Avangrid Foundation Awards $400,000 to Wildlife Rehabilitation Organizations

March 04, 2025 at 14:00 PM EST

Funds were distributed to 19 organizations in 12 states to pay for food and supplies at clinics, new facilities, training programs, and more

Photos from Grantees can be found here

The Avangrid Foundation, the philanthropic arm of leading energy company Avangrid Inc., a member of the Iberdrola Group, today announced $400,000 in grants to 19 wildlife rehabilitation organizations as part of its Wildlife Rehabilitation Program. This is the largest combined funding award in the program’s nine-year history. Since its inception, the Avangrid Foundation’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Program has now given over $1 million in grants to organizations nationwide.

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Photo of Chimney Swift. Credit: Sharon Audubon

“Avangrid and the Avangrid Foundation are a force for positive change in and around the communities we operate within, from supplying reliable energy to millions of people to helping organizations that protect and conserve wildlife,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “Thanks to the incredible work by the Avangrid Foundation, Avangrid is helping create a brighter future for all.”

This year’s grantees cover 12 states from coast to coast. There are five new grant recipients and 14 returning grant recipients. The funds will support a wide range of efforts, including operational capabilities and expanding outreach to communities within the service area of the Avangrid family of companies to improve knowledge and awareness of wildlife resources.

“Supporting biodiversity is a central area of focus at the Avangrid Foundation. This year’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Program grantees are providing critical care to wildlife and important education in our communities on how to protect wildlife and their habitats,” said Pablo Colón, director of corporate citizenship and executive director of the Avangrid Foundation. “I’m excited for the growth we’ve seen in this program over the last several years and look forward to seeing the impact that these projects will have not only on wildlife but in the communities we serve.”

This year’s grantees will use funds in the following ways:

Beardsley Zoo (Connecticut): Upgrade and expand veterinary equipment for wildlife care improvement, contributing to the health and well-being of over 350 animals at the zoo
Center For Wildlife (Maine): Support for medical supplies, husbandry, and PPE to support the center’s medical clinic operations
Hawks Aloft (New Mexico): Build a full-service raptor rehabilitation medical facility
Liberty Wildlife (Arizona): Construction of additional rehabilitation flight enclosures for raptors
Marine Mammals of Maine (Maine): Support triage and rehabilitation efforts for seals
Mass Audubon (Massachusetts): Hands on nature and wildlife education for local students
National Marine Life Center (Massachusetts): Support rehabilitation of sea turtles and seals
Ojai Raptor Center (California): Support for the Freedom Flight repair project, providing large raptors the space they need to regain their strength and prepare for release back into the wild.
Orange County Bird of Prey Center (California): Support for Fly Like an Eagle, a pre-release conditioning enclosure that will allow recovering raptors to practice the wide banked turns they need to build up all their muscles before heading back to the wild
Pennsylvania Bat Rescue (Pennsylvania): Support for medical and veterinary expenses
Possumwood Acres Wildlife Sanctuary (North Carolina): Reverse the decline of indigenous bat populations through education and rehabilitation
Red Creek Wildlife Center (Pennsylvania): Ensure the uninterrupted care for wildlife with the purchase and installation of a generator that will fully support the clinic operations and wildlife comfort.
Rowena Wildlife Clinic (Oregon): Provide a close-to-nature, high-protein diet for raptors and insectivores
Saving our Avian Resources (SOAR) (Iowa): Support the purchase of a safe transportation vehicle for wildlife rescue and release
Sharon Audubon (Connecticut): Expand the center’s Chimney Swift rehabilitation program and provide an immersive internship opportunity for an early-career conservationist
University of California, Davis (California): Support veterinary training programs for raptor care
Whispering Willow Wildcare (New York): Construction of a new Aviary that was completely demolished when a tree fell on it during a storm
Wild Wings Inc. (New York): Provide free programming for Rochester area students
Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island (Rhode Island): Support for a new otter and sea bird rehabilitation enclosure to provide specialized care for river otters, beavers, minks, muskrats, and diving sea birds

"We're very excited to enter this partnership with Avangrid," said Dan Goldbacher, Executive Director of the Orange County Bird of Prey Center, a first-time recipient. "Avangrid Foundation's commitment to conservation and biodiversity will help us build something we've long dreamed of — a pre-release conditioning enclosure that will allow our recovering raptors to practice the wide banked turns they need to build up all of their muscles before heading back to the wild. A flight mew like the one we're planning will allow us to help even more birds from across southern California as we work to ensure a healthy population of raptors for future generations."

For more information on the Avangrid Foundation, click here.

About Avangrid Foundation: The Avangrid Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that funds philanthropic investments that primarily impact communities where Avangrid, Inc. and its subsidiaries operate. Since 2001, the Avangrid Foundation and its predecessors have invested more than $42.4 million in partnerships that focus on building sustainable, vital and healthy communities; preserving cultural and artistic heritage; advancing education; and improving people’s lives. The Avangrid Foundation is committed to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the United States. For more information, please visit https://www.avangrid.com/avangrid-foundation.

About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. is a leading energy company in the United States working to meet the growing demand for energy for homes and businesses across the nation through service, innovation, and continued investments by expanding grid infrastructure and energy generation projects. Avangrid has offices in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Maine and Oregon, including operations in 24 states with approximately $47 billion in assets, and has two primary lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England and in 2024. Through its renewables business, Avangrid owns and operates more than 75 energy generation facilities across the United States producing over 10.5 GW of power for over 3.1 million customers. Avangrid employs approximately 8,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens in 2025 for the fifth consecutive year. The company was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2024 for the sixth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.

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Avangrid Foundation Awards $400,000 to Wildlife Rehabilitation Organizations

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