assateague island alliance

What assateague island alliance does

The Assateague Island Alliance is a small 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Berlin, Maryland, that supports the Assateague Island National Seashore. Its activities include horse fostering, conservation and education programs, Virtual Classroom and Kids Corner content, artist workshops, and horseshoe crab tagging. The organization reports a 1–10 employee headcount and lists the National Park Service as an official partner.

It operates a donor- and member-supported model, including general and memorial donations, annual memberships, a $35-or-more-per-year Foster a Horse program, merchandise sold through Shopify, and paid workshops priced at $125 for a single day and $300 for three days. It also funds two Horse Management Interns annually; reported program indicators include 83 horses available for foster and 10 foals born in 2024.

Name

assateague island alliance

Legal name

Assateague Island Alliance, Inc.

Website

https://assateagueislandalliance.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Assateague Island Alliance is a Berlin, Maryland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting Assateague Island National Seashore through horse adoption, education, conservation, public programs, and donor-funded stewardship initiatives, including workshops and wildlife tagging.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)

Keywords

• Wild horse conservation
• Barrier island preservation
• Nonprofit environmental education
• Wildlife habitat protection
• Species conservation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

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, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foster Horse Program: Supporters symbolically 'foster' a specific wild horse for $35 or more per year, receiving a deluxe padded folder with a color photo, biography, map, and certificate, plus a one-year Horse Tales newsletter subscription. Proceeds fund the wild horse management program including genetic testing, pregnancy testing, PZP contraceptive administration, and educational outreach.
2. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hats), the Get With It Flip It horseshoe crab conservation tee, and field guides. Sold through the organization's Shopify-powered online store.
3. Donations: General donations, memorial donations, and the Transportation Scholarship Fund to help school groups access interpretive programming. All funds directly benefit Assateague Island National Seashore.
4. Memberships: Annual membership program allowing supporters to formally join and support AIA's mission to protect Assateague Island.
5. Artist Workshops: Fees charged for Plein Air Painting workshops on Assateague Island, including single-day sessions ($125) and a three-day workshop ($300).
6. Name That Horse Fundraising Auction/Raffle: Fundraising auctions and raffles allowing individuals or families to name a foal, with bidding starting at $500. Proceeds typically go to the wild horse management program.
7. Amazon Smile: Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible purchases made through smile.amazon.com to AIA when supporters designate the organization as their charity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Assateague Island Alliance is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that supports Assateague Island National Seashore through education, outreach, and fundraising. Its core offerings include a symbolic Foster a Horse Program, an e-commerce merchandise shop, donation programs, memberships, artist workshops, virtual classroom educational programming, and the "A Fed Horse is a Dead Horse" wildlife protection campaign. Proceeds fund wild horse management, including genetic testing, PZP contraceptive administration, visitor education, and habitat preservation.

Product overview

Assateague Island Alliance operates primarily as a nonprofit conservation organization rather than a technology company. Their offerings center on the Foster A Horse Program for symbolic adoption, an online merchandise shop powered by Shopify, Artist Workshops for plein air painting, educational Virtual Classroom Programs, the Horseshoe Crab Tagging volunteer initiative, the A Fed Horse is a Dead Horse wildlife protection campaign, donation programs, a Photo Gallery, and Membership. The organization uses Shopify for e-commerce operations and Eventbrite for event registration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 222 horse-proof picnic tables installed throughout the park as part of the 'A Fed Horse is a Dead Horse' campaign
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Cleveland Amory Black Beauty RanchminorOthers · 1 January 2011AIA facilitated the transfer of horse Fabio (N9BMR) to Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, TX in 2011 due to irreversible behaviors caused by human habituation. The sanctuary is a world-renowned animal sanctuary and 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
• National Park Service (Assateague Island National Seashore)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIA is the official partners of Assateague National Seashore Federal Park. All funds raised by AIA directly benefit Assateague Island National Seashore. AIA provides supplies, services, and materials including funding for the wild horse management program, Horse Management Interns, food storage solutions, and educational supplies.
• US Fish and Wildlife Service (Horseshoe Crab Cooperative Tagging Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIA partners with the USFWS Horseshoe Crab Cooperative Tagging Program for their volunteer horseshoe crab tagging sessions. The program provides data on distribution, movement, longevity, and mortality of horseshoe crabs, contributing to population status research.
• Chincoteague Volunteer Fire CompanyminorOthersThe Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company manages the Virginia herd of Assateague horses through a special use permit with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, keeping the herd to approximately 150 adult animals. This is the herd known as 'Chincoteague ponies'. AIA's programs focus on the Maryland herd managed by the NPS.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationShopify is the e-commerce platform powering AIA's online store and website. It enables the organization to provide services including product sales, membership sign-ups, donations, and checkout processing. Shopify collects and processes personal information about customers' access to and use of the services.

Scale indicators8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch: Animal sanctuary that received AIA-transferred horse Fabio (N9BMR) in 2011 due to human-habituation issues. A direct operational partner and peer in equine welfare and sanctuary services.
• Outer Banks Conservationists (OBX): Nonprofit supporting the Outer Banks' Currituck National Wildlife Refuge and bank horse herd conservation. Closely analogous to AIA — a barrier-island nonprofit managing public lands, wild horses, and donor-funded conservation programming.
• Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company (Pony Division): Manages the Virginia herd of Assateague wild ponies under a special use permit from US Fish & Wildlife Service. Direct peer — operates a sister wild horse herd on the same island, raising funds through the famous Pony Swim auction with similar mission alignment.
• American Wild Horse Conservation: National advocacy organization focused on protecting America's wild horses and burros through humane management, public education, and on-range programs. Closest mission-aligned peer to AIA's wild horse welfare and education work.

Broad incumbents

• Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ): Nonprofit membership organization supporting the Smithsonian's National Zoo with education, fundraising, and volunteer programs. Comparable as a federal-institution-partnered 501c3 using memberships, donations, events, and merchandise to fund animal welfare and education.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation nonprofit that acquires and manages natural lands for habitat protection. Comparable to AIA's barrier island/habitat conservation focus, though vastly larger in scale and operating geographies.
• National Park Trust: National nonprofit that supports multiple individual national park units through land acquisition, education, and stewardship. Comparable to AIA as a park-focused 501c3 raising private funds for federal park programming, though broader in scope across parks.
• Defenders of Wildlife: National wildlife advocacy nonprofit focused on imperiled species and habitat protection. Comparable to AIA's conservation-advocacy orientation and donor-based funding model, with broader multi-species scope.
• National Wildlife Federation: Large national wildlife conservation nonprofit with broad advocacy, education, and habitat protection programs. Comparable to AIA in conservation mission and donor-driven model, though significantly larger and multi-species.

Regional players

• Pictograph Cave State Park Foundation (Friends groups generally): Representative example of the broader 'Friends of' national park and state park nonprofit model that AIA exemplifies. Many small, park-specific 501c3s share AIA's structure of fundraising, education, and direct support to a single federal or state park.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/assateagueislandalliance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3UzBHkPz4ExDVZrUZeBXQA
• Facebookfacebook.com/AssateagueIslandAlliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/AssateagueIslandAlliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/assateague-island-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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