My Nonprofit Reviews

American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is a shining example of what a non-profit can be: a leader in their mission to save endangered birds, a valuable partner who helps other organizations grow as they jointly advance the mission, and a key source of insight - generating critical scientific knowledge while also developing the next generation of researchers; all supported by using sound business practices to ensure maximum value from every dollar donated. Let me amplify each of these strengths in a little more detail.
I recently participated in several activities on recovery of the Kirtland’s Warbler where I could see firsthand how the ABC approach made a critical difference in saving this endangered bird. I saw, on the ground, how ABC scientists figured out where these birds spend the winter. While ABC is partnered with government and academic organizations to save the breeding grounds these warblers need here in Michigan, it was ABC scientists who found where the Kirtland’s spend the winter. While it is important to conserve the breeding habitat, it is equally important to ensure the birds have a place to hide and food to eat in the winter, finding out where they were wintering was the first step to ensuring winter survival. ABC scientists then worked to maintain and expand suitable cover and food sources in the wintering grounds. But equally vital was the work of several ABC staff to engage with the community to help develop a base of indigenous, well educated, scientific expertise, and a strong level of community support. That support now includes: children in school who learn why this bird is special and needs protection, a non-profit that ABC encouraged to cultivate the forage plants warblers need and thus expand their food resources, and even goat farmers who can maintain a near perfect warbler habitat and still turn a profit farming. In short, ABC generated strong and focused peer reviewed science, community engagement at all levels, and strengthening allied groups in the Bahamas to ensure a suitable winter range for the Kirtland’s warbler just as they used strong, focused, science and engaged the right partners to recover and expanded the breeding range here in Michigan. The result of all this diligent work is that the Kirtland Warbler numbers have increased several-fold and are they are no longer on the endangered species list. Mission accomplished, that is solid use of donor funds.
Nor is this an isolated example. Rather, this exemplifies the ABC method that has achieved success all over the Americas and indeed worldwide. Part of the efficiency of ABC in spending donor contributions is that they do the science and make the hard decisions of what birds are in the greatest need and how best to save them, and then ABC identifies who can help effect an improvement in the situation, be it government, community, allied groups in that particular area of the world, or farmers, ranchers and other workers on the land. By engaging community, they not only avoid the need to use funds fighting misinformation, they also get willing helpers. By partnering and helping the partners to be more powerful and effective, ABC gets more done with fewer funds. These are effective and efficient strategies, but they are also the ‘right’ things to do. It is for this reason that while not a household name like some bird-watching organizations, ABC is a professional, internationally respected, and effective force for the protection of the most endangered birds.
Perhaps the best way to see how effective and efficient ABC is in its mission is to look at the staff. They do not have a CEO who is paid millions. They do have transparent business practices and a system that makes very efficient use of the money that comes in from donors. And they have international leaders in science; PhDs who could make more money in other jobs but chose ABC as their career because working there they can actually save species of birds from extinction. These talented scientists give an endorsement of the business practices, the science first approach, and the effectiveness of ABC by investing their lives there – a choice I think they make because at ABC they can make a difference to the world. When world class professionals make a sacrifice in salary to work at an organization because it lets them make a difference, I can think of no better indication that this is where I want to put my charitable donations.