WildCare

What WildCare does

WildCare is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit wildlife hospital and nature education center founded in 1974 and headquartered at 37 Schmidt Lane, San Rafael, California. It operates a wildlife rehabilitation hospital providing emergency medical care, diagnostics (x-rays, blood work), and ongoing treatment for sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals, treating 3,431 patients from 180+ species across nine Bay Area counties in 2024 with a 77% post-24-hour survival rate. The hospital operates 365 days per year and is supported by 200+ active volunteers and a staff including a Staff Veterinarian (Dr. Juliana Sorem) and Director of Animal Care (Melanie Piazza).

WildCare complements its clinical operations with a diversified education portfolio — Nature Van mobile programs, Wildlife Ambassadors, Nature Hikes, Ambassador Zone Tours, middle/high school programs, and Wildlife Camps — serving 13,519 children in 2024. The Living with Wildlife Hotline (415-456-7283) fields 12,000+ calls annually from across the U.S. and internationally, providing humane conflict-resolution advice and rescue coordination, with Marin Humane serving as a core rescue and transport partner.

The organization funds itself primarily through charitable contributions (monthly giving, legacy/planned gifts, donor-advised funds, IRA/QCDs, stock gifts, vehicle donations, employer matching, real estate gifts) supplemented by fee-based education programming ($240 per first Nature Van presentation, $170 per subsequent, $1/mile travel). It is governed by a Board of Directors with leadership including CFO Bob Kendall and Director of Advancement Nicole Trautsch. WildCare is currently executing the $24M Elevate WildCare capital campaign to build a new wildlife hospital and education center in San Rafael, and has temporarily paused the Hungry Owl Project pending facility completion.

Name

WildCare

Legal name

WildCare

Website

https://discoverwildcare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WildCare is a Marin County, California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit wildlife hospital and nature education center founded in 1974, treating 3,400+ injured wild animals annually and educating 13,500+ children through mobile and on-site programs across the Bay Area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD)

Keywords

• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Nature education
• Wildlife hospital
• Animal rescue
• Wildlife advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: WildCare is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that generates revenue primarily through individual donations, monthly giving programs, legacy/planned gifts, donor advised funds, IRA charitable distributions (QCDs and RMDs), stock gifts, vehicle donations, and employer matching gifts. The organization also accepts real estate and complex gifts.
2. Education Program Fees: Nature Van and other education programs are offered at fee-based rates, with scholarships available. Revenue from these programs contributes to operational funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WildCare operates a Wildlife Hospital that provides emergency medical care (x-rays, blood work, ongoing treatment) to sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals, treating roughly 3,431 animals across 180+ species annually with a 77% survival rate. It supplements this core wildlife rehabilitation service with a telephone advice Hotline, a portfolio of fee-based nature education programs (Nature Van, Wildlife Ambassadors, Nature Hikes, Ambassador Zone Tours, Wildlife Camps, Middle & High School Programs, Family Adventures), an educational Living with Wildlife resource library, and a Wildlife Advocacy Program addressing policy threats to wildlife welfare.

Product overview

WildCare is a nonprofit organization based in Marin County, California, operating since 1974. Its portfolio consists of a core wildlife rehabilitation hospital (WildCare Wildlife Hospital) supplemented by a suite of education programs (Nature Van, Wildlife Ambassadors, Nature Hikes, Ambassador Zone Tours, Middle & High School Programs, Wildlife Camps, and Family Adventures), a Living with Wildlife Hotline, and advocacy programming. The organization also operates a capital campaign (Elevate WildCare) for a new facility and maintains donor-facing digital infrastructure including a Donor Portal and various giving mechanisms (monthly giving, IRA/QCD gifts, stock transfers, donor-advised funds, real estate gifts). The Hungry Owl Project, a companion rodent-control program, is currently paused pending facility relocation. Together these offerings form a unified mission of wildlife medical care, public education, and advocacy for human-wildlife coexistence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WildCare Wildlife Hospital Walk-in wildlife rehabilitation hospital providing emergency veterinary medical care, diagnostics (x-rays, blood work), and ongoing treatment for sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals; treats approximately 3,431 animals across 180+ species per year from nine Bay Area counties with a 77% survival rate. Open seven days a week, 9am-5pm, at 37 Schmidt Lane, San Rafael.
• Living with Wildlife Hotline Telephone hotline (415-456-7283) providing humane, practical answers and rescue coordination advice for people who find injured or orphaned wildlife or have human-wildlife conflict questions; fields thousands of calls per year from across the U.S. and internationally.
• Nature Van Mobile wildlife education program delivering themed classroom presentations (California Wildlife, Birds of a Feather, Marvelous Mammals, Redwood Giants, Ocean Adventures, Wild Wetlands, Wildlife in Peril) in English, Spanish, or bilingually; NGSS-aligned with teacher resources and pre/post activities. Pricing: $240 first presentation, $170 each subsequent same-location same-day presentation, $1/mile travel with $10 minimum.
• Wildlife Ambassadors Live animal presentations featuring non-releasable wild animals brought to classrooms for direct nose-to-beak encounters, complementing the Ambassador Zone on-site viewing experience.
• Nature Hikes Guided outdoor discovery hikes led by trained Terwilliger Nature Guides that immerse students in nature experiences away from the classroom.
• Ambassador Zone Tours In-person tours of WildCare's courtyard at 37 Schmidt Lane where visitors meet non-releasable wildlife ambassador animals (birds, mammals, reptiles) and learn each animal's individual rescue story.
• Wildlife Camps Week-long nature-based day camps for children ages 3.5 to 12, offered during summer, winter, and spring breaks.
• WildCare Family Adventures / Aventuras Familiares Free bilingual family nature hikes led by a bilingual Nature Educator, serving Spanish-speaking families from the Canal District in San Rafael; transportation provided and funded by the Rainbow Sandals Foundation.
• Middle & High School Programs Nature Van presentations and live animal encounters for middle and high school students, aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.
• Living with Wildlife Program Educational resource program offering guides and information to help people humanely coexist with wildlife species including deer, rodents, skunks, raccoons, coyotes, mountain lions, yellowjackets, and honeybees, with advice on exclusion, barrier installation, safe bird feeding, and humane rodent control.
• Wildlife Advocacy Program Advocacy initiative that takes positions on legislative policies and human behaviors threatening wildlife welfare in the Bay Area, covering issues such as glue traps, rodenticide use, avian influenza, and wildfire mitigation timing.
• Hungry Owl Project Program promoting natural rodent control through owl nest boxes, owl population research, and public education on nontoxic pest management; currently on hiatus during WildCare's facility relocation and expected to resume around 2027.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% survival rate for wildlife patients (2024, based on all admissions after first 24 hours)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Marin HumanecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarin Humane Society works with WildCare to transport injured wildlife. When WildCare receives calls about animals that need professional handling, Marin Humane officers with special training and equipment perform rescues and transport animals to WildCare's hospital. Marin Humane also delivers animals to WildCare, such as baby bats rescued from a doorstep in Tiburon.
• Rainbow Sandals FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Rainbow Sandals Foundation provides funding that makes WildCare's Family Adventures / Aventuras Familiares program possible, supporting free bilingual family nature hikes for Spanish-speaking families from the Canal District in San Rafael.
• Wild Birds Unlimited MarinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWild Birds Unlimited in Novato is a local birdfeeding and nature store featured in WildCare's Local Heroes column. They sell owl boxes and contribute expertise to WildCare's bird feeding guidance. Store contact: (415) 893-0500.
• Fire Safe MarinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildCare partners with Fire Safe Marin on fire mitigation guidance that protects both communities and wildlife. WildCare shares Fire Safe Marin's resources on defensible space and nesting wildlife awareness with its audience.
• FLAP Canada (Fatal Light Awareness Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildCare references FLAP Canada's expertise on window strike prevention for birds, adopting their recommendations and sharing their resources to help reduce migratory songbird mortality in the Bay Area.
• Bay Area Puma Project / Felidae Conservation FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer WildCare Education Director Juan-Carlos Solis serves on the Education Board of the Bay Area Puma Project, a partnership between UC Santa Cruz researchers and Felidae Conservation Fund. WildCare staff contribute to education efforts around mountain lion coexistence.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lindsay Wildlife Experience: Walnut Creek, CA-based nonprofit wildlife hospital and education center treating native California wildlife. Direct peer in wildlife rehabilitation, hospital operations, and education programming serving the East Bay, with comparable patient volume and community education mission.
• The Marine Mammal Center: Sausalito, CA-based nonprofit marine mammal hospital and research center. Direct peer operating a wildlife hospital in Marin County with similar Bay Area donor base, volunteer model, and education programming.
• Tucson Wildlife Center: Tucson, AZ-based nonprofit wildlife hospital and education center. Direct peer in native wildlife rehabilitation, hospital operations, and community education programs at comparable scale.
• International Bird Rescue: Bay Area nonprofit specializing in aquatic bird rescue, rehabilitation, and release. Direct peer in wildlife hospital operations and clinical rehabilitation, with overlapping donor base and geographic footprint in the Bay Area.
• PAWS Wildlife Center: Lynnwood, WA-based nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation and education center. Direct peer in wildlife hospital operations, public education, and donation-funded model, comparable in scale to WildCare.

Broad incumbents

• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): Large national animal welfare organization running wildlife protection, advocacy, and education programs. Broader incumbent with overlapping advocacy agenda (rodenticide, glue traps, wildlife policy) and donor base overlap with WildCare.
• Oakland Zoo: Bay Area zoological institution with conservation, education, and wildlife programs. Comparable in animal care and public education, though broader in scope with a permanent animal collection rather than a rehab-to-release model.
• San Francisco Zoo & Gardens: Bay Area zoological institution offering wildlife education and conservation programs. Comparable in animal-focused education, donor-supported nonprofit model, and Bay Area geography.

Regional players

• Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA: Burlingame-based animal welfare nonprofit operating a wildlife rehabilitation program alongside domestic animal services. Regional peer in the San Francisco Bay Area delivering comparable wildlife intake, public education, and donation-driven funding.

Emerging players

• Felidae Conservation Fund: Bay Area-based nonprofit focused on wild cat conservation, research, and education. Comparable as a Bay Area wildlife education and advocacy partner, particularly through WildCare's board representation on the Bay Area Puma Project.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wildcarebayarea?si=2IX60iC2jc4jrodc
• Facebookfacebook.com/WildCareBayArea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/discover-wildcare
• Instagraminstagram.com/wildcarebayarea/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
• Xx.com/wildcare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 WildCare