The income that the foundation “Help for Threatened Wildlife” receives is used to support the work of the Frankfurt Zoological Society.
The “Help for Threatened Wildlife” was founded in 2001 with the assets of Frankfurt Zoological Society and is the charitable foundation of FZS. Its untouchable capital stock amounts to EUR 63 million, and in 2024 its balance sheet total, including reserves and trust assets, amounts to EUR 94 million. The foundation uses the annual income generated from its capital to exclusively support FZS’s conservation work.
The proceeds from the “Help for Threatened Wildlife” Foundation ensure that existing and future conservation work through FZS has a firm financial backbone. This helps FZS fulfill its mission of conserving wildlife and ecosystems focusing on protected areas and outstanding wild places for the long term.
The foundation is represented by a foundation board consisting of up to 10 members. The board manages the foundation’s assets, makes decisions about how revenues are spent and ensures that the foundation fulfills its declared objectives. The “Help for Threatend Wildlife” Foundation is also a member of the Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen (Association of German Foundations) and the Initiative Frankfurter Stiftungen (Frankfurt Foundations Initiative).
For Individuals: Endowments and Legacy Giving
Patrons who wish to make a sustainable and long-term difference can support the Foundation by:
- Making an endowment
- Establishing a named fund or trust
These contributions can be made:
- During one’s lifetime, as a living commitment to conservation
- Through a testamentary decree, ensuring lasting impact beyond one’s lifetime
Such support strengthens the Foundation’s capital base and ensures steady funding for conservation projects—without diminishing the principal.
For Foundations: Umbrella Structure Support
For small or dependent foundations, joining the Help for Threatened Wildlife Foundation as an umbrella partner offers an efficient way to:
- Retain the founder’s name and identity
- Promote nature conservation in line with FZS’s mission
- Reduce administrative overhead
Earnings from the integrated capital are directed to projects that align with the Foundation’s goals, ensuring transparency, sustainability, and measurable impact.
A number of other foundations support FZS’s work directly or indirectly. The Munich-based Eleonore Beck Foundation, for example, exclusively supports FZS according to its statutes and has become an important pillar of our work. In addition, there are independent and dependent foundations, as well as named funds under the umbrella of our “Help for Endangered Wildlife” foundation, such as the Johanna Samel Fund or the Foundation for Bird Protection in Wetlands.
Hans Bernhardt – Chairman
Klaus Becker – Vice Chairman
Gabriele Eick
Dr. Christina Geiger
Petra Gerster
Sylvia von Metzler
Dr. Arne Weick
Johannes Huth
Anna Alex
