Avian Conservation Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS VITAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES BY PROVIDING MEDICAL CARE TO INJURED BIRDS OF PREY AND SHOREBIRDS, AND THROUGH EDUCATIONAL, RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION INITIATIVES.
- Income
- $1.4 million
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 7.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 38%
- Employees
- 19
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 88 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 13% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 0% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 84 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 15 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $1.0 million spent. THE CENTER FOUNDED OUT OF AN ACUTE AWARENESS FOR THE NEED OF AN AVIAN CONSERVATION CENTER IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THE CHARLESTON RAPTOR CENTER WAS FORMALLY INCORPORATED AS A 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION IN SEPTEMBER 1991. THE CENTERS NAME WAS CHANGED TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA CENTER FOR BIRDS OF PREY IN 1995 TO BETTER REFLECT AN EXPANDED SCOPE OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. WITH CONTINUED GROWTH AND REACH, THE AVIAN CONSERVATION CENTER WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2004 AS AN UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION TO ACCOMMODATE DISTINCTIVE EDUCATIONAL, MEDICAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CONSERVATION DISCIPLINES WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. THESE OPERATING DIVISIONS ARE: THE CENTER FOR BIRDS OF PREY; THE AVIAN MEDICAL CENTER; AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA OIL SPILL TREATMENT FACILITY. THE AVIAN CONSERVATION CENTERS MEDICAL CLINIC OPERATES 365 DAYS A YEAR WITH SUPPORT FROM MORE THAN 60 TRAINED AND DEDICATED VOLUNTEER STAFF MEMBERS. THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART MEDICAL FACILITY TREATS MORE THAN 600 INJURED BIRDS OF PREY AND SHOREBIRDS EACH YEAR. SINCE ITS FOUNDING, THE CENTER HAS ADMITTED OVER 7,000 BIRDS FOR TREATMENT AND RELEASE. THE SC OIL SPILL TREATMENT FACILITY IS AMONG THE MOST DISTINCTIVE FACILITIES HOUSED AT THE AVIAN CONSERVATION CENTER. IN 2005 U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE AND SOUTH CAROLINA DNR AWARDED THE CENTER A $1.8 MILLION GRANT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 3,500 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY, WHICH REMAINS THE ONLY PERMANENT OIL SPILL TREATMENT CENTER OF ITS KIND ON THE EASTERN SEABOARD. RESEARCH AND FIELD STUDIES COMBINE WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF THE MEDICAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT THE PROTECTION OF WILD BIRD POPULATIONS AND THEIR HABITAT. THE CENTER HAS LED AND PARTICIPATED IN GROUNDBREAKING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON AVIAN GENETICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS, INCLUDING AN ONGOING STUDY OF ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA SUCH AS THE SWALLOWTAILED KITE. THE CENTERS WORK IS WELL KNOWN IN CONNECTION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS LIKE THE EMERGENCE OF AVIAN VACUOLAR MYELINOPATHY (AVM) AMONG EAGLES AND OTHER BIRDS, AND POISONING FROM UNREGULATED LANDFILL SUBSTANCES. A CITIZEN SCIENCE APPROACH TO A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES ALLOWS THE PUBLIC TO BECOME ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF VITAL ECOLOGICAL ISSUES. CITIZEN-SCIENCE PROGRAMS CARRY THE ADDITIONAL BONUS OF RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT ECOLOGICAL ISSUES, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT SPECIES OF CONCERN AND THEIR ASSOCIATED HABITATS, AND ALLOWING THE PUBLIC TO BECOME ACTIVELY ENGAGED SUPPORTERS OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION. AVIAN MEDICAL CLINIC THE PROFESSIONAL TREATMENT OF INJURED BIRDS IS A SOURCE OF INCOMPARABLE INSIGHT INTO CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, MANY OF WHICH HAVE HUMAN HEALTH IMPLICATIONS. THE AVIAN MEDICAL CLINIC CURRENTLY TREATS MORE THAN 600INJURED RAPTORS AND SHOREBIRDS EACH YEAR, RELEASING THE MAJORITY BACK TO THEIR NATURAL HABITAT. INJURED BIRDS ARE ADMITTED FROM A CONTINUALLY WIDENING GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. ALTHOUGH THE CAUSES OF INJURIES VARY WIDELY, NEARLY ALL ARE HUMAN-RELATED - RANGING FROM GUNSHOT WOUNDS TO COLLISIONS, ELECTRIC SHOCK FROM POWER LINES, AND TOXICITY. THE MEDICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE CENTER OPERATE ON A 365-DAY / 24-HOUR BASIS. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EACH YEAR, THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED IN THE CENTERS SCIENCE AND NATURAL HISTORY BASED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THE POWER AND BEAUTY OF BIRDS OF PREY CAST THEM AS UNPARALLELED AMBASSADORS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION - EXEMPLIFYING BOTH THE INTELLECTUAL AND ETHICAL ASPECTS OF CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT. DECADES OF PROGRAM EXPERIENCE AND EVALUATIONS CONSISTENTLY PROVIDED FROM EDUCATORS DEMONSTRATE THAT THESE PROGRAMS CAPTURE ATTENTION, ENHANCE RETENTION OF SUBJECT MATERIAL, AND FOSTER A RENEWED ENTHUSIASM FOR LEARNING - ALL OF WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO AN OVERALL IMPROVEMENT IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. THE EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE CENTER, WHETHER ONSITE AT THE CENTERS 152 ACRE CAMPUS, OR OFFERED AS OUTREACH IN CLASSROOMS AND OTHER VENUES, PROMOTE AN AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION FOR THE NATURAL WORLD AND OUR RESPECTIVE ROLES AS STEWARDS IN ITS RESERVATION. SC OILED BIRD TREATMENT FACILITY THE AVIAN CONSERVATION CENTER IS DESIGNATED IN THE USCG AREA CONTINGENCY PLAN AS THE OFFICIAL REPOSITORY FOR OILED BIRDS IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND MAINTAINS SITUATIONAL READINESS IN THIS CRUCIAL ROLE. CONSTRUCTED WITH A GRANT FROM U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE AND SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, THE CENTERS COMBINED USE AVIAN MEDICAL CENTER / SC OILED BIRD TREATMENT FACILITY WAS COMPLETED IN OCTOBER 2007 AND IS THE ONLY PERMANENT AVIAN TREATMENT CENTER OF ITS KIND ON THE EASTERN SEABOARD. THE FACILITY IS DESIGNED AND EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY MEDICAL CARE AVAILABLE FOR INJURED BIRDS OF PREY AND SHOREBIRDS ON A DAILY BASIS AND AFFORDS THE MOST EFFICIENT RESPONSE POSSIBLE IN THE EVENT OF A CONTAMINANT SPILL AFFECTING NATIVE BIRD POPULATIONS AND THEIR FRAGILE BREEDING HABITATS ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST. RESEARCH AND FIELD STUDY RESEARCH AND FIELD STUDIES WORK SYNERGISTICALLY WITH THE CENTERS MEDICAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT THE PROTECTION OF WILD BIRD POPULATIONS AND THEIR CRITICAL HABITAT AREAS. THE CENTER HAS LED AND PARTICIPATED IN GROUNDBREAKING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INCLUDING AVIAN GENETICS, ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS, AND AN ONGOING STUDY OF ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA SUCH AS THE SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. THE CENTERS WORK IS WELL ESTABLISHED IN CONNECTION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS SUCH AS THE EMERGENCE OF AVIAN VACUOLAR MYELINOPATHY (AVM) AMONG EAGLES AND OTHER BIRDS, AND MORTALITY RESULTING FROM UNDER-REGULATED LANDFILL SUBSTANCES. A CITIZEN SCIENCE APPROACH TO A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES RAISES PUBLIC AWARENESS OF VITAL ECOLOGICAL ISSUES AND ENCOURAGES THE PUBLIC TO BECOME ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 1993.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.