Philanthropy
T. DENNY SANFORD
The Heart of The New Sanford Children’s Zoo
T. Denny Sanford with San
Diego Zoo Team Members
R
enowned philanthropist T. Denny Sanford made
a $30 million donation - the largest single gift the
San Diego Zoo has ever received. This generous
gift will go toward the estimated $69 million cost of
constructing a brand-new, completely reimagined
children’s zoo, to be named The Sanford Children’s Zoo.
“This project is the most ambitious ever undertaken at the San
Diego Zoo and will result in a one-of-a-kind children’s zoo for the
21st Century,” Mark Stuart, president of the Foundation of San
Diego Zoo Global shared with Giving Back Magazine. “Denny
Sanford’s philanthropy is all about making the world a better place
for children. Thanks to his transformational investment, San Diego
will have the very best children’s zoo in the world.”
66 GBSAN.COM | APRIL 2018
When the new Sanford Children’s Zoo is completed, this
reimagined 2.3-acre space will give kids greater opportunities to
discover the natural world through play and will be designed in
ways to help children develop empathy and better understand and
identify with wildlife. More than 100 species will reside in the new
Sanford Children’s Zoo as children will be able to venture through
four distinct ecosystem habitats. These communities of plants and
animals have unique adaptations for their environments and will
awaken the senses while inspiring creativity and exploration.
Today, too few children have access to open space and natural
places. The American Institute of Research estimates that more
than half of at-risk youth have never spent time in a natural setting.
The Sanford Children’s Zoo will be a no-cost destination for