By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bruceross@wi.rr.com

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s June, 2021 Volunteer Newsletter edition.

This newsletter is intended to keep our most committed members – our volunteers – up to speed on our organization, our plans, activities and collective impact.  We have another, larger newsletter that goes out to members and other interested peoples who may be somewhat less concerned about the internal workings of WWA.

With this article, I‘ll be sharing our emerging strategy for growing WWA’s impact around the state, and how volunteers are the single-biggest component of that growth strategy.  It’ll be a kind of test for me to capture in one article how I see the remainder of my time in this job playing out. I write this, mindful of the adage “Men plan, God laughs.”

I came to this position as Executive Director a little more than two years ago with some ideas on how to help make WWA more impactful across the state.  But those were ideas based on an incomplete understanding of WWA, and how it functions.  I knew I would spend the first-year figuring that out (and really, I’m still at it), and the second year would be formulating plans and getting buy-in from the WWA team.

The universe had other thoughts: COVID hit, and like a lot of non-profits, we went into survival mode.  And we survived in pretty good shape, with enough bench strength and financial reserves to invest in WWA’s future. So now I’m back to looking hard at building that future with you.  Here’s my game plan, built on the observations of the current state of WWA observed in my first two years.  Let me know what you’re thinking.

Current State:

• Mission – WWA has been around for 37 years now and has defined a really nice niche supporting the state’s waterfowlers. This history garners significant respect in certain circles, but large numbers of waterfowlers can’t identify WWA.
  • Our unique focus on smaller, frequently private wetlands is critical to the future of producing Wisconsin ducks, and we have real talent in that role, but much more is needed: Small-scale projects that collectively impact at a landscape level is required.
  • WWA can be an good advocate for our waterfowlers on some issues, but strength of our “voice”, capacity for additional issues, and depth of member engagement is limited.
  • Some phenomenal pockets of educational excellence exist, but are too limited in scope to impact the state’s educational challenges.  A terrific newsletter with broad distribution and growing social medial presence offers a wealth of educational tools.
• Organization: We are the only duck organization focused exclusively on Wisconsin and staffed/organized to deliver results at that state-level. This is a strong competitive advantage for WWA, but our footprint does not include the entire state.
  • Membership approaches only 10% of the state’s waterfowlers with uneven geographic distribution.
  • WWA’s structure for staff, board of directors and chapters makes sense – but key individuals in each are stretched, making structure fragile overall. More capacity is needed.
• Resources: WWA currently has a relatively strong balance sheet allowing some limited investment in the organization. We are now being financially successful with our full plate of local events.   But they are not so strong that survival is guaranteed. Nor does it allow the large-scale investment needed to optimize our state-wide impact.
  • Financial: Our heavy dependence on event revenues introduces organizational risk, without deep financial reserves.
  • Staff: Our staff is small, mission-focused, and very dedicated but is at capacity. Compared to similar organizations, compensation is at the low end of scale, making retention and in-kind replacement a risk.
  • Volunteer: Superb contingent of creative, committed volunteers at all levels, but more is needed to have a state-wide impact.  WWA’s state-based, mission-focused organization allows engagement of a wide-range of volunteer interests beyond fundraising, a huge advantage. But supporting this volunteer engagement demands energy, and mission impact that is heavily dependent on volunteers is not a sustainable organizational capacity.

Things we need to do…

   Externally:

1. Wetlands: Grow habitat program capacity to measurably impact Wisconsin duck production.
2. Policy: Bring a strong and respected grassroots voice to Madison and local decisions on issues important to duck hunters.
3. NexGen Hunters: Expand throughput of hunters.
4. Representation: Expand membership and brand awareness throughout the state.

    Internally:

5. Financial: Diversify and strengthen revenue streams to build financial resiliency.
6. Grassroots: Help chapters be more successful and build bench strength.
7. Capacity: Build capacity to absorb and support expanded volunteer engagement opportunities.

How will we accomplish these “needs”?

• Fertilize the overlap between volunteer interests and organizational needs at the state and local chapter levels.
• Leverage existing communication channels for education and exposure.
• Lead the Waterfowl Hunters EXPO to gain visibility with state and industry waterfowling persons.
• Structure state-level committees to bring volunteer energy and capacity to:
  • Helping chapters be even more successful.
  • Establishing a membership focus to grow our brand and attract new membership.
  • Building the next generation of committed waterfowlers.
  • Identifying priority programs to attract donors.
  • Investing energy in high return revenue initiatives.

Identifying what needs to be done is easy, right?  Doing them is the tough part. We have taken some strides towards these “destinations”, but there’s a lot more to do.  You can play an important role, just let me know how you’d like to get involved.