What Herpetological Conservation International does

Herpetological Conservation International (HCI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2015 and registered with EIN 47-1633701, focused on the conservation of reptiles and amphibians — a taxonomic group the organization notes is frequently overlooked in conservation efforts that prioritize charismatic megafauna. HCI is a fully volunteer-driven entity headquartered in Yucca Valley and Redondo Beach, California, with no paid staff or board compensation, which the organization cites as enabling overhead typically below 2% of total budget. Its mission is pursued through research funding, community engagement, public outreach, and habitat preservation.

HCI's core 'products' are two annual grant programs — the Michael Dee Grant (two $1,200 awards to students and early-career researchers) and the Harold K. Voris Aquatic Snake Research & Conservation Grant — alongside educational and field programs such as the CARE (Chytrid Awareness for Reserves and Ecolodges) initiative, the Lake Buhi Bockadam Survey Project in the Philippines, and the Russell's Viper Telemetry Project in India. The organization publishes 'Aquatic Snakes: Diversity and Natural History' in hardcover ($175) and e-book ($20 minimum donation) formats as a fundraising mechanism for the Voris Grant, and runs an annual ABC Auction on Facebook.

Revenue is generated through individual and corporate donations (collected via PayPal, MemberPlanet, Amazon Smile, iGive, and mail), a tiered membership program (monthly at $7, annual at $70, student at $30, executive at $100/month, business at $100/month), book sales, the Facebook auction, and sponsored volunteer leadership. The geographic footprint spans the United States, the Philippines, India, Australia, South Africa, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, and the Comoros, with research partnerships involving the University of Kansas, Field Museum of Natural History, Partido State University, Ateneo de Naga University, Father Saturnino Urios University, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, and The Gerry Martin Project.

Name

Herpetological Conservation International

Legal name

Herpetological Conservation International

Website

https://herpconservation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Herpetological Conservation International is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds reptile and amphibian research through annual grants, runs global conservation and chytrid awareness programs, and publishes herpetology titles to support its mission.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Yucca Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Recurring membership fees provide steady revenue stream. Members pay monthly ($7), annually ($70), or executive levels ($100/month). Student membership available at $30/year. Members receive vendor discounts and newsletter access as benefits.
2. Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. Donations are tax-deductible as HCI is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
3. Book Sales: Sale of 'Aquatic Snakes: Diversity and Natural History' hardbound book ($175 + shipping) and e-book ($20 minimum donation). Proceeds support the Harold K. Voris Aquatic Snake Grant.
4. Auction Fundraising: Annual ABC Auction (Art, Books & Collectibles) held on Facebook as a major fundraising event. Proceeds support ongoing conservation efforts.
5. Retail Partner Programs: Revenue through Amazon Smile (0.05% of purchases) and iGive shopping program donations when supporters shop online.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HCI is a nonprofit organization that directs funding and programmatic support toward the conservation of reptiles and amphibians worldwide. Its core work consists of awarding research grants to herpetologists, publishing scientific books on herpetological subjects, and running educational outreach campaigns such as the CARE Chytrid Awareness project to address threats like chytridiomycosis in amphibian populations. The organization also engages its supporter base through memberships, donations, and fundraising auctions.

Product overview

Herpetological Conservation International (HCI) is a 501(c)3 non-profit conservation organization established in 2015 that operates conservation programs, grants, publications, and membership services rather than a traditional technology product. The organization's offerings include two grant programs—the Michael Dee Grant and the Harold K. Voris Aquatic Snake Research & Conservation Grant—funding reptile and amphibian research worldwide. HCI publishes 'Aquatic Snakes: Diversity and Natural History' in both hardbound ($175) and e-book (minimum $20 donation) formats. The CARE (Chytrid Awareness for Reserves and Ecolodges) program provides free educational materials about the Chytrid fungus to prevent amphibian disease spread. Active research projects include the Lake Buhi Bockadam Survey Project in the Philippines and the Russell's Viper Telemetry Project in India. The membership program offers tiered subscriptions with vendor discounts as a fundraising mechanism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Herpetological Conservation Research Grants
• Scientific Books on Herpetology
• CARE Chytrid Awareness Project
• HCI Membership Program
• Fundraising Auctions

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90 species of amphibians have been presumed extinct due to chytrid - HCI's CARE project aims to prevent further spread
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Gerry Martin ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCI is a major financial backer of The Gerry Martin Project's Russell's Viper Telemetry Project in India. The project, conducted with permission from the Karnataka Forest Department, is the first statistically sound ecology study of snakes in India, focusing on reducing human-snake conflict.
• University of KansascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with University of Kansas researchers including Dr. Justin M. Bernstein and Dr. Rafe M. Brown for the Lake Buhi Bockadam Project in the Philippines.
• Field Museum of Natural HistorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Field Museum herpetologists including Dr. Sara Ruane for the Lake Buhi Bockadam Project studying Cerberus microlepis distribution and gene flow.
• Partido State University PhilippinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Partido State University in Camarines Sur, Philippines for the Lake Buhi Bockadam Project involving Dr. Michael Clores and Mr. Joward Bautista.
• Ateneo de Naga UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Ateneo de Naga University in the Philippines for the Lake Buhi Bockadam Project with Dr. Michael Cuesta.
• Father Saturnino Urios UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Father Saturnino Urios University in Agusan del Norte, Philippines for the Lake Buhi Bockadam Project with Dr. Marites Bonachita Sanguila.
• Madras Crocodile Bank TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCI funded King Cobra Telemetry Work at Agumbe Rainforest Research Station in collaboration with Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in 2017.
• Karnataka Forest DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing permission and assistance for The Gerry Martin Project's Russell's Viper study in India.
• Los Angeles ZoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichael Dee, namesake of the Michael Dee Grant, served as General Curator at Los Angeles Zoo before his retirement in 2008. HCI maintains connections to zoo conservation community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Amphibian Survival Alliance: Amphibian Survival Alliance coordinates global amphibian conservation partnerships and chytrid-related response efforts. It mirrors HCI's CARE-style awareness work and grant-funded field projects targeting threatened amphibians.
• Turtle Survival Alliance: Turtle Survival Alliance is an international 501(c)(3) focused on turtle and tortoise conservation through captive breeding, field research, and habitat protection. It directly overlaps with HCI's reptile conservation grant funding and field project model.
• The Orianne Society: The Orianne Society is a nonprofit focused on snake and reptile habitat conservation, with emphasis on landscape-scale habitat protection. It shares HCI's narrow taxonomic focus on reptiles (especially snakes) and field-research grant model.
• Save the Frogs!: Save the Frogs! is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated exclusively to amphibian conservation through education, research, and habitat protection. It is highly comparable to HCI in mission scope (herpetological conservation), nonprofit structure, and small-staff fundraising-driven model.

Broad incumbents

• Rainforest Trust: Rainforest Trust is a 501(c)(3) that funds purchase and protection of threatened tropical habitats, including key herpetological biodiversity hotspots. Its habitat-protection model and global project footprint are directly comparable to HCI's tropical field-project partnerships.
• World Wildlife Fund: World Wildlife Fund is one of the largest global wildlife conservation nonprofits, addressing habitat loss, climate change, and species protection. While much broader than HCI, it competes for the same donor pool and overlaps on species-level grant funding.
• The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is the world's largest environmental nonprofit, conserving lands and waters globally. While focused primarily on habitat rather than species, it addresses the same habitat-loss drivers HCI targets in its field projects.
• Defenders of Wildlife: Defenders of Wildlife is a national 501(c)(3) focused on native wildlife and habitat conservation through policy, legal action, and field programs. It overlaps with HCI's habitat preservation and species conservation work but operates at significantly greater scale and broader scope.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Wildlife Conservation Society operates global wildlife conservation programs including significant reptile and amphibian work. As a much larger incumbent, it overlaps with HCI in mission but operates at vastly greater scale and broader taxonomic scope.
• Center for Biological Diversity: Center for Biological Diversity is a 501(c)(3) using science, law, and creative media to protect endangered species and wild places. It shares HCI's biodiversity-protection mission and small-overhead, donor-driven nonprofit model, though with a much broader taxonomic and legal-advocacy scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/herpconservation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herpetological-conservation-international

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Herpetological Conservation International