Paso del Norte Community Foundation to take over El Paso Zoo fundraising
Months after breaking off its relationship with the El Paso Zoological Society, the city of El Paso has entered into a contract with the Paso del Norte Community Foundation to serve as its fundraising arm for the zoo.
The City Council on Tuesday with a 6-2 vote approved a five-year contract with the nonprofit to provide fundraising support for the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens, including coordinating the Zoo Fund Program and managing gifts and donations to the zoo. City Reps. Brian Kennedy and Josh Acevedo, who represents District 2 in which the El Paso Zoo resides, voted against the agreement without comment.
“The zoo is an El Paso treasure,” Paso del Norte Community Foundation CEO Tracy J. Yellen said in a statement. “The (foundation) is honored to facilitate charitable contributions to support the El Paso Zoo, from the care of animals to the expansion of programs and services. We look forward to partnering with the city on this dedicated fund for the El Paso Zoo.”
The foundation, established in 2013, manages more than 200 funds, including the El Paso Museum of Art Foundation.
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The contract, which is renewable for up to five more years, provides that the foundation retains up to 1% of donations to compensate it for its services. The foundation is also required to provide the city with quarterly financial statements, comply with an annual independent audit and present donations above $50,000 to council for acceptance. It also requires the foundation to provide the city with any funds it requests within 30 days if the money is available.
“While I don’t agree with the City Council’s heavy-handed approach to end the partnership with the Zoological Society, I think it’s important that we are prepared for the next steps and ensuring that we have that fundraising arm,” city Rep. Cassandra Hernandez said Tuesday before voting in favor of the agreement, adding that she was happy to support the foundation.
The agreement follows a contentious ending to the city’s relationship with the El Paso Zoological Society in March. The society in May filed a lawsuit against the city over money it collected for the zoo. A status hearing on the lawsuit scheduled for Thursday was rescheduled for Sept. 24, according to court records.
The society, which for about 60 years had raised funds for the zoo, is asking a judge to declare that the money it raised and has not spent belongs to the society and not the city. The lawsuit doesn’t state how much money the society holds, but tax records show it had about $1.5 million in cash and investments in November 2023.
The city has not been served and doesn’t comment on pending lawsuits, city spokeswoman Laura Cruz Acosta said.
The city filed complaints against the Zoological Society with the Texas Attorney General Charitable Trust Division alleging possible mismanagement or diversion of charitable assets and with the IRS asking whether the tax-exempt organization may have violated federal tax law.
Cruz Acosta said the agencies are not required to report back to the complainant and directed El Paso Matters to them for any updates.
The Zoological Society didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, but in a media release in May called the city’s accusations unfounded and “retaliatory in nature, logged only after legal proceedings were initiated.”
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Paso del Norte Community Foundation to take over El Paso Zoo fundraising
