San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society

Name

San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society

Legal name

San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society

Website

https://sfbayws.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Wildlife conservation
• Habitat restoration
• Nonprofit education
• Field trip programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Memberships: Annual membership fees ranging from $20-$1,000 across multiple tiers including individual, student, senior, family, and leadership levels.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals via PayPal, check, Donor Advised Funds (DAF), and Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at four tiers: Refuge Visionary ($5,000+), Refuge Champion ($2,500+), Refuge Leader ($1,000), and Refuge Sustainer ($500).
4. Nature Store Sales: Revenue from merchandise sales at Nature Store locations in Fremont and Alviso, including educational books like 'Exploring Our Baylands' and 'Sinking Underwater: A Ghost Town's Amazing Legacy'.
5. Blue Goose Transportation Fund Donations: Designated donations to support bus transportation for underserved school children to attend field trips and summer camp programs.
6. Grants: Funding from government agencies and foundations including California Coastal Commission, City of San Jose, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is the official 501(c)(3) nonprofit Friends Group of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It delivers environmental education programs—including summer camps, K-12 and college field trips, watershed stewardship workshops, and self-guided refuge tours—supports U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conservation work, and sells nature-themed merchandise through physical and online nature stores.

Product overview

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society operates a portfolio of environmental education programs centered on the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The core offerings include the Watershed Watchers Program (urban runoff pollution prevention education), Marsh-In Summer Camp (annual youth day camp since 1980), Blue Goose School Bus Transportation Fund (subsidizing field trip buses for Title I schools), and Field Trips and Groups (guided educational excursions). Supporting offerings include the Tide Rising newsletter, Baylands Blog, a self-guided Refuge Tour with QR-coded stops, a Species & Wildlife educational module, and the Drawbridge ghost town historical site. The society also operates Nature Stores and Supporting Memberships for public engagement and fundraising.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Watershed Watchers Program
• Blue Goose School Bus Transportation Fund
• Marsh-In Summer Camp
• Field Trips and Groups
• Self-Guided Refuge Tour (Living on the Edge)
• Nature Store
• Supporting Memberships

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of thousands of students introduced to the refuge over 30+ years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFBayWS is the official 501(c)(3) Friends Group of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Supports USFWS education, interpretation, and research activities. Society employees work alongside USFWS staff at refuge sites.
• Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to implement the Watershed Watchers program, preventing urban runoff pollution through interpretive programs at the Environmental Education Center and outreach to Santa Clara Valley communities.
• Cargill, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCargill provides funding for Marsh-In Summer Camp, including virtual camp during COVID and 2026 camp operations. Major corporate sponsor supporting youth environmental education.
• California Coastal Commission - Whale Tail License Plate ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant funder for the self-guided refuge tour program with QR codes at multiple stop locations.
• Keep Coyote Creek BeautifulminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in the multi-organization partnership for the self-guided refuge tour program.
• San Francisco Bay Bird ObservatorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in refuge tour program and conducts Avian Disease Prevention Program surveys. Also involved in salt pond restoration with native plant nursery.
• City of San JosecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner providing funding through the Living Wetlands program and weekend staff at Alviso. Though City withdrew support for Living Wetlands in 2018, SCVURPPP continues.
• Electronic ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor providing volunteer work day sponsorship starting in 2023.
• One Percent for the PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSFBayWS joined 1% for the Planet in May 2026, connecting with environmentally-conscious consumers and businesses for environmental giving.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Wildlife Federation: Largest U.S. nonprofit dedicated to wildlife conservation, running nationwide education, advocacy, and habitat programs. Directly comparable mission (wildlife stewardship + public education) but at national scale, making it a broader incumbent rather than a regional competitor.
• National Audubon Society: National bird and habitat conservation nonprofit with local chapter network, nature centers, and education programming. Highly comparable in combining visitor/education operations with conservation advocacy; significantly larger and broader in scope.
• Defenders of Wildlife: National nonprofit focused on imperiled wildlife and habitat policy advocacy. Comparable mission around endangered species and federal land protection but operates primarily through policy/litigation rather than direct visitor operations.

Direct peers

• Ducks Unlimited: Wetland and waterfowl conservation nonprofit running habitat restoration, education, and member-supported programs. Closest functional peer to SFBayWS on the wetlands/baylands restoration mission and member-funded operating model.
• Save The Sound: Regional conservation nonprofit protecting Long Island Sound through habitat restoration, education, and advocacy. Closely mirrors the Friends Group / member-funded / education-plus-restoration model in a different coastal geography.
• Wildlife Heritage Foundation: Partner organization listed on SFBayWS's website supporting wildlife habitat conservation; comparable as a small conservation grantmaker/fund that complements Refuge Friends Groups like SFBayWS.

Regional players

• Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy: Official nonprofit partner for Golden Gate National Recreation Area in the San Francisco Bay Area. Directly comparable as a 501(c)(3) Friends Group supporting a federal park complex via education, interpretation, and donor engagement in the same Bay Area market.
• Point Blue Conservation Science: Bay Area-based conservation science nonprofit focused on San Francisco Bay and Pacific coast bird and habitat monitoring. Comparable as a Bay Area partner organization engaged in refuge science, native plant nurseries, and citizen science overlapping with SFBayWS programs.
• Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority: Local public agency preserving open space and providing environmental education in Santa Clara Valley. Comparable as a regional conservation/education provider overlapping the Society's Alviso service area and education programming.
• Bay Nature Institute: Bay Area nonprofit publishing Bay Nature magazine and running nature education programs across the San Francisco Bay region. Comparable audience (Bay Area nature learners) and overlapping education/interpretive programming with SFBayWS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-francisco-bay-wildlife-society

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society