Desert Rivers Audubon Society

What Desert Rivers Audubon Society does

Desert Rivers Audubon Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit local chapter of the National Audubon Society (EIN 20-5188919) headquartered in Gilbert, Arizona, serving the Metro-Phoenix and East Valley region. Its mission is educating and inspiring the community to protect and preserve birds, wildlife, and their habitats. The organization is volunteer-driven, with volunteers handling strategy, event organization, education, bird walks, visitor outreach, and habitat preservation work.

The organization operates a diversified program portfolio centered on community birding and education: Family Bird Walks, Guided Field Trips, a monthly "Birds & Brew Coffee Break" event, a Monthly Speaker Series (in-person at Southeast Regional Library plus Zoom), community events such as Gilbert Outdoor Expo and Tres Rios Nature Festival, a Young Birders Club, Audubon at Home habitat program, and a Nature Store. Its most distinctive technical asset is a Motus Wildlife Tracking Station at Gilbert Riparian Preserve — the first urban Motus station in Arizona — a radio-telemetry receiving tower array that detects nanotag transmitters on migratory birds, bats, and insects and feeds data into the global Motus research network.

Revenue is generated through membership dues, direct donations (including via PayPal), the Fry's Community Rewards loyalty program (charity ID NQ831), and grants. The largest disclosed inflow was an $8,000 Audubon in Action grant from the National Audubon Society in May 2024 supporting the Motus tower project, which carried a total $10,000 commitment. The go-to-market motion is community-led: programming, volunteer recruitment, events, content (blog, magazine, newsletter, YouTube, Facebook, X), and partnerships with the Town of Gilbert, Liberty Wildlife, Arizona Game & Fish Department, and a COMMS/NATION in-kind communications partnership.

Name

Desert Rivers Audubon Society

Legal name

Desert Rivers Audubon Society

Website

https://desertriversaudubon.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Desert Rivers Audubon Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit local chapter of the National Audubon Society, based in Gilbert, Arizona, that delivers volunteer-run birding education, conservation programs, and a Motus wildlife-tracking station to residents of Metro-Phoenix and the East Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Viewing & Birdwatching Tours (THAAAEAB), Wildlife Interpretation & Education Centers (Visitor Centers, Museums) (THAAAFAG), Conservation, Research & Volunteer Experiences (THAJAIAJ)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation services
• Environmental education programs
• Community birding events
• Citizen science tracking
• Nonprofit membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chandler

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees that support conservation efforts, educational programs, and community engagement initiatives. Members receive advocacy benefits for the natural world.
2. Donations: Direct financial contributions from donors supporting bird conservation, education programs, and community activities. Includes PayPal donation system on website.
3. Fry's Community Rewards Program: Retail loyalty program where shoppers can select Desert Rivers Audubon as their charity, with Fry's donating a portion of purchases to the organization.
4. Grants: Funding from National Audubon Society and other organizations. Received $8,000 Audubon in Action grant in May 2024 for Motus tower project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Desert Rivers Audubon Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit local chapter of the National Audubon Society that delivers bird conservation advocacy, environmental education, and community birding programs (Family Bird Walks, Guided Field Trips, Monthly Speaker Series, Young Birders Club, Audubon at Home). It also operates a Motus Wildlife Tracking Station at Gilbert Riparian Preserve in partnership with the Town of Gilbert, contributing radio-telemetry data on migratory birds, bats, and insects to the global Motus research network.

Product overview

Desert Rivers Audubon Society is a nonprofit bird conservation and education organization serving Metro-Phoenix and the East Valley of Arizona. The organization offers a diverse portfolio of programs including guided birding activities (Family Bird Walks, Guided Field Trips, Birds & Brew Coffee Break), educational presentations (Monthly Speaker Series), conservation initiatives (Motus Wildlife Tracking Station, Audubon at Home), and publications (Desert Rivers Magazine, Newsletter). Core programs center on community education through bird walks and speaker events, while conservation efforts focus on habitat protection and the Motus wildlife tracking technology. The organization also operates a Nature Store and manages membership and donation programs to fund its mission of protecting birds, wildlife, and their habitats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Family Bird Walks

Quantifiable outcome

• Three billion fewer birds alive today than in 1970 - the organization addresses this crisis through local conservation, education, and habitat protection efforts.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• COMMS/NATIONminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026In-kind communications partnership providing strategic communications and marketing guidance to help Desert Rivers elevate its conservation mission and expand its reach across the Salt River region.
• National Audubon SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Desert Rivers Audubon is a local chapter of National Audubon Society. Received $8,000 Audubon in Action grant in May 2024 for Motus tower project. Partnership includes access to National Audubon conservation resources, IBA (Important Bird Area) program, and Birds on the Move documentary collaboration.
• Town of GilbertcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborative partnership to build and operate Motus Wildlife Tracking Station at Gilbert Riparian Preserve. Desert Rivers committed $10,000 to the project (including $8,000 grant). Town of Gilbert provides location and coordination for the first urban Motus station in Arizona.
• Liberty WildlifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on events including El Rio Vivo celebration and annual bird of prey presentations. Liberty Wildlife is a raptor rescue, rehab, education and conservation organization located on Salt River banks in Phoenix.
• Sonoran Audubon SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister chapter relationship. Both chapters co-sponsor Tres Rios Nature Festival and work together on bird conservation initiatives including Important Bird Areas (IBAs) at Tres Rios and Agua Fria River.
• Arizona Game & Fish DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on wildlife research including Motus network expansion, wildlife permits, and Arizona Bird Conservation Initiative monitoring projects.
• Rio Salado Audubon CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center. Both are part of National Audubon Society network, serving as urban gateway to green spaces in Phoenix area.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Liberty Wildlife: Nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation, education, and conservation organization on the Salt River in Phoenix. Partner on events like El Rio Vivo and raptor presentations; comparable as a regional conservation nonprofit serving East Valley residents.

Broad incumbents

• National Audubon Society: National parent organization of which Desert Rivers is a local chapter. Operates a network of 30+ conservation action centers and runs the IBA program and Birds on the Move documentary series that Desert Rivers participates in.
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Major bird science and citizen-science institution that operates eBird and broader avian research programs. Comparable as an organization driving bird conservation science that complements local Audubon chapter programming.

Others

• Arizona Game & Fish Department: State wildlife agency collaborating on Motus network expansion, wildlife permits, and the Arizona Bird Conservation Initiative. Comparable as a partner institution on conservation and wildlife monitoring work in Arizona.

Direct peers

• Maricopa Audubon Society: Another Arizona Audubon chapter serving birders in the Phoenix metro region. Comparable as a peer Audubon chapter competing for members, volunteers, and donors in the same geographic market.
• Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center: Urban Audubon center in Phoenix serving as a gateway to green spaces in the same metropolitan area. Both organizations sit inside the National Audubon network and deliver birding education and conservation programming in overlapping geographies.
• Sonoran Audubon Society: Sister Audubon chapter in Arizona that co-sponsors the Tres Rios Nature Festival and collaborates on Important Bird Areas. Directly comparable as a regional Audubon chapter delivering birding programs and conservation advocacy in the same state.
• Tucson Audubon Society: Established Arizona Audubon chapter operating nature preserves and education programs. Comparable as a state-level Audubon chapter with similar birding and habitat protection mission, though it operates further south in the Sonoran Desert.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/desertriversaud
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DesertRiversAudubon
• Facebookfacebook.com/DesertRivers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/desert-rivers-audubon-society

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Desert Rivers Audubon Society