"I always thought I needed mountains and oceans to survive, but when I moved to Minnesota, I never left. I love it here!"
Ellie Crosby grew up on a farm in Philadelphia surrounded by animals and nature. As an economist, Ellie worked for the Federal Reserve and for famed economist Walter Heller. When she married her late husband, Tom, they moved to Minnesota, where she found her new home and a new connection to nature and animals.
Ellie was an advocate for the establishment of the Minnesota Zoo and worked to support the Zoo since its inception. She has held many roles including Zoo board chair (1993-95), board member of both the Zoo and the Zoo Foundation and Conservation Committee member. She is currently a member of the Foundation Board and holds the distinction of honorary trustee.
Ellie is most proud of her work in the early years of conservation programming at the Minnesota Zoo with Dr. Ron Tilson and Ned Dayton. The work done in those years helped establish the tiger species survival program, and led to current conservation endeavors such as programming for Asian wild horses and rhino preservation in Namibia, as well as mussel, turtle and butterfly programs closer to home.
Her commitment to the Zoo is the reason she chose to create a charitable gift annuity. It is an attractive instrument that provides a lifetime income stream to her. Charitable gift annuities function like a commercial annuity, which provide a set payment to the donor. The only difference is the charitable component, which provides a tax deduction to the donor and ultimately a donation to the charity.
"Financially supporting the Zoo makes me feel good and I would encourage others to think about where they would like to make a long-term impact. A charitable gift annuity is just one method of giving. You should explore the best approach for your own situation."
If you are interested in hearing more about charitable gift annuities or other types of planned gifts that will support the Minnesota Zoo, please contact Amalie Frankel at 651.539.6518 or Amalie.Frankel@mnzoo.org.