San Diego Bird Alliance

What San Diego Bird Alliance does

San Diego Bird Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1948 (originally as San Diego Audubon) and rebranded under its current name in 2024. The organization is headquartered at 4010 Morena Blvd, Suite #100 in San Diego, California, and serves individual nature enthusiasts, conservation volunteers, corporate partners, schools, youth groups, and government agencies across San Diego County. It operates two wildlife sanctuaries — a 785-acre property (Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary in Lakeside) and an 11-acre property (Anstine Nature Preserve in Vista) — and delivers a portfolio of conservation, education, advocacy, and community-engagement programs including the Lights Out San Diego campaign, the Ternwatchers volunteer program, Native Seed Libraries, the ReWild Mission Bay wetland initiative, the Earth Advocate Program, the California Bluebird Recovery Program, and the annual San Diego Bird Festival.

The organization's technology infrastructure is standard for a mid-sized nonprofit. It runs Neon CRM for membership and event management, Volgistics for volunteer scheduling, iNaturalist for community-science data collection, ArcGIS StoryMaps for educational content, and BirdCast for migration data. No proprietary technology stack, AI/ML capabilities, or mobile applications are evident. Programs are delivered through the organization's website (sandiegobirdalliance.org), in-person events at sanctuaries and partner preserves, a quarterly print magazine (Sketches) distributed to members, and a multi-channel presence across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and email newsletter.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: annual membership dues (subscription model); donations and gifts (one-time, recurring, matching gifts, gifts of securities, and legacy/planned giving); event fees (workshops at $20–$40, Birding for Beginners at $150–$190, pelagic trips at $74–$94 for members and $94 for non-members, and festival events at $15–$61); and Adopt-a-Trail sponsorships at both sanctuaries. Most programs remain free to attend. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and operates with approximately eleven identified staff members across conservation, philanthropy, communications, sanctuary stewardship, volunteer coordination, and program-specific coordination roles. Strategic partnerships span universities (UC San Diego), museums (San Diego Natural History Museum), state and county agencies (California State Parks, San Diego County Parks and Recreation), and corporate and community partners (SDG&E, WorldBeat Cultural Center, San Diego County Libraries, Wild Birds Unlimited).

Name

San Diego Bird Alliance

Legal name

San Diego Bird Alliance

Website

https://sandiegobirdalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

San Diego Bird Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1948 and rebranded from San Diego Audubon in 2024, protecting birds and habitats across San Diego County through two wildlife sanctuaries, conservation, education, and advocacy programs, and a grassroots volunteer base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Birding & Wildlife Observation Lodges (THAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Bird conservation
• Wildlife sanctuary
• Habitat restoration
• Environmental education
• Conservation advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership program providing quarterly Sketches magazine, access to events, and volunteer opportunities. Members receive regular communications and are part of the grassroots community.
2. Donations and Gifts: One-time and recurring donations from individuals. Includes matching gifts programs, gifts of securities, and legacy/planned giving.
3. Event Fees: Some programs charge fees including Birding for Beginners ($150-$190), workshops ($20-$40), pelagic trips ($74-$94), and special events. Many events remain free.
4. Adopt-a-Trail Programs: Trail sponsorship programs at Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary and Anstine Nature Preserve.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

San Diego Bird Alliance is a community-driven nonprofit that protects birds, wildlife, and threatened habitats across San Diego County through conservation programs, two operated wildlife sanctuaries (Silverwood and Anstine), habitat restoration projects, education programs, birding outings and festivals, volunteer engagement, and advocacy campaigns such as Lights Out San Diego. Revenue is generated primarily via individual memberships, donations, event and workshop fees, grants, and corporate/matching gifts.

Product overview

San Diego Bird Alliance is a nonprofit bird conservation organization that operates as a program-based entity rather than a traditional product company. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected conservation, education, and advocacy services including two wildlife sanctuaries (Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary and Anstine Nature Preserve), volunteer programs, educational initiatives, and advocacy campaigns. Key offerings include the Lights Out San Diego campaign for migratory bird protection, Ternwatchers volunteer program, Sketches Magazine quarterly publication, Native Seed Libraries, and the annual San Diego Bird Festival. These programs work together to advance the organization's mission of defending the region's birds, biodiversity, and threatened habitats through community engagement, habitat restoration, and policy advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 20 million birds pass over San Diego during fall migration; 67 million during spring migration
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

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

• UC San Diego Natural Reserve SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve and Wander the Wetlands program. Co-hosts annual Love Your Wetlands Day. Provides educational facilities and coordinates research activities at the marsh.
• Friends of Rose CreekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for Rose Creek habitat restoration and birding outings. Joint volunteer events and conservation work in Mission Bay watershed.
• Friends of Famosa SloughcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly collaborative birding outings and habitat restoration events at Famosa Slough urban wetland.
• Tijuana River National Estuarine Research ReservecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Love Your Wetlands Day and estuary programs. Co-hosts events and restoration activities.
• San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for San Diego Bird Festival and community events. Co-hosts educational programs and King Tide hikes.
• San Diego CoastkeepersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint habitat restoration events including Border BioBlitz and environmental programs.
• San Diego River Park FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for San Diego River Mouth restoration events and planting parties.
• California State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for King Tide hikes and events at Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.
• Lakeside Riverpark ConservancysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint birding outings and nature programs at Lakeside River Park.
• San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity restoration events in partnership with SDG&E supporting California Least Terns in Mission Bay.
• WorldBeat Cultural CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint events including Black History Month activities, Juneteenth celebrations, and cultural nature programs.
• San Diego County LibrariessecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerBirding 101 educational presentations held at various library locations throughout San Diego County.
• Wild Birds UnlimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational talk series presentations at Wild Birds Unlimited store location.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Los Angeles Audubon Society: Southern California chapter peer offering similar membership, education, and birding programming within an adjacent regional market.
• American Bird Conservancy: National nonprofit focused exclusively on bird and habitat conservation through advocacy, land acquisition, and endangered species protection - directly aligned with SDBA's core mission.
• Point Blue Conservation Science: California-based nonprofit focused on bird and ecosystem conservation through science, partnerships, and habitat stewardship; closely parallel to SDBA's regional conservation model.
• Seattle Audubon Society: Regional Audubon affiliate with a similar portfolio of birding classes, conservation advocacy, habitat restoration, and youth education programs.
• Golden Gate Audubon Society: Northern California Audubon affiliate operating with comparable membership dues, field trips, conservation programs, and sanctuary stewardship.

Broad incumbents

• National Audubon Society: National umbrella bird conservation organization of which San Diego Bird Alliance was formerly a chapter; provides comparable membership, advocacy, and birding programming but at significantly larger national scale.
• The Nature Conservancy (California): Global land conservation nonprofit with major California habitat-protection operations and donor base; addresses overlapping environmental issues at larger scale and budget.
• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Research-driven bird conservation institution operating citizen science platforms (eBird) and educational programs; comparable in mission but anchored in academic research rather than regional sanctuary management.
• Defenders of Wildlife: National wildlife advocacy nonprofit with comparable policy advocacy and endangered species protection programs, but operating nationally rather than regionally.

Regional players

• San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Local San Diego conservation organization operating wildlife sanctuaries and recovery programs; comparable geographic market and species-conservation focus but operates at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/sdaudubon
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyeM7LZoz-im2ANFVg_T6fw
• Facebookfacebook.com/sandiegobirdalliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sandiegoaudubon
• Instagraminstagram.com/sandiegobirdalliance

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 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 San Diego Bird Alliance