How Working for Small Zoos is a Different Animal
After six years of working as Felis Consulting in the small zoo and aquarium world, I’ve learned that beyond the obvious differences between small facilities and their larger counterparts, there are a few surprises I never expected. Here are the top three.
More Than a Design Consultant—An Everything Consultant
I quickly discovered that consulting for small zoos isn’t just about design, master planning, or strategic planning. Unlike large zoos, which can afford to hire specialized consultants, small zoos require someone who can wear multiple hats—just like their staff.
While directors at large zoos might work from big, comfy offices in suits and nice, impractical shoes, their small zoo counterparts are often juggling a diverse workload and if they have offices, are usually less than ideal--sometimes a closet in the education building! Their responsibilities range from donor outreach, RFP creation, staff management, and grant writing to animal care, training, and even maintenance tasks like building a new fence or operating heavy machinery to move big things from one place to the next!
Because small zoos lack the resources to hire multiple consultants, they expect their consultants to be just as adaptable as they are. That means knowing more than ever before and having a network of reliable, affordable experts at the ready.
Many Projects Don’t Get Built
One of the biggest surprises in working with small zoos is how few projects actually come to fruition. In my nearly 16 years at a large design firm, most clients hired us when they were ready to implement. Even if fundraising took a few years, there was usually a clear path to execution.
Small zoos, however, often struggle to move from planning to implementation. It’s not just about limited capital; many of these zoos face governance challenges, whether from an inexperienced board or public entity oversight. Since many small zoos are owned, operated, or subsidized by local governments, political turnover and bureaucratic red tape add extra hurdles (and limited funds). This makes it even harder for projects to move forward.
Fundraising Is the Biggest Roadblock
Perhaps the most significant difference between small and large zoos is their fundraising capacity. Large zoos, often situated in major cities, benefit from a strong network of corporate and individual philanthropists. They have dedicated development teams, years of fundraising experience, and multiple successful capital campaigns under their belt. They know how to strategize, market, and execute fundraising efforts effectively.
In contrast, small zoos usually have a single director who may be balancing an inexperienced board, a small and/or untrained staff, and building that darn fence—all while trying to raise funds. With no dedicated fundraising team or history of major campaigns, small zoos struggle to secure the capital they need to implement even modest master plans. No wonder fundraising is almost non-existent for small zoos.
How can we tackle these seemingly insurmountable issues for small zoos? Without strategic fundraising, even the most well-thought-out plans remain just that—plans. And that is the core problem for small zoos in any aspect of operation, isn’t it?