What Alaska Wildlife Alliance does

Alaska Wildlife Alliance (AWA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in 1978 and the only Alaska-founded, statewide organization dedicated solely to the protection of Alaska's wildlife. Its work spans policy advocacy at the state Board of Game, litigation, education, and on-the-ground program delivery, with constituencies including Alaska residents, hunters, trappers, biologists, and conservation-aligned businesses.

AWA's core operational products are programmatic rather than commercial. They include: the Map the Trap citizen-reporting platform under the Voices for Wildlife initiative; Endangered Species Recovery work; a Climate Adaptation program; Education and Citizen Science offerings; the Safe Trails initiative; and the recurring Cook Inlet Water Quality Summit. The organization's principal digital infrastructure is its akwildlife.org website, which serves as the hub for advocacy, donation capture, member onboarding, and event ticketing. Influence at the regulatory level is evidenced by a 59% success rate at Board of Game meetings, organization of 18,000+ public comments against Proposal 75, and a court ruling against the Mulchatna bear control program that produced $513,300 in awarded legal fees.

AWA's business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue stack: individual donations, recurring memberships, corporate sponsorships structured into annual tiers of $250–$5,000, merchandise sales (e.g., $15 calendars, $4 stickers, $35 books), raffles (notably a $20,000 Spirit Bear Lodge prize), and event revenue from summits and education programs. Leadership comprises Nicole Schmitt (Executive Director), John Morton (Vice President, retired USFWS biologist), Chelsey Cook, Kelli Shermeyer (Development Officer), and Teresa Becher (Kenai Coordinator). Headcount is 1–10 employees.

Name

Alaska Wildlife Alliance

Legal name

Alaska Wildlife Alliance

Website

https://akwildlife.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Alaska Wildlife Alliance is the only Alaska-founded statewide nonprofit dedicated solely to Alaska's wildlife protection, delivering policy advocacy, litigation, education programs, and citizen-science tools to residents, regulators, and conservation stakeholders since 1978.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Advocacy

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advocacy, Policy & Public Awareness (Animal Welfare) (BPAGAIAJ), Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation advocacy
• Environmental nonprofit
• Habitat protection
• Citizen science monitoring
• Conservation education

Headquarters

HQ city

Alaska Peninsula Nwr

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: The organization raises funds through individual donations, member support, and corporate sponsorships to fund wildlife conservation programs, advocacy, education, and citizen science initiatives across Alaska.
2. Merchandise Sales: AWA operates an e-commerce shop selling branded merchandise including wildlife calendars ($15), stickers ($4 each), and published books (e.g., $35 for Nunakun-gguq Ciutengqertut). Proceeds support conservation programs.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Businesses sponsor AWA at multiple tiers: $250 (logo placement), $500 Bronze, $1,000 Silver, $2,500 Gold, and $5,000 Platinum levels, which include logo on website and in newsletter, and sponsor badges for marketing materials.
4. Raffle and Special Events: AWA conducts raffles for high-value prizes (e.g., Spirit Bear Lodge trip valued at $20,000, with $10 raffle tickets) and hosts events such as the Hibernation Celebration to raise funds and awareness.
5. Event and Program Sponsorship: Businesses can sponsor education programs, volunteer engagement activities, and special events. In-kind donations to events are also accepted as a form of revenue support.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Alaska Wildlife Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers wildlife advocacy, conservation programs, and public education focused on Alaska's wildlife. Its programs include Voices for Wildlife (policy advocacy), Endangered Species Recovery, Climate Adaptation, Education and Citizen Science, Safe Trails (with the Map the Trap reporting platform), and the Cook Inlet Water Quality Summit. Funding is generated through individual donations, memberships, corporate sponsorships, merchandise sales, and fundraising raffles and events.

Product overview

Alaska Wildlife Alliance (AWA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1978, operating as the only statewide Alaska-founded nonprofit dedicated solely to protecting Alaska's wildlife. The organization offers a suite of conservation programs including Voices for Wildlife (advocacy), Endangered Species Recovery, Climate Adaptation, Education and Citizen Science, Safe Trails (with Map the Trap platform), and the Cook Inlet Water Quality Summit. AWA maintains a digital presence through its Squarespace-powered website and operates an online merchandise shop selling calendars, stickers, and educational books. The organization engages the public through Wildlife Wednesday seminars, species spotlights, volunteer programs, corporate sponsorship opportunities, and citizen science initiatives like the Alaska Beluga Monitoring Partnership. While not a traditional technology company, AWA's primary digital offerings center on its website, the Map the Trap platform for trail safety, and various educational content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2026 Alaska Wildlife Calendar Annual calendar sold to supporters featuring wildlife photography contributed by photographers, with proceeds funding AWA's wildlife conservation programs.
• Nunakun-gguq Ciutengqertut Book Paperback book ($35) about the overlapping lives of the Yup'ik people with native plants, animals, and birds in Southwest Alaska, sold as a fundraiser with copies donated by the author.
• Wildlife Stickers Vinyl, water-resistant branded stickers depicting Alaska wildlife (logo, beluga, caribou, raven, crab, walrus), priced at $4 each, sold to support conservation programs.
• Corporate Sponsorship Program Tiered annual sponsorship program for businesses, with levels from $250 to $5,000 providing logo placement on the AWA website and monthly newsletter, sponsor badges for marketing materials, and access to the Businesses for Wildlife advocacy listserv.
• Spirit Bear Lodge Raffle Annual fundraising raffle of a 6-night Spirit Bear Lodge trip valued at $20,000, with $10 tickets sold to support AWA; the 2026 raffle opened June 26 and closed July 24.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 18,000 public comments submitted against Proposal 75 (aerial bear gunning outside Denali)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Spirit Bear LodgeminorOthersSpirit Bear Lodge, an Indigenous-owned and operated lodge in Klemtu, British Columbia (Traditional Territory of the Kitasoo Xai'xais People), donated a 6-night Fall Bear Tour package valued at $20,000 as a raffle prize to support AWA. The raffle tickets are $10 each with proceeds going to AWA. The trip runs October 10-16, 2026.
• Farnsworth & VanceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnchorage-based personal injury law firm listed as a featured corporate sponsor on AWA's website. Farnsworth & Vance supports AWA through logo placement on the corporate sponsorship page.
• Denali Mountain WorksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocally owned and operated outdoor gear shop, 1 mile north of Denali National Park entrance, operating for 24 years. Listed as a featured corporate sponsor on AWA's website, supporting AWA through logo placement.
• Turning Heads Kennel (THK)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerElite canine athlete team and Iditarod mushers in Alaska. Listed as a featured corporate sponsor on AWA's website, supporting AWA through logo placement.
• Seward HelicoptersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocally owned Seward flightseeing company operating in and around Seward, Alaska, between Chugach National Forest and Kenai Fjords National Park. Listed as a featured corporate sponsor supporting AWA.
• Gravity PaymentsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPayment processing company whose mission is to put purpose and people above profit. Listed as a featured corporate sponsor supporting AWA through logo placement.
• Mountain Magic MassageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocally owned massage therapy business in downtown Soldotna, offering services throughout the Kenai Peninsula. Listed as a featured corporate sponsor supporting AWA.
• Robert Glenn KetchumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConservation photographer whose imagery has defined contemporary color photography and addressed national environmental issues. Founding Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers. Listed as a featured corporate sponsor supporting AWA.
• ZenBusinessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatform providing tools and support for small business owners. Listed as a featured corporate sponsor supporting AWA.
• Alaska Trappers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWA and the Alaska Trappers Association collaborated on Proposal 82 for 50-yard trapping setbacks along popular Mat-Su trails. Both organizations testified together in support of the proposal at the Board of Game meeting. The President of the Alaska Trappers Association noted they 'almost immediately agreed that neither group wanted to see dogs caught in traps,' and this collaboration led to unanimous passage of the proposal.
• Center for Biological DiversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWA and the Center for Biological Diversity jointly challenged the legality of Alaska's Mulchatna bear control program in court. Together they sought injunctions to halt the program and have pursued multiple lawsuits against the state's wildlife management decisions.
• Trustees for AlaskacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTrustees for Alaska, a nonprofit environmental law firm, provides legal representation for AWA in lawsuits challenging state wildlife management decisions. They represented AWA in the Mulchatna bear control litigation and other legal actions.
• Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG)minorOthersWhile AWA frequently opposes ADFG policies, they interact formally in regulatory processes including Board of Game meetings, public comment periods, and working groups. AWA's former VP John Morton was interviewed by USGS, and AWA staff participate in ADFG advisory committees.
• Kitasoo Xai'xais First NationminorOthersIndigenous nation whose Traditional Territory includes the Central Coast of British Columbia where Spirit Bear Lodge is located. AWA's raffle prize includes cultural education experiences within this territory, with visits to culturally significant sites and communal dinners at Spirit Bear Lodge.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Alaska Center for the Environment: Alaska-focused environmental advocacy nonprofit working on clean air, clean water, and sustainable communities. Closest regional peer to AWA in scale and Alaska-only geographic scope, with overlapping donor and volunteer base.
• Alaska Wilderness Recreation & Tourism Association: Alaska trade association linking conservation, recreation, and tourism businesses. Adjacent to AWA through shared advocacy on wildlife viewing economics ($1.4B annually in Alaska) and corporate sponsor overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: One of the oldest and largest U.S. environmental organizations with grassroots advocacy and litigation programs. Overlaps with AWA on Alaska habitat and wildlife issues but operates across many geographies and issue areas.
• Earthjustice: Largest U.S. nonprofit environmental law organization. Directly comparable litigation-driven advocacy model and shares defendants and issue areas (predator control, public lands) with AWA but at a vastly larger scale.
• The Nature Conservancy (Alaska Chapter): Global conservation organization operating in Alaska on habitat protection, climate adaptation, and species recovery. A larger, broader incumbent that overlaps AWA on Alaska habitat work but with vastly greater resources and a less adversarial stance.
• National Wildlife Federation: Largest U.S. private nonprofit conservation group, advocating for wildlife and habitat at federal level. Comparable mission and policy-advocacy approach, but operates nationally with a much broader scope than AWA's Alaska-only focus.

Direct peers

• Trustees for Alaska: Alaska nonprofit environmental law firm providing free legal services to conservation groups. AWA's legal counsel of record on Mulchatna and other wildlife cases, sharing case-level overlap and the Alaska advocacy ecosystem.
• Cook Inletkeeper: Alaska-based nonprofit watchdog for Cook Inlet watersheds and the critically endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales. Overlaps AWA directly on Cook Inlet beluga conservation and shares the small-Alaska nonprofit scale and grassroots advocacy model.
• Defenders of Wildlife: National wildlife conservation organization focused on protecting imperiled species and habitat through policy advocacy and litigation. Directly comparable nonprofit mission, federal/state policy focus, and member-supported funding model.
• Center for Biological Diversity: National nonprofit using science, law, and creative media to protect endangered species and wild places. AWA is a co-litigant with CBD on the Mulchatna bear control case and shares an advocacy-and-litigation operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AlaskaWildlifeAlliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/AlaskaWildlifeAlliance
• Xx.com/Alaska_Wildlife
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alaska-wildlife-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Alaska Wildlife Alliance