Ducks Unlimited - Thoughts?

[RoninPA]

Anyone a member of DU? Do they actually do what they say they do (saving wetlands and such)? I get requests for donations regularly (like every week) and if they really do "provable" things to save wetlands and such, I'd have to think about donating. But if they can't prove to me (show me where they have done good, how much they spent to do it, etc.), then I'd call it a scam to part my money from me like a lot of other places (beware of Kars for Kids, they now are soliciting for real estate donations, and check how much the top people are getting paid per year)

 

[gnappi]

Before I consider donating to a non profit I look up the executive compensation packages and figure out how many donations it takes just to pay their generous salary, and then move along.

 

[WAYNO]

calling @Bear Paw Jack

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I was an area chairman for a few years, raised over a $million for them. I don't remember the exact percentages but I'm not even a duck hunter, and I believe it's a well run conservation organization, and I worked very hard for them (no pay). Over time I contributed a fairly sizable chunk, I'm a life sponsor, which is the only way I could have done it. I had Dick Butkus, and Mr Will Primos as guest speakers. Neither charged us anything and contributed substantially.
I know if you have them privately it can get very expensive. Almost got Morgan Freeman but couldn't merge our schedules.
I hope that helps.

My last year as Chairman was 2012 and my memory isn't what it once was so I'm foggy on specific percentages, but can assure you I wouldn't have worked that hard for any other organizations.

 

[kmoore]

I also was a chairman in Oregon 9 years, before on the committee to raise money. Went to fund raising event for about 20 years. I did all that because during those years 88 to 91 percent of all money raised went to wetland rehab and restoration. They donate some funds to states and feds to help fix wetlands. Some is also on private property.
I dropped the ball when I moved to Idaho about following up here.
Nearly all people in the DU are volunteers. I did want to help after I read more about where the money really goes. And it was pay back for 30 years of duck hunting. Maybe go online and check. I am still a member but not active. If you become a member their magazine talks about projects, fund raising and moneys spend. I believe it's a good place to donate money. It not only helps ducks but all wildlife sharing wetlands.
It is a non-profit and does heavy mailing to raise money.

 

[arfmel]

There’s a website called “Charity Navigator” that lets you check out organizations you are considering supporting.

 

[Fox Mike]

They have done a lot of work in the Upper Bay area of the Chesapeake. Our local Boy Scout Troop (965), which I helped start many years ago, has their (Ducks Unlimited) permission to use their Green Wing Teal logo on our neckerchiefs.

 

[MaxMan]

I have been to a couple of the banquets. I won an H&R Greening 20Ga, as a door prize.

 

[peachhead]

CEO salary per Propublica.

363K- 2022
481K- 2023
633K- 2024

 

[RoninPA]

Great info, I really appreciate hearing from people who have actually worked with them. I haven't really heard anything negative about them (unlike some other organizations) so I'll probably send them something.

 

[MaxMan]

does this count?

signed by master distiller and master taster

How do you really feel.?

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I belonged in the 80's and 90's.....still have most of the magazines in storage. DU had a nice mag. Great articles and pics. I was into training upland dogs back then so the training stuff was really interesting. I was once "gifted" a beautiful limited edition Ducks Unlimited Browning A5 by a very well known decoy carver who won many awards a DU Dinners for his carvings......but could not accept it for certain reasons. He had already gifted me a very expensive pup......that A5 needed to go to his Son. Was hoping he could patch it up with him and do so, but lost touch after I received orders to the East Coast.

 

[Yaworski]

CEO salary per Propublica.

363K- 2022
481K- 2023
633K- 2024

It pays to work for a charity.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

signed by master distiller and master taster

C'mon Bee.....all unopened....no Master Drinker?

 

[XUSNORDIE]

there is evidence to support that.. but I don't want to totally hijack thread

Ha! Caution Acknowledged Sir.......

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

It pays to work for a charity.

I think you are missing the point, as a percentage of what they raise it's actually in the ball park.

As for pay, the president of the ASPCA gets $1 million a year.

The way DU purchases things like that is by bid. They might go to 8-12 whiskey manufacturers for maybe 3000 bottles and check out the presentation of the product and the price and then a number of people on the committee vote on what’s purchased.

The same thing was done in several categories. Each individual committee can go out and procure any amount of items they can get.
I was chairman of our event for 7 years. It started out as (the typical size) a 100 person event. The last three years we had to go Friday night and Saturday night to get everyone in. We called Friday night Military night, because I wanted them exposed to DU and that was 600 people. Saturday night was approaching 1000 people. We used 10 tops but the first half hour we had to have event servers available to add chairs, and service for tables that invited more than 10 people. Out of the 94 or so tables over 2/3 of them were corporate tables, minimum price of $2500, up to $15,000.
In the 7 years I was involved I purchased well over 1000 guns from various manufacturers.
The last 3 years was over 300 guns just at each one of these events.
Just to give you an idea of some of the big prizes in the live auction:
Yamaha Grizzly
Trip to Tuscany for 4 (pay your own flight) for 7 nights
safari to South Africa
date night package at McKinley Chateau and 2 other choices.
Seward Halibut trip for 6
Browning Synergy Eurosport shotgun
Lab Puppy with training package
Argentina dove hunt
Winchester 1895 hi grade Theodore Roosevelt commemorative
Bahama beach front retreat for 8
Kodiak adventures lodge cast and blast
south Dakota pheasant hunt for 4 for 3 days,
And much more art work, more high end guns, etc.
What I knew is I had more than one of multiple prizes and if two people were fighting it out we could magically offer them both for the high bid price.
We had a ticket that for $1500 you can be a guaranteed winner and included you would win a gun, a $500 pack of raffle ticket (which cost us nothing) entry to the event and dinner. We would sell over 100 of these. We would draw 10 names at a time and they would come up to the display and pick which gun they would “win”.
Our biggest prize was a brand new Toyota Tundra
Partially donated by the dealer, we paid the rest.
There were several events close to this category that brought in a lot of money. Ours wasn’t even the largest. One event you couldn’t even buy a ticket, it was by invitation only.
DU’s events raise a lot of money for conservation.
Part of the funds went to local projects.

Our small state has several events and it really adds up.

This isn’t how good I am, it takes a lot of people to pull something like this off. So DU is a very large organization that saves hundreds of acres of wetlands around the country annually.
It’s why I was involved and it draws a lot of people that are willing to spend a lot of money to support the projects.

 

[Yaworski]

I think you are missing the point, as a percentage of what they raise it's actually in the ball park.

Not at all, you're missing the point.

People who work for charities should care more about the mission than feathering their nest. Take a decent wage to live comfortably and let the rest go to the mission.

I know that few would do that but it would be nice.

 

[Danjet500]

I always buy the raffle tickets for their fundraisers in my area. Two years ago my two brothers and I took them for five guns. I won one but my older brother won three! Just bought tickets for the next raffle on April 5. Wish me luck!

 

[Huntfish918]

Ducks Unlimited has bought or conserved over 19 million acres of critical wetlands since 1937.
Delta Waterfowl has bought or conserved over 15 million acres of critical wetlands since 1937.
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has bought or conserved over 9 million acres of critical habitat and migration corridors since 1984.

 

[somorris]

Personally, I think DU is a great organization. But similar to the NRA, if members don’t stay involved, the leadership can stray. “Trust, but verify.”

 

[peachhead]

Not at all, you're missing the point.

People who work for charities should care more about the mission than feathering their nest. Take a decent wage to live comfortably and let the rest go to the mission.

I know that few would do that but it would be nice.

That's what I have always thought too.

However I will say "good" philanthropy execs are usually paid pretty well, i.e. the more money they bring in, the more money they make. Also they're apt to be generally not committed to whatever cause they are working for, it's all about the money.