Case Study: Sacramento Zoo achieves increased online donations and streamlined ticketing with Blackbaud

Sacramento Zoo - Customer Case Study

The Sacramento Zoo, a 14‑acre institution serving more than 10,000 member households and about half a million visitors annually, wanted to reposition itself ahead of its 90th anniversary to emphasize conservation and education rather than just entertainment. Its digital and point‑of‑sale systems were fragmented—online donations and memberships lived in one system, daily admissions in another, and front‑gate sales captured no visitor data—while the website was cluttered and not optimized for conversions or relationship building.

Working with Blackbaud, the Zoo redesigned a customer‑focused website and consolidated online and on‑site transactions into Altru with print‑at‑home tickets and scannable membership cards, giving staff a 360° view of supporters. In just months the site drove record online donations, allowed a 33% ticket price increase without customer pushback, and positioned the Zoo as a more professional, mission‑driven organization.

Sacramento Zoo

Jaime Wilson

Digital Marketing Manager