Richardson Wildlife Foundation

Name

Richardson Wildlife Foundation

Legal name

Richardson Wildlife Foundation

Website

https://richardsonwildlife.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH), Ecosystem Restoration & Rewilding Services (AFAMAMAE), Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Habitat restoration
• Conservation education
• Wildlife research
• Native prairie preservation
• Land conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

West Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Land Contributions: The Richardson Wildlife Foundation is entirely funded by the Richardson family. The foundation was established in 1989 with an initial land donation of 250 acres from Edward J. Richardson and has expanded to 1,976 acres through additional land donations and purchases of adjacent farms funded by the family. No revenue-generating commercial activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Richardson Wildlife Foundation restores and manages 1,976 acres of native prairie, woodland, oak savanna, and wetland habitats in Lee County, north central Illinois. It hosts scientific research by university and government scientists and provides conservation education programs for school and scouting groups, but the property is not open to general public recreation.

Product overview

Richardson Wildlife Foundation operates three interconnected core programs focused on habitat restoration, conservation education, and research. The organization has expanded from an initial 250-acre donation in 1989 to 1,976 acres, restoring native prairie, woodland, oak savanna, and wetland habitats. The Habitat Restoration program forms the foundation's primary land management work, while Conservation Education provides school and scouting group visits, and the Research Program hosts scientific studies. Supporting offerings include an Annual Report publication documenting activities and volunteer habitat projects enabling community participation in conservation work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Habitat Restoration Program Restoration and long-term management of native prairie, woodland, oak savanna, and wetland habitats across the foundation's 1,976-acre property in Lee County, Illinois, using techniques such as prescribed burning, invasive species removal, and native seed collection.
• Conservation Education Program

Named customers2 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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University ScientistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRWF hosts numerous field studies conducted by university scientists representing various academic institutions. These researchers conduct natural science studies on the foundation's protected habitat, contributing to scientific understanding of native habitats and restoration methods.
• Government Agency ScientistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerField studies conducted by government agency scientists are hosted at RWF facilities. These collaborations help broaden the base of scientific understanding of native habitats and restoration methods.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Openlands: Chicago-based regional conservation organization protecting land and water in northeastern Illinois. Comparable to RWF as a regional nonprofit focused on habitat preservation and conservation education, though it operates at broader scale and with significant public-access programming.
• Natural Land Institute: Illinois-based land trust founded in 1958 that protects natural lands and rivers. Operates in the same geography as RWF, with a similar mission of acquiring and stewarding habitat for conservation, though it serves a broader statewide footprint including public-access preserves.
• Prairie Rivers Network: Illinois-based nonprofit working to protect water, prairie, and woodland habitats throughout the state. Comparable to RWF as a regional conservation nonprofit working on overlapping Illinois prairie and wetland habitat priorities, though it operates through advocacy and partnerships rather than direct land ownership.
• Grand Prairie Friends: East-central Illinois volunteer-driven prairie and grassland conservation organization headquartered near the same Grand Prairie Division ecosystem as RWF. Directly comparable given shared focus on remnant prairie restoration, volunteer habitat projects, and field research in the same ecoregion.
• Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Fire Consortium: Regional coalition focused on using prescribed fire to restore tallgrass prairie and oak savanna ecosystems. Comparable to RWF because oak savanna and prairie restoration with fire management is a core RWF activity, though the consortium is a coordinating body rather than a land-owning nonprofit.

Broad incumbents

• Ducks Unlimited: Major wetland and grassland conservation nonprofit with a strong Midwest footprint. Comparable to RWF because wetland and prairie restoration is a core activity, with research partnerships and habitat delivery to wildlife, though DU operates at continental scale while RWF is a single Illinois site.
• National Wildlife Federation: Largest US private conservation organization focused on wildlife and habitat. Broadly comparable to RWF as a national nonprofit promoting habitat restoration, conservation education, and wildlife research, though at vastly greater scale and with a primarily advocacy and partnership-driven model.
• The Nature Conservancy: The largest private conservation land trust in the United States, protecting habitat across all 50 states and dozens of countries. Highly comparable to RWF as a private nonprofit acquiring and restoring land for conservation, research, and education, but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Pheasants Forever: Grassland and habitat conservation nonprofit focused on the Midwest prairie landscape, with chapters that acquire and restore habitat. Directly comparable to RWF given the overlap in prairie, savanna, and grassland restoration priorities in the same regional landscape.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit that acquires and conservation-eases land for habitat protection. Comparable to RWF in using private capital to acquire ecologically valuable land and steward it for conservation, wildlife, and research purposes, though it operates nationally and with mixed-use outcomes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/richardson-wildlife-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Richardson Wildlife Foundation