94/ 100
HotTier 2Enriched
Brandywine Zoo
A sub-five-acre, AZA-accredited zoo in Wilmington, Delaware, operated by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation with the Delaware Zoological Society responsible for admissions, membership, marketing, advertising, fundraising and visitor retail enterprise.
Research snapshot2026-08-2115 cited sources · 4/6 modules complete Open PDF Report
Enriched lead score94/1002026-08-21 · Improved by verified buyer, growth, financial and attendance evidence.
2025 attendance61,0002025 · Highest attendance in ten years.
Hidden Falls investment$2.5MOpened July 2026 · Current year-round exhibit and campaign trigger.
DZS 2024 revenue$1.37M2024 · Nonprofit business arm only.
2026 event listings42Calendar snapshot 2026-08-21 · Active programming surface with repeat visit reasons.
Current official openings1 verified2026-08-21 · Horticulture internship; full external ATS could not be enumerated.
Visual evidence profile
What supports the opportunity
Source composition and verified operating momentum at a glance.
Evidence mix15 cited sources
Six-segment module readiness strip
Verified growth trendAnnual zoo attendance
Reported attendance increased about 5.2% and reached a ten-year high; the underlying collection methodology was not disclosed.
Visual intelligence map
Research coverage
Each branch maps directly to a required module in the plugin’s canonical report schema.
Why this lead fits CTM
The zoo combines a ticketed visitor offer, record recent attendance, substantial capital investment, an active program calendar, a public marketing owner and CTM-relevant Mid-Atlantic geography. Public-private governance and unverified CTM inventory prevent automatic outreach approval.
Fit reasons
A paid admission model and direct ticket path support route-specific campaign measurement.
The newly opened Hidden Falls habitat and 2026 event calendar provide immediate visitor messaging and creative rotation opportunities.
The Society explicitly owns marketing and advertising responsibilities and publicly identifies a Marketing & Special Events Manager.
Delaware's official tourism statistics show a substantial surrounding visitor market, but those statewide volumes are market proxies rather than zoo footfall.
Risks and unknowns
The operating partnership may require alignment among the Society, zoo management and DNREC for certain campaigns or physical placements.
The Society's strategic plan names limited parking, seasonal and weather exposure, low awareness, and an off-the-beaten-path location as weaknesses.
No public source establishes current CTM route coverage, available inventory, customer status or budget fit for this organization.
Evidence modules
Lead intelligence structure
Each module uses a view tailored to its canonical evidence type—reports, momentum, channels, leaders, roles, or demand.
01Analyzed reportsThree primary documents establish 2025 operating outcomes, 2024 nonprofit financial capacity and the Society's 2024-2027 strategy.Complete
Reported Performance10 verified metrics
Capital projects raised$510,2002025 · Campaign and capital capacity signal.
Zoobilee Gala proceeds$112,0002025 · Fundraising event proceeds.
Attendance61,0002025 · Highest in ten years.
Educational reach30,7072025 · Across 726 programs.
Unique memberships1,0062025 · Current membership base reported in annual report.
Total revenue$1.374M2024 · DZS entity only.
Reviewed Reports3 records
Annual impact and operating report · Calendar year 20252025 Brandywine Zoo Annual Report
The inaugural annual report documents record ten-year attendance, educational reach, membership, fundraising, conservation programs, social growth and the 2026 habitat pipeline.
Regulatory filing · Calendar year 2024Delaware Zoological Society 2024 Form 990
The filing shows a growing nonprofit business arm with strong contribution growth, a positive operating surplus and expanding net assets.
Strategic plan · 2024-2027Delaware Zoological Society Strategic Plan
The plan prioritizes accreditation, capital funding, conservation education, family positioning, Gen Z cultivation, access, marketing and visitor-service coordination.
The zoo welcomed 61,000 guests, maintained 1,006 unique memberships and reported the highest attendance in ten years.
Educators delivered 726 programs reaching 30,707 guests, including 565 free guest experiences reaching 20,846 people.
Capital fundraising reached $510,200; the Zoobilee Gala raised $112,000 with 300 guests; Brew at the Zoo set an attendance record with 578 guests.
Additional Evidence14 items
Additional Metrics
Total expenses$826,6582024 · DZS entity only.
Net assets$2.765M2024 year-end · DZS entity only.
Employees282024 · DZS filing count.
Volunteers252024 · DZS filing estimate.
Additional Signals
Complete and activate the new multi-species habitat while updating the master plan and identifying the next capital project.
Revenue increased to $1,373,536 from $1,096,819, while expenses rose to $826,658 from $770,873.
Contributions and grants increased to $831,472 from $540,158; program-service revenue decreased to $324,967 from $341,493.
The filing reported 28 employees, 25 volunteers and year-end net assets of $2,765,347.
The Society generated 60.5% of 2024 revenue from contributions, making fundraising conditions material to discretionary capacity.
The Society's stated opportunities include increasing digital presence and awareness, expanding corporate sponsorship, promoting rentals and deepening community partnerships.
The 2024-2027 action plan calls for a Marketing/Visitor Services operating committee and ongoing guest-satisfaction measurement for major programs.
Be recognized as a premier family venue in Delaware and cultivate the next generation of zoo families.
The plan identifies limited parking, weather exposure, low conservation awareness, aged infrastructure and an off-the-beaten-path location as weaknesses.
Research Boundaries
No audited financial statements for the combined State-plus-Society operating model were located; the Form 990 covers only the nonprofit Society.
02Growth signalsAttendance, nonprofit revenue, net assets, capital fundraising and physical product investment all show positive momentum into 2026, while the public plan acknowledges weather, parking and awareness constraints.Complete
Hidden Falls opened in July 2026 after a four-year, $2.5 million public-private fundraising effort, creating a new year-round reason to visit.
The 2025 annual report records 510,200 dollars raised for capital projects and growing gift-shop and concession revenue.
Use the first full seasons of Hidden Falls as the most immediate campaign window, while the zoo and DNREC update the master plan and select the next capital project.
Attendance and event performance remain exposed to weather, parking limitations and competition from other family attractions.
Additional Evidence1 items
Research Boundaries
The attendance comparison uses separately published annual figures, and no monthly, ticket-revenue or like-for-like source-market series was published.
03Social activityThe official annual report verifies strong 2025 audience growth on Instagram and Facebook, but platform access did not permit a defensible August 2026 post-level cadence or engagement sample.Partial
Additional Evidence1 items
Research Boundaries
No current follower totals, post sample, engagement median, paid-social activity or platform analytics were accepted; the report uses only figures published by the zoo in its annual report.
04C-suite activityThe public operating model and current leadership are clear: Society Executive Director Mark Shafer, Zoo Director Brint Spencer and DZS Board President William Montgomery each occupy distinct decision or sponsorship roles.Complete
Executive Director, Delaware Zoological SocietyMark Shafer
Frame a bounded visitor-discovery test around Hidden Falls and the zoo's stated awareness and visitor-service priorities, with explicit attribution and no scale commitment.
Zoo DirectorBrint Spencer
Validate that campaign creative and measurement support conservation interpretation and do not interfere with the visitor environment.
President, Delaware Zoological Society BoardWilliam S. Montgomery
Do not lead with board outreach; reserve governance engagement for a validated operating concept and budget path.
Decision PathPublic buying signals
The Society's plan emphasizes capital fundraising, marketing and visitor services, sponsorships, access and guest-satisfaction measurement.
Likely executive sponsor for budget, Society governance and DNREC coordination after operational fit is established.
Zoo operations emphasize animal welfare, conservation education, new habitats and the guest experience.
Additional Evidence4 items
Additional Signals
Operational stakeholder for guest-experience fit, site integrity and coordination with State-run zoo operations.
Board-level capital fundraising and public-private partnership are current priorities.
Potential governance sponsor only if a proposal reaches board-level budget or partnership scope.
Research Boundaries
No official biographies, appointment dates or current procurement delegation limits were published for these leaders.
05Hiring activityOne current horticulture internship is published on the zoo's official volunteer and internship page; the employment page routes employee openings to external systems that could not be reliably enumerated.Partial
1Visible RolesPublic openings connected to this lead
Horticulture / Delaware State Parks internship program · Brandywine Zoo, Wilmington, DelawareHorticulture Intern
The role supports habitat maintenance, horticulture records, project work and public programming.
The verified opening supports habitat quality and public programming rather than a marketing-capacity expansion.
Additional Evidence1 items
Research Boundaries
The official employment page points to DNREC, AZA and Indeed listings; inaccessible or dynamic external results prevent a defensible total employee-opening count, so one means one verified on-site listing rather than zero or one organization-wide role.
06Visitor activityThe zoo reports 61,000 2025 visits, a ten-year high, while official Delaware tourism statistics document a large surrounding visitor economy. Owned attendance and market proxies are kept separate.Complete
Demand & DistributionOwned metrics remain distinct from market proxies
Brandywine Zoo attendance61,000Calendar year 2025 · Owned first-party attendance; highest in ten years.
Government zoo performance measure58,346Delaware FY2024 actual · Government-reported operating measure; differs from DZS calendar-year 2024 count.
Current unique memberships1,0062025 · Owned relationship base supporting repeat visitation.
Animal encounter origin reach14 states2025 · Shows multi-state interest in a premium zoo program, not the origin mix of all visitors.
Delaware total visitors29.3M2023 · Statewide market proxy; not Brandywine Zoo attendance.
Delaware overnight visitors9.9M2023 · Statewide overnight-market proxy; not zoo footfall.
Admission pricing is highest from May through October, reduced in shoulder months and free from December through February except for special events.
The strategic plan and visit page both identify weather sensitivity as an operating constraint for the outdoor venue.
Animal-encounter guests came from 14 states in 2025, but the zoo does not publish the full visitor-origin distribution.
The library-pass program is available through select libraries in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, indicating a practical tri-state audience route.
Additional Evidence4 items
Additional Signals
The zoo sits in Brandywine Park, provides online tickets, participates in the Wilmington & Brandywine Valley Discount Pass and maintains an active event calendar, creating measurable arrival-stage calls to action.
CTM's public service model places visitor information in hotels, visitor centers, attractions, transportation corridors and other high-intent environments, subject to local availability.
Research Boundaries
The DZS 2024 attendance figure of 58,011 and Delaware FY2024 performance measure of 58,346 differ by 335; fiscal/calendar period and methodology differences were not documented, so they are not merged.
Statewide tourism volumes are contextual market proxies and must not be interpreted as zoo visitors or addressable CTM impressions.
Test whether contextual visibility in verified Wilmington-area visitor environments can convert nearby travelers and active locals into measurable zoo discovery for Hidden Falls, family programming and selected after-hours events.
Recommended solution
Design a one-season brochure or rack-card distribution pilot across a small number of verified Wilmington/New Castle visitor corridors, using two creative variants: year-round Hidden Falls and rotating family/event programming. Add digital screens only where current inventory and reporting are confirmed.
Pilot hypothesis
A route-specific, arrival-stage campaign may increase qualified zoo discovery and trackable ticket-site sessions during the first full Hidden Falls seasons, particularly among travelers already using Wilmington and Brandywine Valley visitor services.
Measurement plan
Assign unique QR codes and UTMs by corridor and creative variant; track scans, qualified sessions, ticket-path starts and completed ticket transactions where zoo analytics permit.
Reconcile distribution quantities and replenishment by route with weekly digital actions; report conversion rates separately from material pickup, because distribution alone does not establish visitation.
Tag event-specific campaigns separately from general admission and compare against a documented non-campaign baseline, weather and event capacity.