RAPTOR Inc

RAPTOR Inc.'s vision is to be the premier raptor rehabilitation, education and conservation organization in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. Most educational presentations are given off-site; our goal is to build an on-site educational facility which the community can come to visit and connect with our educational ambassadors to learn and be inspired to conserve nature. By building an on-site educational facility we believe we would be opening up opportunities for families to learn about birds of prey and how to conserve them and the habitat they depend on. For raptor rehabilitation, we are planning to expand our laboratory to provide faster diagnosis which will allow quicker treatment of the injured raptors. Raptors are wild animals and are stressed by humans; this stress can delay the recovery of these animals. Quicker treatment can prevent some of the stress and allow for quicker releases into the wild.

There are many components which are needed to educate the public about birds of prey and how to protect them and how they fit into the environment. First it would be for the community to be aware of RAPTOR Inc. and our educational programs if they are not aware already. We have begun strengthening our ties to our Milford community, by providing educational opportunities and service collaboration and have had positive feedback. Also, we have been receiving more exposure on the radio and television to help people become aware of RAPTOR Inc. We have also begun expanding our educators and educational programming as well as participating in continuing education. We believe that our educators should have formal training and we strive to have staff which are licensed educators. We are also working on the requirements to become recognized by the Better Business Bureau as we believe that trust is needed for non-profits to be supported by communities. The fact that RAPTOR Inc. has been an organization for 39 years says that we have been well-supported, but we are starting a new phase of growth as we move forward with an on-site educational facility.

To accomplish our goals, it is believed we need a strong, capable Board of Directors. We have been recruiting Board members based on their skills and supporting their personal development. We have recently added a veterinarian to our Board of Directors. We know we have much to learn about marketing, and development and need to obtain more financial support. We have increased our fundraising efforts, but need to do more and have reached out to larger organizations to leverage our efforts. We have submitted a grant to collaborate with a veterinarian for researching avian diseases. This would give us more credibility and awareness as an organization, but more importantly give more information about avian diseases which could perhaps lead to treatments.

Progress so far has been made with the recruitment of an internationally accomplished veterinarian as part of our Board. We have made progress by receiving some lab equipment to help diagnose and treat our injured birds. Annually, we give educational presentation to an audience of approximately 20,000 and treat roughly 250 raptors.