Support - Belle Isle Conservancy

Your Support Matters

Your contribution directly supports the care, preservation, and continued vibrancy of Belle Isle.

Make a Donation

Each gift helps fund park improvements, restoration projects, and free community programming that keeps Belle Isle open and thriving for everyone.

$25 $50 $100 $250 Donate Other Amount

More Ways to Give

Generosity takes many shapes, and each one has the power to make a lasting difference. When you choose to give, you’re not only supporting a cause close to your heart—you’re helping to create a stronger future for Belle Isle. Begin your journey today by exploring the meaningful gift options available to you.

Elevate your company’s impact on Detroit’s most iconic public space. Corporate partners help bring our island-wide vision for Belle Isle to life. Your support ensures that Detroit’s most beloved public space remains accessible and welcoming, while strengthening environmental stewardship and enriching community experiences for millions of visitors each year.

We work with companies of all sizes to create tailored partnerships that reflect shared values and meaningful goals. Whether your organization is looking to advance community impact, support environmental initiatives, or engage employees in hands-on service, we’ll collaborate with you to build a partnership that makes a lasting difference across the island.

To explore corporate partnership opportunities, contact Aly Melnik at melnika@belleisleconservancy.org

Corporate Days of Service

Event Sponsorship

Support events that bring people together and uplift Belle Isle’s future. Event sponsorships help fund community programs, public celebrations, and island-wide activation while showcasing your company’s investment in Detroit’s wellbeing.For details on how your company can get involved, contact Aly Melnik at melnika@belleisleconservancy.org

Planned Giving

Since 2011, the Belle Isle Conservancy has been dedicated to safeguarding the island’s natural beauty, historic treasures, and unique character—ensuring it remains a vibrant public park for generations to come. By making a planned gift, you can create a lasting legacy on this beloved island. Your generosity will help secure the long-term sustainability, enrichment, and vitality of Belle Isle, so that its wonders can be enjoyed by all, now and forever. For more information on planned giving, contact Keri Gaither at gaitherk@belleisleconservancy.org

Join the Legacy Society

Endowment

The Belle Isle Conservancy has an endowment fund with the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. Donations of any amount to this fund will enable the long-term viability and success of our investments, projects, and programs. For more information, please contact Keri Gaither at gaitherk@belleisleconservancy.org or Randy Ross at rross@cfsem.org.

Charitable Gift Annuities

For donors who are interested in making a charitable contribution, but still wish to retain an income stream during their lifetime, a charitable gift annuity may be an attractive option. When the last annuitant passes, the remainder is added to the Belle Isle Conservancy’s endowment fund.

There are many ways to support Belle Isle, ensuring donors can give in the way that best reflects their personal goals and values, creating a more meaningful and fulfilling giving experience while advancing the mission they care about.

Sponsor a Fish Tank

As the oldest operating public aquarium in the United States, the Belle Isle Aquarium is a living piece of Detroit history, preserved and made possible through community support. By sponsoring a tank, you help care for hundreds of species, many with important ecological and educational stories, ensuring their wellbeing for generations to come. Your sponsorship also keeps the Aquarium free and accessible for the more than 250,000 guests who visit each year. Your support helps this historic institution continue to inspire learners, families, and nature lovers across our community.For information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Aly Melnik at melnika@belleisleconservancy.org.

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF)

Recommending a gift to Belle Isle Conservancy through your donor-advised fund (DAF) is simple. You can donate directly to Belle Isle Conservancy by providing the following information to the sponsoring organization of your fund:Legal Name: Belle Isle ConservancyTax ID: 23-7348118Mailing Address: 99 Pleasure Drive Detroit, MI 48207

Crypto
You can make a meaningful impact by donating cryptocurrency to the Belle Isle Conservancy. For more information contact Keri Gaither at gaitherk@belleisleconservancy.org

Belle Isle Stewardship Circle

Join or renew your ongoing support.

The Belle Isle Stewardship Circle is a community of leadership donors providing the essential, ongoing foundation for our work. This generous support funds vital restoration, education, and long-term sustainability initiatives across the island.

Already a member?

$1000

When you give $1,000, you help support:

A day of island care, funding a clean up crew to keep Belle Isle’s trails, beaches and green spaces beautiful.

Join

$2,500

When you give $2,500, you help support:

An educational tour for a Detroit classroom, inspiring the next generation to explore science, conservation, and the wonders of Belle Isle.

Join

$5,000

When you give $5,000, you help support:

Keeping the expanded hours of the Belle Isle Aquarium open four days each week, offering thousands of visitors the chance to explore Michigan’s aquatic life.

Join

$10,000

When you give $10,000, you help support:

Community connection through conservation, funding programs that bring people together to protect and celebrate Belle Isle year-round.

Join

$25,000

A full season of volunteer-led education and engagement, training docents and greeters who bring Belle Isle’s history and habitats to life.

Join

Your time makes Belle Isle timeless.

Volunteers are the heart of Belle Isle. From greeting visitors with a smile to planting flowers and keeping paths clean, they help keep the park as vibrant as the city it belongs to. Whether you give an hour a week or a day a month, your hands and heart help Belle Isle thrive and stay beautiful for generations to come.

Volunteer at the Aquarium

Volunteers play a vital role in keeping the historic Belle Isle Aquarium open, and free, for the public! From greeting visitors and leading tours to hosting education stations and answering questions about the park, volunteers help to create the moments that become memories for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Opened in 1904, the Belle Isle Aquarium is the oldest operating aquarium in North America. Please note; Volunteers do not have direct contact with the animals.

Volunteer at the Conservatory

Join the team at the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory as a Volunteer Greeter. Greeters are the welcoming face of this historic greenhouse, helping guests explore its five stunning display houses filled with palms, cacti, and tropical plants. Opened in 1904, it is one of the oldest continually operating conservatories in the United States.

Volunteer at the Gift Shop

With a focus on the visitor experience, Belle Isle Park Gift Shop volunteers help answer questions about the park as well as assist guests with purchasing the perfect souvenir to take home as a reminder of their visit to Belle Isle. Volunteers also help with general administrative tasks such as inventory counts and retail tagging. Proceeds from every purchase directly support our mission, making this a vital role in funding the preservation of the land.

Volunteer at Oudolf Garden Detroit

Oudolf Garden Detroit is operated and maintained by volunteers, who handle everything from garden maintenance to welcoming visitors as Garden Greeters. If you would like to join the team, please sign up to be notified of upcoming volunteer garden work sessions and Garden Greeter shifts. Be sure to complete all fields on the form, including your home address and cellular phone number.

Volunteer at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum

The Detroit Historical Society offers a unique opportunity to deepen your connection to Detroit's rich history by helping us share the stories that make our city extraordinary. Our volunteers play an essential role in bringing history to life, serving in a variety of engaging capacities both at our museums and throughout Metro Detroit.

Volunteer at the Belle Isle Nature Center

Volunteers play an integral role at the Belle Isle Nature Center. Volunteers assist the staff with projects, greet visitors and assist with field trip groups. They also answer questions about the frogs, salamanders, turtles, bees and fish who live in the facility.

Keep Belle Isle Beautiful

Join a Cleanup Crew

Our "Keep Belle Isle Beautiful" program is a community-powered initiative dedicated to the hands-on care of the park. From our monthly cleanup crews to corporate volunteer days and garden adoptions, we offer a variety of ways for you to make a direct impact. Explore the opportunities below and join us in stewarding this historic landscape.

More Ways to Keep Belle Isle Beautiful

Corporate Volunteering

Join us for a Corporate Day of Service and make a real impact on Detroit’s island park. With your support, we’ll host a private Keep Belle Isle Beautiful cleanup for your team. Complete with all supplies, from gloves and recycled-plastic trash bags to maps for exploring the island. It’s a fun, team-building experience that combines caring for the park with discovering its hidden gems. Together, we’ll track your impact by weighing the litter collected and celebrating the difference your team made for Belle Isle, the Detroit River, and the Great Lakes.

Corporate Day of Service: $2,500
Limited dates available.

Contact Aly Melnik at melnika@belleisleconservancy.org to reserve your day.

Your support, in every form, is what keeps the island a living piece of Detroit's past, present, and future.