rainforest reserves through partnerships, community engagement, and donor support.

International
6
Red River Zoological Society

As conservation leaders, the red river zoo connects our community to nature and inspires people to help save species.

Animals
7
Naples Zoo Inc

Naples zoo is accredited by the american zoo & aquarium association (aza) and has numerous animal exhibits placed on its 45-acre site. (continued on schedule o)each exhibit is unique and designed to simulate typical conditions for the…

Animals
8
San Francisco Zoological Society

To connect all people with wildlife, inspire caring for nature, and advance conservation action.

Animals
9
Racine Zoological Society Inc

The mission of the racine zoological society is to foster an enlightening and affordable wildlife experience that improves the bond between people and nature. the society will provide for the recreation and education of the people, the…

Animals
10
The Zoological Society of the Palm Beaches Inc

The zoological society of the palm beaches, inc. exists to inspire people to act on behalf of wildlife and the natural world. we advance our conservation mission through endangered species propagation, education and support of conservation…

Animals
11
Arizona Center for Nature Conservation

The arizona center for nature conservation advances the stewardship and conservation of animals and their habitats while providing experiences that inspire people and motivate them to care for the natural world.

Animals
12
American Ornithological Society

See schedule othe american ornithological society (aos) is an international membership organization that connects ornithologists, science, and bird conservation by supporting science that advances the understanding and conservation of…

Science & Tech
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is The Saint Louis Zoo Association; the most unlike its peers is Health in Harmony. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

30 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 30 of the 37 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
7
Early backer (in before they grew)
30/30
Grantees still filing
22/30
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ZOOLOGICAL PARKS AND AQUARIUMS INC: $130,000 · AnimalsAMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ZOOLOGICAL PARKS AND AQ…MINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATION: $85,000 · AnimalsMINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATIONPRAIRIE WILDLIFE RESEARCH INC: $59,898 · AnimalsPRAIRIE WILDLIFE RESEARCH INCGREATER LOS ANGELES ZOOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: $24,000 · AnimalsGREATER LOS ANGELES ZOOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONTHE SAINT LOUIS ZOO ASSOCIATION: $14,899 · AnimalsTHE TURTLE SURVIVAL ALLIANCE FOUNDATION: $13,660 · AnimalsCLEVELAND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY: $13,000 · Animals+11 more: $29,230 · Animals+11 moreAMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ZOO KEEPERS: $144,000 · OtherAMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ZOO KEEPERSTHE PEREGRINE FUND INC: $39,500 · OtherTHE PEREGRINE FUND INCDian Fossey Gorilla Fund International Inc: $31,000 · OtherDian Fossey Gorilla Fund International…ZOO CONSERVATION OUTREACH GROUP INC: $25,000 · OtherZOO CONSERVATION OUTREACH GROUP INCSOYSAMBU CONSERVANCY USA INC: $19,000 · OtherSOYSAMBU CONSERVANCY USA INCUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: $16,550 · OtherUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA+6 more: $22,292 · Other+6 moreUniversity of Arizona Foundation: $61,300 · EducationUniversity…ARIZONA COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCAT: $13,000 · EducationARIZONA CO…TEXAS A&M RESEARCH FOUNDATION: $6,000 · EducationTEXAS A&M …NETWORK FOR GOOD: $80,000 · Public Safety & DisasterNETWORK FO…AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS: $25,000 · Arts & CultureHealth in Harmony: $25,000 · HealthVALLEY LEADERSHIP CORPORATION: $5,000 · Public Benefit
Animals$369,687Other$297,342Education$80,300Public Safety & Disaster$80,000Arts & Culture$25,000Health$25,000Public Benefit$5,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetAMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ZOOLOGICAL PARKS AND AQUARIUMS INC: $130,000 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetMINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATION: $85,000 over 8y, 0.2% of budgetNETWORK FOR GOOD: $80,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUniversity of Arizona Foundation: $61,300 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetPRAIRIE WILDLIFE RESEARCH INC: $59,898 over 1y, 16% of budgetTHE PEREGRINE FUND INC: $39,500 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetDian Fossey Gorilla Fund International Inc: $31,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetZOO CONSERVATION OUTREACH GROUP INC: $25,000 over 3y, 2.6% of budgetAMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS: $25,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetHealth in Harmony: $25,000 over 4y, 0.4% of budgetGREATER LOS ANGELES ZOOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: $24,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetTHE TURTLE SURVIVAL ALLIANCE FOUNDATION: $13,660 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetARIZONA COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCAT: $13,000 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetCLEVELAND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY: $13,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetCONSERVATION CENTERS FOR SPECIES SURVIVAL: $7,500 over 2y, 0.7% of budgetTEXAS A&M RESEARCH FOUNDATION: $6,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetVALLEY LEADERSHIP CORPORATION: $5,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetGLOBAL CONSERVATION NETWORK: $3,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetINTERNATIONAL SNOW LEOPARD TRUST: $3,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMCDOWELL SONORAN CONSERVANCY: $3,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetWOODLAND PARK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY: $3,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTURTLE CONSERVANCY: $3,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetSANTA BARBARA ZOOLOGICAL FOUNDATION: $3,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLINCOLN PARK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY: $2,980 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetDENVER ZOOLOGICAL FOUNDATION: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPACIFIC BIRD CONSERVATION: $1,000 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF SAN DIEGO: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetVALLEY ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

American Association …Detroit Zoological So…Zoological Society of…Commonwealth Zoologic…Dallas Zoo Management…Columbus Zoological P…Arizona Community Fou…Paypal Charitable Giv…American Endowment Fo…Vanguard Charitable E…Network for GoodNational Philanthropi…
American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums IncMD17.8× affinity6 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums Inc · Detroit Zoological Society · Zoological Society of San Diego · Commonwealth Zoological Corporation D/B/A Zoo New England · Dallas Zoo Management Inc · Columbus Zoological Park Association · Arizona Community Foundation · Paypal Charitable Giving Fund · American Endowment Foundation · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · Network for Good · National Philanthropic Trust

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Arizona Center for Nature Conservation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Arizona Center for Nature Conservation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%1%5%11%20%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get no government money at all
    5report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 37 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990 e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Arizona Center for Nature Conservation’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home