Karen Stierer: Caring for Conservation

A fan of animals since her childhood, Karen Stierer found a particular enthusiasm for “big cats,” e.g., lions, tigers, etc., courtesy of the 1970s television series, Born Free. This interest and excitement for felines led her to the Indianapolis Zoo, where Karen could closely watch and enjoy these beautiful animals on exhibit.

While visiting the Zoo over the years, it occurred to Karen that there is much more depth to the Zoo and its mission beyond entertaining the public. She realized that the Zoo’s mission also embraces a healthy educational focus with the community, along with strong conservation efforts and research work to improve animal welfare. Consequently, as the Indianapolis Zoo has grown, Karen has watched it become a very important cultural and scientific resource for the community.

Because of the Zoo’s deep impact, Karen was motivated to support the Indianapolis Zoo through her estate plan, as well as through her annual gifts. Karen indicated that she is happy to see the Zoo benefit from her gifts through her income that she otherwise would have paid taxes on. However, Karen’s philanthropic motivation goes beyond tax reduction. “The Indianapolis Zoo teaches respect and admiration of animals and our environment. If you appreciate animals, you become more conservation-minded. More than ever, this is a great time for our Zoo to demonstrate its purpose!”