Where does the money go?
Shawn Swearingen for SPLIT REED
Cover Photo: Travis Smith
There are a lot of directions that our money gets pulled: the latest gear, ammo, dogs, occasional guided trips. One of the areas that would be remiss is the conservation organizations that help preserve access, conduct scientific research and advocate for hunters. How do you choose who and know how they work? Here is a closer look at three organizations that support waterfowl to see how your dollar is spent.
Ducks Unlimited is an organization that most of us are familiar with and likely a part of already. They have helped protect and restore more than 15 million acres of habitat since 1937. These 15 million acres, along with almost 950 million under protective agreements in the Boreal Forest, provide the foundational habitat for waterfowl breeding, migrating, and wintering each year. In addition to funds being raised from donations at local and regional dinners, shooting clay events, etc. national and corporate donations also make their efforts possible. In the 2020 Fiscal Year, 83% of the budget went towards waterfowl and wetlands conservation, science, and education per the public annual report. When it comes to the funding of projects, unrestricted dollars- that is those that aren’t given for specific targets, are allocated to DU’s highest priorities. Restricted dollars, such as corporate gifts and from major donors, go to projects that they are given toward or restricted to, which can also include their highest priorities.
Given the breadth of the organization’s size, DU does a good job informing donors of the projects that are undertaken, which you can find online here, sorting by either flyway or state. How these projects are determined and where they are located is a detailed process. “Ducks Unlimited has priority focus areas that are based on the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and our International Conservation Plan (ICP) that guide us to make habitat investments where we get the greatest biological return on our supporters' dollars. The Board has directed us to work in all states, therefore we also work across the country based on partner needs and requests [state wildlife agencies, USFWS, and private landowners] to develop projects and provide funding that can be used to leverage available federal and state funds,” according to Dr. Steve Adair, Ducks Unlimited Chief Scientist. Additionally, Ducks Unlimited spent $4.3 million last year on science program priorities determined by the ICP, which is updated by their science teams and approved by the volunteer Board of Directors.
Photo: Phil Kahnke
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) usually associated with western landscapes and mountain ranges. However, they stay in the mix for waterfowlers thanks to their efforts in hunter access to public lands and being a key advocate at national and local levels. BHA is the newest kid on the block of the three groups but in the time since their founding in 2004, they have amassed over 40,000 members with local chapters across the country.
While not small by any means, the newness of the organization does provide it some additional ability to be transparent. All three non-profits provide their financial statements and annual reports of the respective organization online. BHA provides detailed transparency (2019 Annual Report) with 93.6% of their expenses ($4.4 million) going to the programs. At the local chapter level of the organization, the money they raise they get to keep and the funds utilized as they see fit for local habitat projects, supporting advocacy, and volunteer projects. For joint fundraising activities between local chapters and national BHA, the revenue is split 50/50.
When asked about how programs are selected, BHA Conservation Director John Gale states, “We determine our involvement and investment in projects and campaigns by the greatest need and where BHA can make the biggest difference or bring something meaningful or unique that others aren’t. We make our decisions together between staff and chapter leaders.”
BHA has an effective advocacy history working to secure the future of programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund which provides the resources for acquisitions and easements that create new public access. Similarly, they advocated for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) which was reauthorized last Congress, advocated for the Clean Water Act and protections afforded to wetlands [which U.S. definitions of critical waters were eroded by previous Administration, leaving the prairie pothole region entirely vulnerable to pollution and industrial run-off and was needed given the current North Dakota drought], and focus on waterfowl production areas with chapters to promote the health of habitat along the entirety of flyways.
Photo: Ryan Askren
Delta Waterfowl is another leader in conservation with a focus on waterfowl and an emphasis on research. The organization, following its founding principles going back to 1911, puts 87% of its budget to programs and chiefly scientific research. Like the other organizations, Delta is also composed of local chapters that can spend 15-20% of their net income locally. The more successful they are, the more they have available to reinvest on those local projects that are important to members. According to Brad Heidel, Delta’s Sr. Director of Marketing and Corporate Relations, “A large portion of our mission work is spent on duck production - putting more ducks over decoys. The balance is then directed towards hunter advocacy, HunteR3 [recruitment, retention, and reactivation of hunters] and waterfowl habitat.”
For the science behind waterfowl conservation, anyone that follows Delta’s social media can see how engaged and active they are. The banding process, nesting habitat, and conditions monitoring along with predator management are reminders to the public at large, not just the members, of the critical work. In addition to the research, Delta is also engaged in advocacy efforts at the state and federal levels. “We use policy to best secure increased accessibility for duck hunters. Most recently those efforts were with the US Fish & Wildlife Service to open many refuges across the U.S. to public hunting. A great win for duck hunters and all that are now able to enjoy those areas.,” mentioned Brad Heidel.
Like any long-term investment, it is imperative to know how your time and money are being utilized by groups that you are connected with. If you want your dollars to go to national projects, have a chance to be spent locally, or have a focus on the scientific aspect these three groups have you covered. They are a vital part of conservation and without us, these organizations can’t operate. Become involved, ask questions, and know how your dollars are being utilized in the way you intended.
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