My Nonprofit Reviews

Working with the team at the Marine Mammal Care Center as a "pinniped patrol" volunteer is a wonderful experience. I live a bit too far from the center to have a regularly scheduled volunteer shift, but when MMCC needed help a year ago during an epidemic of domoic acid poisonings to seals and sea lions along the Southern California coast, I jumped at the chance to help. The center called for volunteers to be the first on the scene to give MMCC staff an initial evaluation of whether a pinniped needed their expert care - and potential transport to the center for rehab.
The Center showed their ability to react and respond to a crises of this magnitude, coming up with a "WhatsApp" alert system to communicate with first responders on the beach like myself. After many years working in the non-profit environmental world, I've found MMCC to be an organization that knows how to communicate well with its volunteers, providing the necessary education and tools that keeps even remote volunteers in the loop and feeling appreciated. The Center is a well run facility with opportunities for the public to visit, providing a wealth of information about the importance of protecting the marine environment and giving visitors the chance to gain an appreciation and love for these marine mammals. Successful rehabilitation of many of the patients at MMCC are often celebrated with a release back into the ocean, with volunteers and the public invited to cheer the animals on as they return to their natural home.
I'm proud to be part of their important work and believe they are worthy of a top-rated, great non-profit.