A generous lead gift means the Georgia Aquarium need not rely too heavily on fundraising

By Abny Santicola

The Georgia Aquarium opened in November 2005. But already the organization is running where other institutions like it are just learning to walk. It’s able to accommodate multiple, large-scale special events at one time, has partnered with area schools and universities to develop one-of-a-kind educational programs, solely relies on e-communications to keep in touch with constituents, and has an advanced Web-based ticketing system.