May 1, 2025: Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium (SFZA) has just concluded the first phase of the We Can’t Wait campaign – a five-month Community Appeals effort endorsed by the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and supported by more than 80 community volunteers.

This phase, aimed at engaging the Sioux Falls business community, raised a total of $2,354,240.

This community appeals campaign ran from November 2024 through March 2025. It sought to raise $1.3 million – with a stretch goal of $2 million.

“We are blown away by the positive response – and we couldn’t be more grateful for the generosity of our local business community,” said SFZA COO Audrey Otto-Pepper. “These financial contributions will help us build a year-round, regional destination that will draw even more tourism to Sioux Falls, while connecting our own community members with the wonders of land, sea, and sky.”

We Can’t Wait is a $50 million, multi-pronged fundraising effort to support SFZA’s master plan, including renovating the zoo’s main building to include an education center, a world-class aquarium, a butterfly garden, and a new habitat for the zoo’s Humboldt penguin colony.

This year, SFZA will continue to fundraise with the goal to match a $25 million transformational gift from businessman and philanthropist Denny Sanford.