Vision Preamble

Carolina Raptor Center is focused on broadening our constituent and stakeholder base, while expanding the impact of our programs. Currently we meet our mission by educating tens of thousands of school children every year and participating in local and regional events to share environmental lessons and encourage stewardship. We advise other raptor centers, falconers, and zoos in the care and rehabilitation of raptors, and the training of raptors used in education programs and participate and present in national conferences every year. Furthermore, we collaborate in research projects conducted at universities and other raptor centers and initiate research that advances our knowledge of raptor biology and treatment, and the environmental health of our world in general.

Vision Statement

To promote environmental stewardship through education about our environment, the role raptors play in our ecosystem, and sustainable habitats that support animals and humans alike; and to advance our education programs in a wide geographic area using modern technological tools.

To build on CRC’s reputation as a leading rehabilitation center to become recognized as a center of excellence for our care of, and success at releasing, injured and orphaned raptors back into the wild and for developing state-of-the-art avian medicine techniques.

To leverage a growing database on raptors, and growing networks in the scientific community, into research that advances our knowledge of raptor biology, behavior and treatment, as well as the environmental health of our world in general.

To build on CRC’s program, fiduciary and governance practices to become broadly recognized as a center of excellence in all of our organizational operations.

Five-year Time Horizon

Greatly expand efforts regarding environmental education and research while maintaining high-quality care and release of raptors that come to CRC, thereby increasing funding from corporations who want to be aligned with green programs, the general public that sees raptors as leading indicators of the health of our whole environment, and universities that see CRC as a leading teaching and research center.

Become nationally recognized as a leader in raptor care and rehabilitation, education programs, and intern programs for veterinary students and other raptor facilities. Develop into the go-to source in the region for news organizations and the public related to both raptors and environmental sustainability.

Utilize accumulated data on raptor patients to greatly expand research capabilities, connecting current knowledge to specific research, in collaboration with universities and other raptor and wildlife centers.

Become self sustaining financially through visitation, memberships, naming rights, rehabilitated raptor releases, raptor and environmental educational programs, rehabilitation internships, research grants, partnerships, endowments and gift shop sales. Accomplish such sustainability by a significant ramp up of online access to information, programs, research and sale items. Use corporate donations and special fundraisers to provide for financial reserves, endowments and capital campaigns.

Conduct a capital campaign to fund new facilities and trails.

Ten-year Time Horizon

Build and occupy a brand new facility center, potentially shared with Mecklenburg County Parks & Rec department. Design the new complex with larger office, conference, gift shop and amphitheater facilities that would be capable of hosting seminars and corporate events. Create a regional environmental education center, and establish new trails with large, native habitat aviaries for resident birds.

Leverage research program into new veterinary practices and avian science developments.

Gain international recognition for expertise in raptor care, rehabilitation and research, leveraging the Internet for communication education, research collaboration, and as a measurement of such recognition.