Ojai Raptor Center

What Ojai Raptor Center does

Ojai Raptor Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation and education organization headquartered in Oak View, Ventura County, California. The organization provides medical care, rehabilitation, and release services for injured, orphaned, and sick native raptors and other wildlife, while delivering educational programming to school groups, on-site visitors, and community members. Operational footprint is intentionally small: the organization operates with 1–10 employees and depends substantially on volunteers, which is typical of community-scale raptor rehabilitation facilities operating under California Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service permitting frameworks.

Revenue is generated through individual donations, recurring memberships, structured fundraising events, an online e-commerce merchandise channel, and modest foundation grants. The organization explicitly does not receive government funding. Recent historical revenue mechanics have not been publicly disclosed, and the center does not appear to publish operating budgets or audited financials in the provided data.

Strategic direction is presently shaped by a leadership transition: Chris Eksteen was appointed Executive Director, succeeding Kim Stroud, who led the organization for roughly 25 years. The center has secured small foundation support from corporate philanthropy partners including Avangrid Foundation in both 2023 and 2024, suggesting an emerging institutional grant relationship rather than diversification across many funder sources. There is no indication of geographic expansion, paid B2B offerings, programmatic scaling, or technology-driven differentiation in the available material.

Name

Ojai Raptor Center

Legal name

Ojai Raptor Center

Website

https://ojairaptorcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ojai Raptor Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation and education organization based in Oak View, California, providing medical care and release for injured native raptors and educational programming for schools and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release Centers (Public Viewing/Education) (THAAAFAC), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Wildlife rehabilitation services
• Raptor conservation programs
• Environmental education outreach
• Wildlife rescue and release
• Nonprofit conservation organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Oak View

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization receives no sustained government funding and depends entirely on public donations. Donors contribute to specific campaigns such as the Baby Campaign for orphaned raptor care, as well as general operational support.
2. Annual Membership Program: Annual membership directly supports the mission to rehabilitate injured and orphaned wildlife and educate the public about raptors and environmental conservation. Membership helps fund vital medical care for hundreds of animals each year.
3. E-commerce Store / Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise including apparel, owl boxes, calendars, bird guides, note cards, finger puppets, and bamboo utensil sets. Revenue supports operational costs.
4. Event Fundraising: Annual charity events such as Moonlit Nights: Charity Benefit for the Birds, featuring dinner, drinks, auctions, and inspiring stories while helping provide lifesaving care for injured and orphaned wildlife.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ojai Raptor Center rehabilitates and releases sick, injured, and orphaned birds of prey and other native wildlife, delivering specialized medical care from rescue through release. The center also provides environmental education programs on-site, off-site, and virtually to schools, youth organizations, and community groups, supported by a network of resident ambassador birds. Revenue to sustain these services is generated through individual donations, annual memberships, grants, fundraising events, ambassador bird sponsorships, and an e-commerce merchandise shop.

Product overview

Ojai Raptor Center operates as a wildlife rehabilitation and education nonprofit rather than a technology company. Its primary offerings include wildlife rehabilitation services for sick, injured, and orphaned birds of prey, environmental education programs, and conservation initiatives. The organization generates revenue through merchandise sales in its online shop, including apparel (t-shirts, hats), owl boxes and raptor habitat products, educational materials (field guides, note cards), wildlife-themed toys (Folkmanis puppets, finger puppets), and eco-friendly household items. The product portfolio spans six main categories: apparel branded with raptor and nature themes, owl boxes and raptor perches for rodent control, educational field guides and stationery, educational toys including hand puppets, environmental household products, and commemorative items like calendars. All products directly support the center's mission of wildlife rehabilitation, conservation, and environmental education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildlife Rehabilitation Services
• Environmental Education Programs
• Annual Membership Program Annual membership that provides recurring financial support for raptor rehabilitation and education. Members directly fund the medical care of hundreds of animals each year and support the center's conservation mission.
• Ambassador Bird Sponsorship Sponsorship of individual resident ambassador birds used in the center's education programs, providing donors and corporate partners with a direct way to support the care of specific non-releasable birds.
• Moonlit Nights Annual Charity Benefit Annual charity benefit event held to support the center's wildlife rehabilitation work, featuring dinner, drinks, auctions, and storytelling. The 2026 event is scheduled for September 12 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
• Barn Owl Box Specialized nesting box designed for barn owls, sold for $320.00 to support natural rodent control through raptor predation. Available through the center's online shop for landowners, farmers, and conservation-minded consumers.
• American Kestrel & Western Screech Owl Box Combined nesting box designed for American Kestrels and Western Screech Owls, sold for $95.00 to support raptor conservation and natural pest control.
• Sibley's Bird Guides Bird identification field guides by David Sibley, sold at $10.00 as educational resources for birders, students, and conservation supporters.
• Folkmanis Bald Eagle Hand Puppet Hand puppet depicting a bald eagle, sold for $45.99 for educational and recreational use by classrooms, families, and nature lovers.
• 2026 Wings of Legacy Calendar 2026 calendar featuring wildlife photography and imagery, sold at $20.00 as a commemorative item whose proceeds support the center's rehabilitation and conservation work.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Partnersnot specifiedOthersThe Ojai Raptor Center has a Partners page on their website listing organizations that support their mission, though specific partner names were not detailed in the available source materials. Partners likely include wildlife organizations, local businesses, and community supporters.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rocky Mountain Raptor Program: Colorado-based raptor-specific rehabilitation and education nonprofit. Directly comparable on raptor specialization, medical care, public education, and donation-driven nonprofit structure.
• Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley: Northern California wildlife hospital and education center that rehabilitates native wildlife and delivers public education programs. Directly comparable peer in operations, mission, regulatory permitting, and program structure.
• WildCare: Bay Area wildlife hospital treating injured and orphaned native wildlife with a strong education focus. Comparable peer in mission, volunteer model, education programs, and California donor base.
• Carolina Raptor Center: Nonprofit raptor rehabilitation and environmental education facility in North Carolina. Operates a similar model: medical care for injured raptors, public ambassador birds, education programs, and donation-driven funding.
• Lindsay Wildlife Experience: Established California-based wildlife hospital and education center that treats injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals (including raptors) and provides environmental education programs. Highly comparable to ORC in mission, regulatory permitting, programs, and California operating geography.
• Pacific Wildlife Care: California Central Coast wildlife rehabilitation organization providing medical care and education for native wildlife, including raptors. Operates in an overlapping geography with ORC and follows a comparable nonprofit, volunteer-dependent, donation-funded model.
• The Raptor Center: University of Minnesota-affiliated raptor-focused center for research, medical care, education, and conservation. Direct peer on raptor specialization, rehabilitation expertise, education programs, and federal/state permitting.
• International Bird Rescue: California-based nonprofit specializing in bird rescue and rehabilitation, including raptor care. Overlaps with ORC on bird-specific rehabilitation expertise, California presence, and donor-dependent funding.
• California Wildlife Center: Southern California wildlife rehabilitation facility treating injured and orphaned native wildlife with public education programs. Closely matches ORC's geographic context, patient mix, and education-focused nonprofit model.

Broad incumbents

• Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: Pennsylvania-based raptor conservation, education, and research institution with a longer history and broader geographic reach than ORC. Comparable in mission focus on raptors and education/outreach, though significantly larger and more research-oriented.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ojairaptorcenter
• Xx.com/ojairaptor
• Facebookfacebook.com/theojairaptorcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ojai-raptor-center

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ojai Raptor Center