How We Work

To achieve results, we rigorously pursue the goals outlined in our Strategic Bird Conservation Framework — preventing extinctions, reversing population declines, reducing threats, and building the bird conservation movement — with our expert staff leading the way, even when the going gets tough. In the face of obstacles and opposition, ABC pursues what’s right for birds. The need is great, but so is our courage and dedication to act.

We aim to achieve the greatest scale and scope of positive impact possible for birds and their habitats, while operating with transparency and integrity. Built on partnerships and the belief that we do our best work for birds when we do it together, ABC welcomes everyone who cares about birds to join in. Working with partners across the Americas, we’ve conserved millions of acres and protected habitat benefiting more than 3,000 bird species, 30 percent of the world’s total. And we’re scaling up to do even more.

A set of 10 Principles guides our work, helping to direct our decisions and ensuring we all work with the good of each other, our organization, and our mission in mind.

1. ABC will remain true to its mission and strategic program focus of conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas, focusing specifically on preventing species extinctions, preventing declining species from becoming endangered, restoring habitat to help bird populations recover, reducing threats to all birds, and building capacity in the bird conservation movement.




2. ABC gathers and uses the best currently available science to guide its programs and encourages and participates in the exploration of relevant conservation science questions. We follow the science, speaking up for birds and taking action even when such positions are controversial.




3. ABC actively seeks partnerships with like-minded groups from the public and private sectors and aims to excel at being a good partner. ABC focuses more on giving credit than on taking it and will always seek to acknowledge partners and donors unless they request anonymity.




4. ABC strives to be respectful and thoughtful with everyone, including with opponents, listening to all sides of an issue and considering the views of others even when they are in opposition to ABC’s own. ABC acknowledges that individual staff and board member opinions may at times differ from overall ABC policy and recognizes that a diversity of opinions is a good thing. We are not inflexible and are willing to change our views if circumstances change or new facts come to light.




5. ABC is transparent about its operations and finances, including the sources of its funding; we admit to any mistakes we make and seek to learn from them; we do not exaggerate claims in order to try to raise more funding, and we double-check all facts that we publish, ensuring that a program expert reads and approves every public statement we make prior to its release.




6. ABC seeks to encourage participation in birds and bird conservation from everyone and does not discriminate against any person or group regardless of race, religion, political stance, physical ability, or any other factor. We celebrate the ability to work across the Americas and honor our Latin American, Caribbean, native American, and Hawaiian partners.




7. ABC balances the need to focus on conservation results with the need to ensure an equitable workload for staff while remaining focused on accomplishing positive outcomes for birds and bird habitats.




8. ABC aims to provide a world-class working environment and benefits package for its staff and to provide the best possible tools for staff, board, and volunteers to help them be effective in their work and to enjoy their jobs.




9. ABC seeks to be responsive to constituents and supporters, including providing timely replies to inquiries and in particular acknowledging donations in a timely manner.




10. ABC conducts its operations in an efficient and environmentally responsible manner. We work to lower our overall consumption of energy and products; actively participate in recycling; and offset our own small carbon footprint while seeking ways to reduce it further. We provide support to staff who seek to lessen their own personal carbon footprints. Finally, we ensure that ABC’s investments are structured in a way to minimize environmental impacts, including divesting from fossil fuels and including conservation program-related investments in our portfolio.