The Co-op partners with birding and ecotourism organizations to work together to make birding more accessible and inclusive. To do that, we use the Co-op’s structure and community to work with our partner’s area of expertise.
There is no cost to be a Co-op Partner. We accept partners through an application process on a rolling basis based on the size of our membership and funding.
Experience Partners work with us to create Birding Experiences. These aren’t typical birding tours—they are getaways that go off the beaten path to combine birding, community service, and connecting directly with local nature enthusiasts and leaders in ecotourism that keep costs low for participants.
We hope to increase our number of Experiences starting in late 2021, but will most likely not be accepting more Experience partners until there is more clarity for travel circumstances. Sign up for Experience Partner updates »
Community Partners have their own space in our Community to connect with the Co-op membership. In the Community, partners can share ideas and concepts for feedback, ask questions, have discussions, and more through forums, chats, and video meetings.
We hope to open for additional Community Partners in late 2020. Sign up for Community Partner updates »
Festival Partners work with the Co-op to design components of festivals that focus on inclusivity, sociability, and creating service projects that are related the the festival’s causes. The Co-op provides structure and volunteers to help with the festival.
We are currently accepting applications for Festival Partners. Apply now to become a Festival Partner »
We aim to be completely transparent with how your funds support The Birding Co-op. The Co-op is in the process of receiving 501(c)(3) nonprofit status—meaning that we are dedicated to provide a public benefit, not to maximize profits. Your membership dues first go to our operating costs—including legal and business fees; website, Community, and digital costs; and related bills. Beyond that, we use our funding to provide support to our partners. The Co-op works with our partners in many ways, including support in our community and on-the-ground services on Experience and at festivals, and in some cases, we will provide monetary support, too.
It takes an immense amount of time and effort to build and maintain the Co-op and its partnerships, and we have big dreams for this organization to grow. We are currently volunteer-driven, but we’re aiming to build a small staff in 2021 to make the Co-op the best it can be. Our members and donations will help to fund our future staff to increase our partnerships and the scope of the organization.