Project Grant F23AP00028

THE RECENT GROWTH AND POPULARITY OF RECREATIONAL COMPETITIVE SHOOTING SPORTS HAVE CREATED UNPRECEDENTED R3 SUCCESS AND OPPORTUNITIES, PARTICULARLY WITH ROBUST EMERGENCE OF HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGIATE LEVEL SHOOTING TEAMS. YOUTH SHOOTING TEAMS PROVIDE A FERTILE NETWORK FOR MENTORING AND EFFECTIVE R3 SUCCESS INCLUDING LEGITIMATE REACH INTO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND INCREASING DIVERSITY WITHIN THE SHOOTING SPORTS COMMUNITY. WITH THIS GROWTH, HOWEVER, COME UNPRECEDENTED PROBLEMS AND NEEDS. THE CAPACITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FACILITATING EFFECTIVE R3 FOR THE SHOOTING SPORTS ARE LAGGING. HEADWINDS FROM THE PANDEMIC AND ASSOCIATED ECONOMIC STRESSORS ARE THREATENING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THESE PROGRAMS. THESE FACTORS CLEARLY MANIFEST AS REGIONAL AND NATIONAL R3 THREATS. WITHOUT FOCUSED EFFORT TO ADDRESS THESE HEADWINDS, THE GAINS IN PARTICIPATION AND DIVERSITY THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS ARE AT RISK ALONG WITH THE VERY FUNDING THESE PROGRAMS GENERATE FOR CONSERVATION THROUGH THE PURCHASE OF FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION THAT FLOWS THROUGH THE FEDERAL AID IN WILDLIFE RESTORATION PROGRAM.THROUGH THE PROPOSED PROGRAM, DUCKS UNLIMITED (DU) WILL HELP SUSTAIN AND GROW YOUTH SHOOTING TEAMS BY OFFSETTING PROGRAM COSTS (EQUIPMENT, AMMUNITION, COMPETITION ENTRY FEES AND TRAVEL) BY DEPLOYING FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN BE READILY ADOPTED AND DELIVERED BY YOUTH SHOOTING TEAMS AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL AND CAN BE READILY SCALED UP ACROSS THE NATION.OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, DUCKS UNLIMITED DEPLOYED THE TEAM RESOURCES ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TRAP) TO SUPPORT YOUTH SHOOTING SPORTS TEAMS TO HELP THEM SURVIVE THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PANDEMIC AND BROADER ECONOMIC HEADWINDS. TRAP PROVIDES ALL THE INGREDIENTS NECESSARY FOR A TEAM TO CONDUCT A SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING RAFFLE AT NO COST TO THE TEAM. DU IS PASSING ALONG FULL ACCESS TO HIGHLY DISCOUNTED MERCHANDISE PACKAGES, PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED MARKETING FUNDRAISING MATERIALS (POSTERS, RAFFLE TICKETS, SHIPPING MERCHANDISE TO WINNERS), AND GUIDANCE SUPPORT FROM PROFESSIONAL FUNDRAISING STAFF. THE TEAM RETAINS ALL FUNDS RAISED ABOVE THE COST OF DEEPLY DISCOUNTED MERCHANDISE. DU RECEIVES NO FUNDING THROUGH THIS PROGRAM FROM SHOOTING TEAMS.WITH THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, DU IS PREPARED TO ACCELERATE THE PROGRAM IN THE KEY STATES OF WI, MI, MN, IL, IN BY ADDING BOOTS ON THE GROUND SUPPORT. COORDINATORS WOULD ENGAGE COACHES ATTEND 2 TEAM COMPETITIONS PROMOTE THE PROGRAM THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, DU MAGAZINE (2.6M READERSHIP), AND THE DU WEBSITE PROMOTE MENTORED HUNTS THROUGH DU S 57,000 MEMBER VOLUNTEER NETWORK AND STATE LEVEL R3 PROGRAMS CONNECT PARTICIPANTS TO DU HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE VOLUNTEER CHAPTERS AND BUILD R3 MENTORING NETWORKS THAT TRANSLATE DIRECTLY TOWARDS FULFILLING STATE WILDLIFE AGENCY MISSIONS.FUNDING FROM THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE THE SEED MONEY TO HIRE FIVE NEW RECRUITERS FOR THE PROGRAM TO SUPPLEMENT OUR ON THE GROUND STAFF OF THREE. WITHOUT CRITICAL FUNDING FROM THE MULTI STATE CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAM, DU WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO ADD ONE TEAM MEMBER NEXT YEAR, IF THAT.THE BEST PROOF AND VALIDATION OF THE NEED FOR THIS PROGRAM AND POTENTIAL TO ACHIEVE OUTCOMES UNDER R3 CAPACITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE, IS THE TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN PARTICIPATION AFTER LAUNCHING TRAP. OVER THE FIRST TWO YEARS, PARTICIPATION GREW FROM 37 TEAMS TO 158 TEAMS 22 STATES TO 33 STATES AND 1,400 TO 5,200 YOUTH PARTICIPANTS.