Bristol Zoological Society

Registered charity 1104986 · since 2004bristolzoo.org.uk·Bristol, Cameroon, Comoros, Costa Rica, Equatorial Guinea, French Polynesia, Madagascar, Philippines … [5 more]·Updated 29 October 2026

Key takeaways

The Society's grants are aimed at in-situ conservation, which means protecting species and habitats in the wild, so a project is most likely to fit if it is framed around that and around the local communities it would work with.
The annual report gives no readable grants figure and no grant range, and no application process is published, so a small nonprofit cannot tell from the funder's own materials what size of request would fit or when to approach it.
Its in-situ grants are brought forward by executives and approved by trustees through the annual budget, so a short enquiry through the contact shown on its website is a more sensible first step than a full application.
The registered area of operation lists overseas countries alongside Bristol City, South Gloucestershire and Somerset, but that is not a stated geographic focus, so check with the contact whether your location is in scope.
No exclusions or eligibility rules are stated.

Overview

Bristol Zoological Society is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1104986).

Bristol Zoological Society is a charity registered in England and Wales, whose objects are to advance public understanding and conservation of wildlife and the natural environment, and the scientific study of plants and animals. Its mission is Saving Wildlife Together. It sets aside a proportion of its unrestricted funds each year for grants supporting in-situ conservation projects, and it also makes grants to conservation organisations from specific fundraising proceeds.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Society sets aside a proportion of unrestricted funds for grants supporting in-situ conservation projects, and also makes grants to conservation organisations from specific fundraising. Executives bring project recommendations forward, with trustees approving them through the annual budgeting process. Its wider conservation approach works to protect species and habitats in the wild, including threatened species. It describes both direct action that reduces threats to species or habitats and indirect work that lays the groundwork for future conservation. The Society focuses on species and places where its actions are expected to be successful and impactful, collaborating with local communities and other stakeholders so conservation benefits people as well as wildlife.

Themes

In-situ conservation

How to apply

No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.

Where they fund

Registered area of operation (Charity Commission)

Cameroon
Comoros
Costa Rica
Equatorial Guinea
Madagascar
Philippines
Portugal
South Africa
Tanzania
Bristol
Somerset
South Gloucestershire
French Polynesia

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to Bristol Zoological Society.

Chester ZooRollingGave £615k David Shepherd Wildlife FoundationFixed deadlinesGave £708k Synchronicity EarthInvitation onlyGave £6.4M The Royal Bath & West SocietyFixed deadlines RspbNo public processGave £6.9M Free The WildRolling The Woodchester TrustInvitation onlyGave £269k The Underwood TrustInvitation onlyGave £920k The Balcombe Charitable TrustInvitation onlyGave £1M Victoria Falls Wildlife TrustNo public processGave £328k

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 December 2020	£10,460,000	£10,717,000	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2020
year to 31 December 2021	£9,816,000	£11,347,000	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2021
year to 31 December 2022	£10,713,000	£14,297,000	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2022
year to 31 December 2023	£7,659,000	£10,169,000	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2023
year to 31 December 2024	£7,637,000	£9,901,000	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2024

— No grants figure for those years.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.