Memorial & Tribute Gifts
Thank you for considering Sacramento Zoo as a recipient of a memorial or tribute gift in the name of a friend, relative, family member or beloved pet. Memorial and tribute gifts are wonderful ways to honor a loved one while supporting a connection with wildlife.
Tribute gifts are a thoughtful way to celebrate a birthday, wedding, new baby, graduation or any special occasion. They also serve as a special expression of sympathy by honoring the memory of a friend, relative or beloved pet.
Your gift to the Sacramento Zoo will be acknowledged with a letter letting the recipient or their family know a donation has been made in their honor or memory (amount not disclosed). For more information, call 916-808-8815.
Celebrate a loved one with a Zoo Parent package from the Sacramento Zoo. Sponsor their favorite zoo animal and we will post the recipient’s name on our VIP (Very Important Parents) showcase board for one year. Package includes a Certificate of Parenthood and much more! For details, visit the Sponsor an Animal page or call 916-808-5888.
Express yourself with a personalized brass paver at the zoo for $600. Select a special message and we’ll engrave and install your paver in our Rare Feline Center courtyard, alongside the walkway in front of the big cats, or in front of the chimpanzee exhibit (just added in 2018!). Pavers make a touching memorial gift or wonderful dedication for birthdays and other special events. Email with paver questions or call 916-808-3713.
Pay tribute or homage to a special someone with a commemorative bench at the Sacramento Zoo. For $2,500, your personal message will be engraved and mounted on the bench for years to come. Each bench enhances the zoo and provides a comfortable place for visitors to rest. Benches are currently SOLD OUT.
A carousel animal sponsorship is a great way to remember or honor someone special in your life. Visit the Conservation Carousel page for more information and available animals or call 916-808-3713.
In-kind Gifts
In-kind gifts are donations of items that benefit the Sacramento Zoo. We have many programs including ways to donate your old vehicle, outdated electronics (ewaste), and edible tree trimmings to help feed the animals.
You can also shop our Amazon wish list to see what else we need!
Donations by Appointment
Every day the Sacramento Zoo feeds pounds of browse (non-toxic branches and leaves from specific species of trees and shrubs). This allows us to feed many of our animals – including the giraffes, chimps, lemurs and many birds – food that is exactly like what they would consume in the wild. They enjoy nibbling leaves, stripping bark, and chewing on stems to keep their brains busy and bellies full.
Many of our neighbors trim their trees on a regular basis and leave the piles for curb-side collection. But, if your tree is on our list, we can collect branches from your home – or even better, you can deliver to us – and the browse goes to our animals instead of the landfill.
View the edible plant list & FAQs
If you have a tree or shrub on the list above and will be trimming it soon, contact us by email or call 916-808-5888.
You can support the Sacramento Zoo with the gift of a vehicle donation! Donate your car, truck, boat, trailer, or RV to the Sacramento Zoo and help create a better future for all living things. Donating is easy, and the vehicle pick-up is at no cost to you. Donate online or call 1-833-SACZOO1.
*All vehicle donations are handled by CARS, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; the FAQ’s below refer to their policies. All donations benefit the Sacramento Zoo.
What vehicles can I donate?
All vehicles are considered, running or not. You can donate your car, truck, trailer, boat, RV, motorhome, motorcycle, camper or plane!
Can I still donate my car if it doesn’t run?
Yes, most vehicles will be accepted running or not.
What do I need to donate my vehicle?
You will need to have the title to the vehicle, but if you do not have it, please call us anyway. It is possible that other arrangements may be made.
What information will I be asked for?
Please have the location of the car, your mailing address, the vehicle’s license number, VIN number, year, make and model. You should also provide information concerning any sort of damage or flat tires that would affect the towing of the car.
Can you pick up vehicles in all 50 states?
Yes. We can provide quick and convenient vehicle pick-up and towing just about anywhere in all 50 of the United States.
How will my car be picked up?
Your vehicle will be towed away by a professionally licensed towing company at a time that is convenient to you.
How long will it take to pick up my car?
A towing company will contact you via telephone within 2-3 business days to schedule. In some cases, you may be able to schedule the pick-up on your initial donation call.
Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes! Your vehicle donation is a tax-deductible contribution. Your car donation will help feed and care for animals at the Sacramento Zoo!
How does my tax deduction work?
The IRS allows you, the taxpayer, to claim a tax deduction of (a) the value of your vehicle up to $500 or (b) if the vehicle is sold for more than $500 you will receive an IRS Form 1098c to claim the full sales price.
The Sacramento Zoo has partnered with eWaste4Good to not only properly dispose of your ewaste but to help raise funds for the zoo at the same time!
They will pick up your ewaste free of charge and automatically donate part of the proceeds back to the zoo. We cannot accept ewaste at the zoo.
What is ewaste?
Just some of the items that qualify are: televisions, fax machines, monitors, PC boards, computers, DVD players, laptops, VCRs, keyboards, cables and cords, printers, radios, computer mice, stereo components, hard drives, tape and zip drives, power tools, amplifiers, speakers, telephones, cell phones, car audio and microwaves.
How do I schedule a pick up?
Pickup does require three qualifying items. Qualifying items are defined as: televisions, monitors, computers, towers, laptops or servers. They will pickup all other ewaste listed above with three qualifying items.
Request an eWaste4Good pick up. Make sure to list the Sacramento Zoo or Sacramento Zoological Society as the organization you would like to support. They will contact you within 3 business days to schedule a pick up at your home, business or school.
If you would like to purchase items from Amazon.com, the zoo has a wide range of needed items on our wish list. Many items go directly to the animals as enrichments and toys! Visit our Amazon wish list now.
They will ship directly to the Sacramento Zoo.
Another way to help is to always start your Amazon shopping here, or choose the Sacramento Zoological Society via the Amazon Smile program. A portion of your purchase will be donated to the Zoo.
More Ways
A Donor Advised Fund is a centralized charitable account. Individuals, families and businesses make an irrevocable gift to a public charity that sponsors a Donor-advised fund program for charitable giving (through a community foundation or charitable giving account). The donor receives an immediate tax deduction, and can then make charitable contributions to non-profit organizations over time. If you have a Donor Advised Fund through one of the following: Fidelity Charitable®, Schwab Charitable® and the BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund®, simply log in to your account using the link below, and make a direct charitable contribution to the non-profit Sacramento Zoological Society.
Many employers sponsor corporate matching gift programs that will match any charitable contribution made by their employees (including memberships). Check here for a listing of some participating businesses.
If you don’t see your employer listed, please contact your human resources office to see if your company has a matching gift program and to check the eligibility requirements. If you are eligible, please complete the appropriate form and mail the completed form to the address below. We’ll verify your gift and notify your company. Your personal gift and matched contribution help the animals in our care and help us to provide a variety of educational programs at the Sacramento Zoo.
Sacramento Zoo
Attn: Matching Gifts
3930 West Land Park Drive
Sacramento, CA 95822
Email with matching gift questions or call 916-808-3713.
Your employer may also match your volunteer time!
Ask your human resources office for eligibility requirements. Visit the Volunteer page for opportunities at the Sacramento Zoo.
Your gift of stock (or mutual funds) can yield high returns for the animals, educational programs and conservation efforts at the Sacramento Zoo.
Donating appreciated securities can also provide tax savings. Your donation triggers an immediate tax deduction at the security’s current fair market value. You can also avoid capital gains tax. It’s especially smart to donate stocks which have grown in value over the years.
You may find these tax benefits enable you to make a larger gift than you could have made with cash.
To make a gift of stock, please contact the Senior Development Officer or call 916-808-8420 for information.
For as little as 17 cents a day you are contributing to our ongoing work on behalf of wildlife species at your Sacramento Zoo and around the globe.
It’s easy to do: You agree to make a set contribution each week, month or quarter, then we deduct the specified amount from your credit or debit card as requested. Spreading your support throughout the year is a convenient way to fit your donations into your personal budget.
For example…
$100 a month buys enough dandelion greens to feed 14 hungry tortoises
$80 a month buys fresh, organic romaine lettuce for our giraffes
$70 a month covers a snow leopard’s annual exam
$50 a month covers a blood chemistry panel for any animal
$30 a month provides bananas (a favorite) for our troop of chimpanzees
$22 a month buys plenty of capelin (smelt-like fish) for our otter pair
$16.25 a month covers a flamingo’s annual exam
$10 a month buys exotic pine nuts to feed our Endangered flock of thick-billed parrots
Spread your gift to the Sacramento Zoo over the entire year. Your recurring gift adds up and helps us to protect and care for wildlife all year long.
By making a recurring gift of as little as $5, you join a group of dedicated supporters committed to making an ongoing contribution. Your monthly gift will provide the zoo with a dependable source of income that will help us to achieve our mission.