MINNESOTA ZOO FOUNDATION RECEIVES MATCHING GIFT CHALLENGES FROM THE VALSPAR FOUNDATION AND PRIVATE DONORS FOR GIVE TO THE MAX DAY ON NOVEMBER 13

Zoo will benefit from the communitys online donations through GiveMN.org

Apple Valley, MINN November 6, 2014 The Minnesota Zoo Foundation is one of many nonprofit organizations throughout the state that will once again ask Minnesotans to display their record-breaking generosity by donating to their favorite charities online at GiveMN.org during the sixth annual Give to the Max Day on November 13, 2014.

Money donated to the Minnesota Zoo Foundation will directly benefit the Zoos mission to connect people, animals, and the natural world.

This year, the Minnesota Zoo Foundation has received a generous matching gift pledge of $35,000 from The Valspar Foundation, which will match all contributions to the Zoo on Give to the Max Day up to $35,000. Private Zoo donors have come forward with an additional $20,000 in matching funds, bringing the total matching gifts available to $55,000.

This is a wonderful opportunity for donors to double the impact of their gifts to the Minnesota Zoo, says Minnesota Zoo Foundation Executive Director Melissa Lindsay. Were confident that our supporters will help us reach and surpass our goal.

During last years Give to the Max Day, more than 52,000 donors logged on to GiveMN.org. The result: more than $17 million raised for over 4,400 Minnesota nonprofits, whose missions range from feeding the hungry, to protecting the environment, to promoting the arts. GiveMN.org hopes to raise millions for thousands of nonprofits again, showcasing Minnesotas unparalleled generosity to the world.

In 2014, GiveMN will offer several incentives to encourage donor participation on Give to the Max Day. Community members can support the Minnesota Zoo Foundation and other local nonprofits and help these charities win prize grants up to $10,000 as top donation earners. During Give to the Max Day, the Minnesota Zoo will be eligible for prize grants in the form of hourly Golden Tickets an hourly drawing to add $1,000 to a donors donation, randomly selected from donors who gave during each hour of the event. One donor giving to a nonprofit and one donor to a K-12 public school will be drawn in the evening to have Super-sized Golden Tickets of $10,000 added to their donations.

Donations for Give to the Max Day may be pre-scheduled online at GiveMN.org starting November 1 until November 13.

The Minnesota Zoo is located in Apple Valley, just minutes south of Mall of America and is open year-round. The Minnesota Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and an institutional member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). For more information, call 952.431.9500 or visit mnzoo.org.