Third-Party Fundraising Guidelines
Thank you for your interest in helping to support Seneca Park Zoo Society’s mission of inspiring our community to connect with, care for, and conserve wildlife and wild places by raising funds. Your help is genuinely appreciated! We are fortunate that community members choose to use their time, energy, and talent to help more people of all ages connect with nature, find hope in action, and take steps to help species survive.
If you would like to host a third-party fundraiser to support Seneca Park Zoo, please contact our Custom Events and Experiences Manager, Lexi Wilkas-Magnussen at [email protected] or (585)-295-7399
To help make your fundraising event successful and enjoyable, and make the best use of our staff resources, please review the following guidelines.
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General Guidelines:
- Third-party events must be approved by SPZS at least 30 days prior to the event.
- Approved third-party fundraising events must be referred to as “benefitting Seneca Park Zoo.” They cannot be represented as “sponsored by,” “conducted on behalf” or any similar terminology.
- Seneca Park Zoo Society prohibits events or promotions involving the promotion or support of a political party or candidate, or that appear to endorse any lobbying or political activity.
- Seneca Park Zoo Society prohibits direct solicitation (including but not limited to door-to-door canvassing and telemarketing).
Promotion and Logo Use:
- Seneca Park Zoo will provide the third-party organizer with a Branding Kit that includes logos, visuals, and guidelines for their use.
- Any use of the SPZ name, logo, or visual representation must follow the guidelines listed in the Brand Kit.
- Materials, including but not limited to press releases, public service announcements, electronic marketing, posters, brochures, flyers, and tickets must be approved by SPZS before going live via printing or the internet.
- To “tag” Seneca Park Zoo in social media, please find our handles below:
- Facebook: @SenecaParkZoo
- Instagram: @SenecaParkZoo
- LinkedIn: Seneca Park Zoo Society
- TikTok: @SenecaParkZoo
Finance and Tax Rules:
- Funds raised will be considered a donation to the Seneca Park Zoo Society, a nonprofit education organization considered exempt under IRS code 501 © (3).
- Donations from corporations or individuals to the Seneca Park Zoo Society may be claimed for tax purposes provided no goods or services are received. The Zoo Society will provide verification of the donation for tax purposes.
- Proceeds should be made payable to the Seneca Park Zoo Society.
Liability and Cancellation:
- You acknowledge that Seneca Park Zoo Society is not in any way involved in overseeing your event and agree to release, indemnify, and hold harmless the Zoo Society from any claims, liabilities, losses, or expenses that may be incurred.
- The Zoo Society will not be responsible for any vendor agreements and requires that an individual or organization comply with all relevant laws, maintain insurance, and hold any permits or licenses required.
- The Seneca Park Zoo Society reserves the right to revoke approval and cancel agreement to be the beneficiary of a fundraising event or effort.
What You Can Expect:
- All third-party fundraising events and efforts will be supported through the Custom Events and Experiences Manager, the Zoo’s primary staff liaison for such initiatives. You can expect to have access to this liaison to address any questions, provide any additional materials, and to act as recipient of proceeds.
- Approved events will be reflected on the senecaparkzoo.org event calendar and promoted on the Zoo’s social media channels.
What You Can Request:
- Seneca Park Zoo is not responsible for staffing your third-party event. You may kindly request Zoo staff to be present, but it is at the discretion of SPZ. Please include the number of staff requested and the roles they will perform when you request staff presence.
- The Seneca Park Zoo ZooMobile may be requested to be part of your fundraising event. However, SPZ cannot promise that it will be available, as that depends on the animals in our care and our animal care staff. Requests for the ZooMobile must be made at least 1 month in advance of the event.
- As resources and staff time allows, Seneca Park Zoo may want to send staff members to your event to sell memberships and share more information about the Zoo with guests. If you wish to offer an option such as discounted membership or a prize drawing, please make your request at least 1 month in advance of the event.
