By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bross@wisducks.org
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s August, 2022 Newsletter edition.
The Wisconsin Waterfowl Association celebrated its 37th year in 2021. Notwithstanding the specter of the coronavirus pandemic that loomed over the state, nation and world, 2021 proved to be a positive inflection point for the organization’s financial and mission results.
2021 highlights include:
- All local chapters exceeded fundraising goals while achieving noteworthy habitat results.
- WWA led state waterfowling organizations in establishing the pre-eminent gathering of the state’s duckhunters–the Waterfowl Hunters Expo in Oshkosh.
- Habitat efforts that had been slowed by pandemic impacts increased and were boosted by volunteer efforts to grow the number of acres we can restore.
- More effective marketing and greater involvement in important state happenings gave WWA greater visibility.
- Important legislative goals were achieved.
- Successes at the state and chapter level, along with operational efficiencies, allowed us to close 2021’s financial books in our best financial position in over a decade.
- The Better Business Bureau validated WWA’s non-profit management practices and accounting.
In aggregate, WWA is organizationally and financially positioned to make strategic investments that will accelerate the results we deliver for the state’s waterfowlers. This will be important as we grow our pandemic-impacted restoration efforts, address known challenges, and face an uncertain economic future.
This 2021 Annual Report covers the results achieved in each WWA mission area—policy, habitat, education—and our organizational and financial successes. Read WWA’s 2021 Annual Report here.