American Wildlife Refuge

What American Wildlife Refuge does

American Wildlife Refuge (AWR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit raptor rehabilitation and education organization founded in 1971 and headquartered on a 5-acre facility in Clayton, North Carolina. The organization operates a raptor-exclusive wildlife hospital, 22 flight cages, 4 rehab cages, and 11 isolation areas, providing medical care and long-term refuge for injured birds of prey including eagles, hawks, owls, falcons, kites, and vultures. AWR is entirely volunteer-run with no paid staff, holding both state and federal licenses for migratory bird rehabilitation and educational possession. It is one of only 12 active licensed raptor rehabilitators serving all 100 North Carolina counties, and has conducted 3,366 rehabilitations (70% average survival rate) and 3,013 educational shows since attaining non-profit status in 2001.

The organization's business model relies on a mix of educational presentation fees and donations. Educational offerings are structured as minimum donation requests across three tiers: Porch Visits ($60-$180), Group Events ($120-$300), and Festival Visits ($200-$500/hour), with on-site private events hosted at the Hooville educational playspace. Revenue is supplemented by monetary donations (via Square and PayPal), direct food donations via partner supplier Mike Dupuy Hawk Food, direct veterinary bill donations to partner veterinarians, and in-kind item donations via an Amazon wishlist. GTM is event-driven, primarily through off-site educational presentations at schools, libraries, parks, and festivals, supported by written partnership agreements with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Wake County Public Libraries, YMCA, NC State Park Rangers, and the Wake Technical Community College (which hosts a 5-week rehabilitation training class twice annually).

AWR serves three primary customer segments: schools and educational institutions (Wake County Public Schools, Montessori schools, private schools), government and public institutions (state parks, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, museums), and youth groups (scouting organizations, YMCA, Y-Guides). Wildlife rescue services are offered to the general public in the Raleigh-Durham area through facility-based intake only. The organization's competitive positioning is anchored by experienced personnel (some licensed since the 1980s), Executive Director Steve Stone's recognition on the National Eagle Speakers Bureau, and a 50+ year operational history that has built deep community trust in the region.

Name

American Wildlife Refuge

Legal name

The American Wildlife Refuge

Website

https://awrefuge.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

American Wildlife Refuge is a 501(c)(3) non-profit raptor rehabilitation and education organization in Clayton, North Carolina. It runs an all-volunteer hospital serving injured birds of prey, conducts live educational presentations for schools and public institutions, and offers training through Wake Technical Community College.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release Centers (Public Viewing/Education) (THAAAFAC)

Keywords

• Raptor rehabilitation
• Wildlife education
• Raptor rescue
• Nonprofit conservation
• Bird of prey care

Headquarters

HQ city

Clayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Show Fees: Fees charged for educational presentations at client locations and at the refuge. Pricing varies by event type (porch visits, group presentations, festival visits) and audience size. NPO discounts available for schools, libraries, and service non-profits.
2. Monetary Donations: Cash, checks, credit card (through agent), and PayPal donations. All donations go entirely toward bird care, feeding, and organization maintenance. No salaries or fees paid to volunteers.
3. Direct Food Donations: Support for raptor food costs ($25-$85 per day) through direct food donations or ordering from their supplier Mike Dupuy Hawk Food who ships directly to the refuge.
4. Veterinary Bill Donations: Donations toward veterinary care costs for birds. Prescriptions alone cost nearly $1000 per year. Donations can be made directly to partner veterinarians Avian And Exotic Animal Care or Animal Emergency Hospital and Urgent Care.
5. Item Donations: Physical item donations including cleaners, medical supplies, containers, raptor vitamins, falconry equipment, and general supplies. Amazon wishlist available for donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

American Wildlife Refuge rescues, rehabilitates, and releases injured birds of prey (eagles, hawks, owls, falcons, kites, vultures) at a volunteer-staffed raptor-exclusive hospital and 5-acre outdoor habitat facility in Clayton, NC. The organization also provides live raptor educational presentations on-site and at client locations such as schools, libraries, parks, and private events, and partners with Wake Technical Community College to offer raptor rehabilitation training classes.

Product overview

American Wildlife Refuge operates as a nonprofit raptor rehabilitation and education organization, offering a portfolio of interconnected services centered on bird of prey rescue, care, and public education. The core offerings include the Raptor Rehabilitation Center (encompassing Refuge Outdoor Habitats and Refuge Hospital facilities) providing medical care and housing for injured birds; Education Shows available both at their location and as mobile presentations to schools, libraries, and public events; the Hooville on-site educational playspace; and a Wake Technical Community College partnership providing professional raptor rehabilitation training. The organization also facilitates support through monetary donations, direct food donations, veterinary bill donations, and an Amazon Wishlist for supply donations. Current Education Birds serve as live ambassadors for educational programming, while the volunteer program enables community participation in wildlife rehabilitation activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Raptor Rehabilitation Center Wildlife rehabilitation services for injured birds of prey including hawks, eagles, owls, falcons, kites, and vultures. Provides medical care, rehabilitation, and release services, with capacity to handle 150-300 birds annually.
• Refuge Outdoor Habitats Outdoor enclosure facilities on 5 acres for non-releasable education birds. Habitats meet or exceed minimum standards for raptor care and include 22 flight cages, 4 rehab cages, and 11 isolation areas.
• Refuge Hospital Raptor-exclusive volunteer hospital with experienced raptor professionals. Includes exam areas, eye care areas, supply storage, food preparation lab, computer areas, and an incubator donated in 2004 that remains in use for difficult medical cases including eagles.
• Education Shows at Your Location
• Education Shows & Classes at Public Locations
• Raptor Education Lab (Wake Technical Community College Partnership) Intensive wildlife rehabilitation class offered through Wake Technical Community College since 2009. Includes 5 weekly night classes, 3 Sunday workshops, and 6 hours of hands-on lab experience; provides partial credit toward federal and state raptor rehab licensing requirements and is approved by the NC Veterinary Board for CE credits.
• Hooville On-Site Venue
• Current Education Birds Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% average survival rate for rehabilitated birds (vs. lower rates at larger centers)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Wake Technical Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Since 2009, AWR has offered a wildlife rehabilitation class through Wake Tech. The 5-week intensive course includes 5 night classes, 3 Sunday workshops, and hands-on experience. Counts toward 100-hour experience requirement for federal rehab licensing. Also certified by NC Veterinary Board for CE credits.
• Avian And Exotic Animal CarecoreOthersMain veterinarian providing veterinary care to AWR birds at huge discounts. Located at 8711 Fidelity Drive, Raleigh NC 27617. Run by Dr Dan Johnson who has 28+ years of raptor medicine experience.
• Animal Emergency Hospital and Urgent CarecoreOthersSecondary vet at 409 Vick Avenue, Raleigh. Does not charge for wildlife emergency care. Has a 'Good Samaritan' program to cover expenses for helping wildlife. Also accepts injured raptors to forward to AWR.
• Mike Dupuy Hawk FoodmajorOthersPrimary food supplier for raptors. Located at 4552 Troxelville Road, Middleburg, PA 17842. Will ship food orders directly to AWR. Food costs $25-$85 per day for refuge birds.
• Animal Protection Society of Durham CountyminorOthersDonated a large incubator to AWR in 2004 that is still in use for difficult raptor cases, including helping several eagles survive.
• Boy Scouts of AmericacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWritten educational partnership for youth programming. AWR provides educational programs to support scouting curriculum and badge requirements.
• Coastal Pines Girl ScoutscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWritten educational partnership for Girl Scout programming. AWR provides educational presentations aligned with Girl Scout requirements.
• Wake County Public LibrariescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWritten educational partnership with regular library events. AWR conducts educational programs at library branches throughout Wake County.
• YMCA After School ProgramscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWritten educational partnership for YMCA after-school programming. AWR provides wildlife education as part of YMCA programming.
• Y-GuidescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWritten educational partnership for youth programming organization.
• National Eagle Speakers BureauminorOthersSteve Stone is one of only 5 people in North Carolina on the National Eagle Speakers Bureau, providing recognition and networking for eagle education programs.
• NC Wildlife Resources CommissionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresentations conducted for the commission. Also involved in NC State Fair events and 4H Camp programs in cooperation with the commission.
• NC State Park RangersminorOthersSteve teaches classes for NC State Park Rangers on handling raptors and educating park visitors. Programs also done at Umstead State Park and Jordan Lake State Park.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• NC Wildlife Resources Commission: State government agency regulating wildlife in North Carolina, issuing raptor rehab licenses, and partnering with AWR on education programming. Not a direct competitor but a regulatory and ecosystem participant shaping AWR's operating environment.

Direct peers

• Lindsay Wildlife Experience: Wildlife rehabilitation hospital and education center in Walnut Creek, California with live animal exhibits and programming. Comparable in dual mission of wildlife rehab + public education with similar facility footprint.
• Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS): Wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education center in Quechee, Vermont with raptor programs, public presentations, and school programming. Comparable in combined rehab + education model serving a regional catchment.
• Carolina Raptor Center: Largest raptor rehabilitation and education center in the Carolinas, operating with paid staff and a Charlotte-based facility. Comparable to AWR in mission (raptor rehab + public education), but operates at significantly larger scale with formal visitor programming, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Liberty Wildlife: Nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation and education center in Phoenix, Arizona with a focus on native wildlife including raptors, offering live animal programming and community education. Comparable scale and mission profile.
• Raptor Education Foundation: Raptor rehabilitation and education organization based in Antigo, Wisconsin providing live bird programs and rehabilitation services. Directly comparable in mission, scope (raptor-exclusive), and education-driven model.
• World Bird Sanctuary: Raptor-focused rescue, rehabilitation, and education organization in Valley Park, Missouri operating a public-facing sanctuary with live bird programs. Closely comparable in raptor-exclusive mission and live education bird model.
• Audubon Center for Birds of Prey: National Audubon Society-operated raptor hospital in Oviedo, Florida offering rehabilitation, live education programming with raptors, and visitor experiences. Directly comparable in raptor-exclusive rehab + education model, though backed by the larger Audubon network and resources.
• Center for Wildlife: Wildlife rehabilitation and education center in Cape Neddick, Maine serving northern New England with a comparable mix of medical care, public presentations, and volunteer-supported operations. Similar small-to-mid scale nonprofit wildlife hospital model.

Broad incumbents

• National Audubon Society: Large national nonprofit operating a network of wildlife sanctuaries, including dedicated raptor centers, and conservation advocacy. A broader incumbent whose Audubon Center for Birds of Prey directly overlaps AWR's niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/American-Wildlife-Refuge-339030704534
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-wildlife-refuge

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 American Wildlife Refuge