Wildlife Rescue Coalition of Northeast Florida

What Wildlife Rescue Coalition of Northeast Florida does

Wildlife Rescue Coalition of Northeast Florida, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 by Barbara Tidwell in Jacksonville, Florida, originally operating out of her backyard. It has grown into one of the largest wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organizations in Northeast Florida, currently operating on a 26-acre private facility at 5250 Porter Rd in St. Augustine. The organization is 100% volunteer-run with no paid staff; all animal care, hotline answering, transport, and foster services are delivered by trained and licensed wildlife rehabilitators. It rescues, rehabilitates, and releases approximately 3,000 injured, orphaned, and displaced native Florida animals per year, including raccoons, squirrels, opossums, gopher tortoises, armadillos, foxes, bats, deer, fawns, rabbits, turtles, and birds.

The organization's service offering centers on a wildlife emergency hotline (904-779-5569) staffed seven days a week, species-specific emergency guidance for eight native wildlife categories, an animal transport network, a volunteer foster care program for neonatal wildlife, and full rehabilitation services at the St. Augustine wildlife center. Operations are supported by referral partnerships with complementary organizations covering birds (The Ark), raptors (Avian Reconditioning Center), domestic rabbits (Bebette's Bunny Rescue), wildlife removal (Coastal Wildlife & Pest Control), and broader rehabilitator lookup (Animal Help Now). Marketing and community engagement are conducted primarily through Facebook, Instagram, and the organization's website content, which provides species-specific guides and rescue stories.

The business model is donation-based, not revenue-generating in the commercial sense. The organization accepts one-time and recurring monetary contributions via PayPal, credit card (MasterCard/Visa), and Zelle, alongside in-kind supply donations via Amazon and Chewy wishlists. No pricing is charged for rehabilitation services. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors, currently led by President Lisa Rowell, and is licensed by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, permitted by the USDA, and is a member of the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council. It serves a defined geographic footprint spanning Northeast Florida from Fernandina Beach to Palm Coast to Palatka.

Name

Wildlife Rescue Coalition of Northeast Florida

Legal name

Wildlife Rescue Coalition of NE Florida

Website

https://wildlifecoalition.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wildlife Rescue Coalition of Northeast Florida is a 100% volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 that rescues, rehabilitates, and releases approximately 3,000 injured and orphaned native Florida wildlife per year from a 26-acre St. Augustine facility, funded by individual donations and in-kind contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Wildlife rehabilitation services
• Animal rescue operations
• Volunteer wildlife care
• Nonprofit conservation services
• Wildlife emergency response

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly monetary donations from individuals. Donors can give via PayPal, credit card (MasterCard, Visa), or Zelle. Donation amounts include $10, $50, $250, or custom amounts.
2. Supply Donations: In-kind donations of supplies including pet food, produce, and animal care materials via Amazon and Chewy wishlists.
3. Volunteer Services: Volunteers provide all labor including animal care, transport, hotline support, and foster care at no cost to the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wildlife Rescue Coalition of Northeast Florida rescues, rehabilitates, and releases injured, orphaned, and displaced native Florida wildlife through a 7-day wildlife emergency hotline, volunteer-driven animal transport, on-site rehabilitation at a 26-acre St. Augustine facility, and a volunteer foster care network. The 100% volunteer-run nonprofit serves Northeast Florida from Fernandina Beach to Palm Coast to Palatka, rehabilitating approximately 3,000 animals per year.

Product overview

Wildlife Rescue Coalition of Northeast Florida is a nonprofit, all-volunteer wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organization operating as a service-focused nonprofit rather than a technology product company. The core offering consists of wildlife emergency response services, including a 7-day hotline, species-specific emergency guides, animal transport, and full-service wildlife rehabilitation at a 26-acre St. Augustine facility. Supporting services include a volunteer foster program, on-site wildlife center support, an online donation platform (accepting PayPal, credit cards, and Zelle), supply wishlists via Amazon and Chewy, and a photo/video gallery documenting rescue stories. The organization serves Northeast Florida from Fernandina Beach to Palm Coast to Palatka, rescuing approximately 3,000 animals per year, primarily raccoons, squirrels, opossums, rabbits, fawns, bats, turtles, and deer. The ecosystem includes social media integration with Facebook and Instagram, Google Maps for facility directions, and third-party payment processing for donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildlife Emergency Hotline
• Wildlife Rehabilitation Services
• Animal Transport Services
• Wildlife Foster Program
• Online Donation Platform
• Supply Wishlists (Amazon and Chewy)
• Species-Specific Emergency Guides
• Wildlife Center Volunteer Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 3,000 animals rescued and rehabilitated per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered referral partner for birds, referral partner for birds of prey, referral partner for domestic rabbits, referral partner for wildlife removal and referral database.

• The Ark - St. Augustinereferral partner for birdsOthersReferral partner for songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, and most non-raptor species. Wildlife Rescue Coalition refers bird-related calls to The Ark as WRC does not currently accommodate birds.
• Avian Reconditioning Center - Apopkareferral partner for birds of preyOthersReferral partner for hawks, eagles, owls, and all birds of prey. Open Saturdays from 10am. WRC refers raptor-related calls to this organization.
• Bebette's Bunny Rescue - Hilliardreferral partner for domestic rabbitsOthersReferral partner for domestic rabbits only. WRC refers domestic rabbit inquiries to Bebette's Bunny Rescue as WRC specializes in native wildlife only.
• Coastal Wildlife & Pest Controlreferral partner for wildlife removalOthersLicensed trapping and wildlife removal service recommended when WRC cannot assist with property wildlife removal needs.
• Animal Help Now (AHNow)referral databaseOthersSearchable database of wildlife rehabilitators across Florida. WRC refers callers to this resource when additional rehabilitator options are needed.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• National Wildlife Federation: Large national conservation advocacy organization. Not a direct operational peer, but operates in the same wildlife-conservation fundraising space and competes for donor mindshare in the wildlife cause category.
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC): State regulatory agency that licenses wildlife rehabilitators in Florida. Not a peer in the operational sense, but a key ecosystem participant as the licensing authority for organizations like WRC.
• International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC): Professional membership organization for wildlife rehabilitators. WRC is already an IWRC member. Adjacent peer as the industry's standards and training body that supports wildlife rehab operations like WRC.

Direct peers

• South Florida Wildlife Center: One of the largest wildlife hospitals in Florida, treating thousands of native animals annually. Directly comparable to WRC in service mix (intake, medical care, rehabilitation, release) and Southeast U.S. regional focus.
• The Ark at St. Augustine: Wildlife rehabilitation organization in St. Augustine, FL, focused on songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, and most non-raptor species. Listed as WRC's referral partner for birds; directly comparable as a peer regional wildlife rehab.
• Peace River Wildlife Center: Florida-based nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation facility serving the Peace River region. Directly comparable in mission, intake hotline, volunteer model, and species scope.
• Avian Reconditioning Center: Florida raptor rehabilitation and education center in Apopka. WRC's referral partner for hawks, eagles, owls, and birds of prey. Comparable as a specialized wildlife rehab in the same state with shared donor and volunteer pools.
• Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW): Wildlife rehabilitation hospital on Sanibel Island, Florida, providing medical care and rehabilitation for injured native wildlife. Highly comparable in mission, services (hotline, intake, rehab, release), and donor-funded nonprofit model.

Regional players

• Humane Society of Northeast Florida: Regional animal welfare nonprofit in the same Northeast Florida geography as WRC. Comparable as a fellow nonprofit animal-care organization serving the same community, though focused on domestic animals rather than wildlife.

Broad incumbents

• Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota (Raptor Center): Long-established university-affiliated wildlife rehabilitation facility. Comparable in core rehabilitation mission and educational programming, though operating at significantly larger scale with paid staff and academic integration.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wildliferescuenefl
• Instagraminstagram.com/wildlife_rescue_coalition_nefl

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 Wildlife Rescue Coalition of Northeast Florida