Quarters for Conservation

Quarters for Conservation logoYou Can Change the World!

Quarters for Conservation is an exciting initiative to greatly enhance the Greenville Zoo’s wildlife conservation efforts. Through the collection of quarters, the zoo and local community will provide funding for new and existing wildlife conservation projects in our region and around the globe.

How It Works

Money collected through the Quarters for Conservation program is allocated to a restricted account with the sole purpose of enabling the Greenville Zoo’s participation in a variety of conservation programs locally, regionally, and globally.

A portion of the Quarters for Conservation funds will also support the Greenville Zoo’s Local Grants Program. This program is available to non-profit organizations and educational entities to fund local conservation projects in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.
Download the Grant Application

This restricted account is funded by admissions and membership sales.

  • $0.25 from each admission fee
  • $3.00 from each annual membership

At each visit, you will receive a "quarter" token that enables you to vote for a conservation project that inspires you. There are many local, regional and global projects that are worthy, but your vote ensures that you will play a role in determining how much funding each project receives. Learn all you can about the projects we’re supporting this year, because your vote can change the world.

Project information and the voting station are located in the entry plaza just beyond the admissions booth. Fifty percent of the funds will go directly to each of the four projects based on your votes. Fifty percent of the funds will be used for the Greenville Zoo’s Grant Program and local conservation efforts with a small percentage set aside for on-site conservation and administration.

Local Grant Program Application

Funding for local projects will be made available to not-for-profit entities with shared interests in conservation and research in and around South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina. Local projects will need to apply for funding in the form of a grant and be voted upon by the Greenville Zoo's Conservation and Research Committee. Examples of potential local projects include initiatives such as bank stabilization along the Reedy River or Richland Creek or planting rain gardens along the Swamp Rabbit Trail. They will include financial support for local conservation-oriented entities for projects that meet the requisites of the Zoo's Conservation Program. The money delegated each year will be based on your votes "tokens" through the Quarters for Conservation Program. Grant applications are due by January 31, 2012. Applicants for accepted proposals will be notified by May 2012 and funds will be distributed in September 2012.