Ensure a Lasting Legacy
WHAT IS WORTH SAVING?
African lions? Lemurs? Bald eagles? Aldo Leopold wrote “To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.” His logic was that when any part of a complex machine is missing, its loss may cause the overall mechanism to fail. We’ve seen the disappearance of species cause entire ecosystems to crash. But the Indianapolis Prize helps consistently-successful wildlife conservationists keep those cogs and wheels in place and turning. And the Indianapolis Prize has now itself become an essential part of the machinery of conservation. The Indianapolis Prize is a lever that enables conservation champions to make lasting changes for our planet. It is a bridge connecting the people and resources of the developed world with the needs and opportunities of wild things and wild places. And it is us! The Indianapolis Prize will be as relevant in 200 years as it is today. Its Winners and DeHaan Finalists will be the legends who are studied and honored by future generations.
And if there is a wondrous natural world in that future, it will be because the Indianapolis Prize has played an important role. Please make an endowment gift to ensure that the Indianapolis Prize stands forever. Please help ensure that we are honored and remembered as a generation who acted, rather than one that just stood by and watched. What is worth saving? The Indianapolis Prize is. To learn about endowment programs and recognition opportunities for your family or organization, please find further information below or contact us. Thank you.
If you are 70 ½ years of age or older, you may choose to direct up to $100,000 per year to help protect endangered species through a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA. In order to qualify, distributions must be sent directly to the Indianapolis Prize Endowment, c/o Indianapolis Zoo, 1200 W Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46222.
For more information, please contact Planned and Major Gifts Officer, Ed Sandifer, at (317) 630-2709 or esandifer@indyzoo.com.
In October 2023, the Indianapolis Zoo was a recipient of a legacy grant from the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation in the amount of $2.7 million. Of the grant, $2 million is designated for the Christel DeHaan Fund of the Indianapolis Prize Endowment – naming in perpetuity the Indianapolis Prize DeHaan Finalists.
Christel’s philosophy of life was, “to care, to share, to make a difference.” The Foundation evolved to have a primary focus in Indianapolis, supporting her lifelong, cherished passion for the arts and other important causes. The Legacy Grants were the culminating gifts of the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation that operated through the years 1997 through 2023. Thanks to Christel’s generosity, with the final Legacy Grants, the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation Board was privileged to oversee more than $133 million in grants over its lifespan to more than 700 organizations.