Sponsor-a-Species Campaign
Photo: Prothonotary Warbler at Powhatan Creek Trail, Jim Easton
What’s your favorite bird?
If it nests in Virginia, you can sponsor that species for the Second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas! Your name, as well as the name of someone you may choose to honor, will be presented on the species account page on the Atlas website.
Best of all, you will know that your dollars go a long way towards supporting bird conservation in Virginia!
Donations for pledges made after March 1, 2025, will go to the VSO Conservation Fund to help Virginia’s birds. Our generous friends and donors have fully funded publication of the Atlas, but species remain to be sponsored.
You can do both: Sponsor a Species and help conserve Virginia’s birds.
Campaign Details
There can be only one sponsor per species, so don’t delay! Some species have already been sponsored by VSO partner clubs! Sponsorships range from $300 to $1,500 annually ($600 to $3,000 total for two years):
| Sponsorship Tier | Annual Amount | Total Donation | Number of Species in Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,500 | $3,000 | 12 |
| 2 | $1,125 | $2,250 | 12 |
| 3 | $750 | $1,500 | 39 |
| 4 | $450 | $900 | 49 |
| 5 | $300 | $600 | 82 |
Important points to consider:
Once you have pledged, your species will not be available for others to sponsor. Only you will be shown as the sponsor! You may choose to designate your sponsorship in memory or in honor of someone if you wish.
If you donate the total sponsorship amount by December 31, 2026, the published Atlas species account will include a sponsorship statement indicating that the species is sponsored by you and show any dedication you may have requested.
If you pledge on behalf of a business or organization, a website address can be included in the sponsorship statement.
The VSO will also include your name in the overall list of Atlas donors on the VSO and Atlas websites. Sponsorships can be shown as “anonymous” should you prefer.
Your Sponsor-a-Species Donation Will:
Support conservation programs of the VSO, including our conservation grants and other support for critical bird conservation needs of the Commonwealth.
Show your support for Virginia’s birds through acknowledgement of your sponsorship in the Atlas species account for your sponsored species.
How to Sponsor a Species:
Choose your species from the list of those available!
Complete the online sponsorship form. When you select your species, a sponsorship form appears, where you can enter your information, a dedication, a business website address, and request that your name be shown or that your sponsorship be anonymous.
Donate the full sponsorship amount either in two annual payments for 2025-2026 or in full at any time. Annual payments are due by December 31 of each year. All donations, including those to sponsor a species, are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. A financial statement is available upon request from the Virginia Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs.
Sponsor another species, if you wish! Go back to step 1.
See your species in the list of sponsored species.
Smile at knowing that you are supporting bird conservation in Virginia!
Want to know more about the Second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas?
Read more about this important project and why it will be an invaluable resource not just for birders but for guiding conservation decisions in the future.
Photo: Field Sparrow, Dixie Sommers
