Women Supporting Wildlife Luncheon

Women Supporting Wildlife Luncheon

Thursday, September 11

Registration 11:30 a.m.

Lunch 12 p.m.

Hilton Chicago

Women Supporting Wildlife Luncheon With Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE

Lincoln Park Zoo is proud to host Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and United Nations Messenger of Peace, at the Women Supporting Wildlife luncheon on September 11, 2025. Hosted by the Women’s Board, Women Supporting Wildlife raises crucial funds for Lincoln Park Zoo’s animal care and welfare, conservation, and advocacy programs.

The event will also honor Trustee and long-standing friend Susan L. Regenstein for her philanthropy to the zoo and wildlife causes. In her honor, the zoo will establish the Susan L. Regenstein Award for Conservation Leadership.

Dr. Goodall and Lincoln Park Zoo Over the Years

In 1986, Dr. Jane Goodall attended a conference, “Understanding Chimpanzees,” that was hosted by the Chicago Academy of Sciences at Lincoln Park Zoo. It was this event that opened her eyes to the unethical practices of the chimpanzee meat trade and the treatment of chimps in laboratories. The experience shifted Dr. Goodall’s focus from studying chimps in the wild to advocating for conservation. Ever since, Dr. Goodall has been an inspiration to us and countless others around the globe. She and the Jane Goodall Institute have been Lincoln Park Zoo partners for more than 40 years, working with scientists from the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes to better understand and protect chimpanzees.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsor

Individual tickets will be available in a limited capacity closer to the event.

Please email womensboard@lpzoo.org with questions!

Presenting Sponsor

$100,000.00

Enjoy the many benefits of the highest sponsorship level.

 

Host Committee Sponsor

$50,000.00

Enjoy the many benefits of the Host Committee sponsorship level.

Lead Sponsor

$25,000.00

Enjoy the many benefits of the Lead sponsorship level.

Supporting Sponsor

$10,000.00

Enjoy the many benefits of the Supporting sponsorship level.

 

  • Two (2) Tables of 10 guests
  • Dr Goodall and a zoo scientist to sit at your VIP table for lunch
  • Logo/name recognition on invitation, program, press release, and social media
  • Exclusive meet-and-greet with guest speaker
  • behind-the-scenes encounters
  • and more!

 

 

  • Two (2) Tables of 10 guests
  • Logo/name recognition on invitation, program, and social media
  • VIP reception with Dr. Goodall prior to lunch
  • behind-the-scenes encounters
  • and more!

 

  • One (1) Table of 10 guests
  • Recognition on invitation, program, and social media
  • VIP reception with guest speaker
  • and more!

 

 

  • One (1) Table of 10 guests
  • Recognition on invitation and program

 

Presenting Sponsor

 

Lead Sponsor

Supporting Sponsor

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE

On July 14, 1960, Jane arrived on the shores of Gombe in Tanzania to begin what became groundbreaking studies into the lives of wild chimpanzee communities. The discoveries that chimpanzees make and use tools forever changed our understanding of our relationship to the rest of the animal kingdom. This transformative research continues today as the longest-running wild chimpanzee study in the world.

Jane’s work builds on scientific innovations, growing a lifetime of advocacy including trailblazing efforts through her international organization of 24 Jane Goodall Institutes, which advance community-led conservation, animal welfare ongoing research, and care for captive chimpanzees. In 1991 Jane founded Roots & Shoots, an environmental and humanitarian program with 12 high school students in Dar es Salaam. Now Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots empowers young people of all ages to become involved in hands-on projects of their choosing and is active in 70 countries.

Today, Jane travels approximately 300 days each year, inspiring audiences worldwide through two speaking tours, media engagements, written publications, and a wide array of film, television and podcast projects. She is the author of many books for adults and children; her latest publication, The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, has been translated into more than 20 languages.

Susan L. Regenstein

To recognize Susan L. Regenstein’s exceptional record of service as a Trustee and philanthropist, Lincoln Park Zoo will establish the Susan L. Regenstein Award for Conservation Leadership. Zoo leaders will present her with the inaugural award at the 2025 Women Supporting Wildlife Luncheon featuring Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE.

For more than 50 years, Susan L. Regenstein and her family have provided leadership, guidance, and philanthropy, enabling the zoo to be Chicago’s free urban oasis and a global leader in wildlife conservation and welfare. Their gifts total more than $40 million and include support for Regenstein Macaque Forest (2014), Regenstein Center for African Apes (2004), Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House (1997), and Regenstein African Journey (1993). Through The Regenstein Foundation, Susan also invested generously in Nature Boardwalk, the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, and endowment initiatives that care for the zoo’s 49-acre campus and animal buildings. In 2025, the Foundation announced a $10 million gift to fund a new wildlife center, devoted to the species of Asia and Lincoln Park Zoo’s conservation efforts in the region.

Starting with childhood visits to the zoo with her father, Joseph P. Regenstein, Susan has always felt a special connection to the zoo’s great apes. Her knowledge about and passion for generations of resident chimpanzees and gorillas has informed her role in Chicago and beyond as a conservationist, wildlife advocate, and philanthropist.

Lincoln Park Zoo is deeply grateful for her support and that of the Regenstein Family. We are proud to establish the Susan L. Regenstein Award for Conservation Leadership in her name.

Women’s Board of Lincoln Park Zoo

Founded in 1976 with a mission to provide funds and service to The Lincoln Park Zoological Society, the Women’s Board of Lincoln Park Zoo has now grown to approximately 115 members. Members are civic, social, and business leaders from Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

The Women’s Board actively raises funds to keep the zoo free and support its capital, conservation, and education efforts. Members serve as ambassadors to the community, celebrating Chicago’s most treasured wildlife experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

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When will individual tickets be available?

Pending availability, individual tickets will be available at $500 each starting in mid- to late August. Please email womensboard@lpzoo.org to express your interest and be added to our list.

Is my ticket tax deductible?

Funds in excess of $100 are tax deductible.

Will tickets be sold at the door?

We have a limited capacity of seats available and anticipate this event selling out quickly. Tickets will not be available at the door.

Will Dr. Goodall be available for photos and autographs?

Presenting and Host Committee Sponsors will be invited to a private meet-and-greet with Dr. Goodall. She will not be available to interact personally with the general audience. Click here to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.

Who can I contact with additional questions?

Please email womensboard@lpzoo.org.

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