Florida · Nonprofit
The Rattlesnake Conservancy
The Rattlesnake Conservancy (Florida) receives grants from 2 organizations whose IRS filings report $2,600 to it, the largest being THE WALTER V AND JUDITH L SHIPLEY FAMILY FOUNDATION ($2,500). 1 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $260k
- Funders on record
- 2
- Grants received
- $3k
- Net assets
- $74k
What The Rattlesnake Conservancy does
Mission
To advance the protection of rattlesnakes and their habitat through research and education.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
Our research programs are focused to provide a measurable on-the-ground conservation impact for imperiled rattlesnake species across the world. Current efforts include ongoing disease monitoring in wild populations of venomous snakes long-term evaluation of artificial refugia sites species recovery efforts for the New Mexico Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake assessing the feasibility of restoring habitat and connectivity between two isolated Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake populations through a collaboration with Dr. Eric Hileman at West Virginia University and assisting Dr. Margres at the University of South Florida in collecting venom samples from Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes across their range to study population dynamics asses species status identify threats and better inform conservation decisions. In addition to our own internal research programs The Rattlesnake Conservancy provides grant funding to researchers around the world whose work aligns with our mission and goals. Since 2020 we have funded projects impacting numerous venomous snake species from the Florida peninsula to the slopes of New York the desert southwest to the barrier islands of southeast Georgia the rainforests…
$94,507 spentof which $13,831 as grants$5,100 earned by the program33% of program spendingOur Education Programs are designed to inspire a lifelong commitment to conservation and cultivate a deep connection with the natural world. We believe that providing environmental education and instilling a love for nature in children plays a vital role in conservation and therefore directly supports our mission. To this end we offer many innovative education programs and experiences for all ages including reptile encounters community outreach events visiting classrooms on-site and off-site field trips day camps guided hikes nature excursions and a native venomous snake display which is open to the public. Additionally we produce activities and materials which support state and national science standards and are available completely free for download on our website. These educator resources help children learn how to identify their native snake species learn how to live safely alongside potentially dangerous wildlife and recognize some of the ecological benefits they provide.
$65,721 spentof which $200 as grants$5,025 earned by the program23% of program spendingOur Training Programs have been taught throughout the United States since 2015 and set the industry standard in safe venomous handling practices. These courses empower individuals and professionals with the skills and equipment they need to respond safely to venomous snakes in their communities through a combination of classroom instruction in important topics like native venomous snake species ecology snake anatomy and physiology reproductive behavior venom toxinology emergency snakebite management captive husbandry and more; with hands on techniques like single hooking double hooking bagging and containing venomous snakes. Examples of people who have taken this course are military personnel land managers first responders zookeepers naturalists gardeners park rangers biologists private herpetoculturists field herpers construction workers physicians environmental consultants photographers and more. We currently offer five unique training courses including the Level 1 Venomous Handling Certification Course the Level 2C: Introduction to Venomous Snakes in Captivity the Level 2R: Introduction to Field and Research Techniques a Continuing Education Certification Course and Venomous…
$123,297 spent$166,991 earned by the program43% of program spendingOther program services, not described on the e-filed return.
$0 spent0% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $283,525.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2018, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2018, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2022 to 2023, from $50k to $526k (+947%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2023 81% · 2024 66% · 2025 0%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
27% of The Rattlesnake Conservancy’s revenue is contributions — more earned-revenue than three-quarters of its peers (88% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 3 of the last 8 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Tiffany Bright
Executive Director
Board chair
Joseph Colbert
Chairman
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990.
The chief executive listed changed between the FY2023 and FY2024 filings.
Who funds it, year by year
2020 → 2023: the base held at 1 funder, grant income held at $23.
1 of 2 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 4% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of The Rattlesnake Conservancy’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
The Rattlesnake Conservancy leans on a few funders — its largest provides 96% of grant income and the top three 100%; half comes from just 1 funder.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 1 funder to its left
Largest funder’s share by year: 2020 100% · 2021 100% · 2022 99% · 2023 100% — broadly stable.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Where its funders are
The Rattlesnake Conservancy draws 100% of its grant income from funders outside Florida, across 1 state in all.
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $100 arriving through sponsors registered in 1 state is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
The Rattlesnake Conservancy has grown faster than three-quarters of the 2,433 environment nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 2,433 environment nonprofits $100k–$1M, FY2025
Government funding The Rattlesnake Conservancy receives
Grants and contracts to this organization from federal (USASpending) and state checkbooks, reconciled to its EIN. $669k on record.
- Department of the Interior$669k
Federal grants vs contracts are distinguished; state line items keep their reported category. Matched by name + geography (the BMF), so coverage is partial and precision-first.
Organizations like The Rattlesnake Conservancy
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Florida
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
88% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
54%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for The Rattlesnake Conservancy: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds The Rattlesnake Conservancy?
- The Rattlesnake Conservancy (Florida) receives grants from 2 organizations whose IRS filings report $2,600 to it, the largest being THE WALTER V AND JUDITH L SHIPLEY FAMILY FOUNDATION ($2,500). 1 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does The Rattlesnake Conservancy have?
- IRS filings report 2 organizations giving $2,600 in grants to The Rattlesnake Conservancy, 1 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of The Rattlesnake Conservancy?
- THE WALTER V AND JUDITH L SHIPLEY FAMILY FOUNDATION is the largest funder on record, with $2,500 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like The Rattlesnake Conservancy find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Florida. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Rattlesnake Conservancy →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2018–2025), and the filings of 2 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing