Project purpose:recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) through marketing is the projects purpose

This $283,810.62 federal Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the Multistate Conservation Grant Program (CFDA 15.628) aims to increase participation in hunting and target shooting through marketing efforts in 5 trial state fish and wildlife agencies.

The Wildlife Management Institute (WMI), the prime grantee, will provide $50,000 subawards to each of the 5 state agencies to implement marketing campaigns focused on recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and target shooters within their state. The state agencies, including Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife, will develop and execute their own state-specific marketing strategies and campaigns, which will be evaluated through case studies to share best practices. The goal is to increase participation and license sales through these targeted state-level marketing efforts, while also building the capacity of the state agencies to innovate and improve their R3 marketing techniques.

Activities

The association for conservation information (ACI) along with wildlife management institute (WMI) will openapplications for states to apply for subaward grant funds for a marketing campaign that they would like to do. We will select the 5 best proposals as scored by ACI WMI committee and implement them. The 5 trial sfwas will complete their marketing campaigns within the 2025 calendar year and develop a case study.

Expected outcomes

1. Increased participation as indicated by engagement with marketing assets and number of licenses sold linked to campaign.2. Case studies for other states to learn from.3. Help states learn marketing strategies and TRY new things. This project will further develop the ability of sfwa to innovate and continually improve R3 marketing techniques. Over the 2020-2024 awarded R3 marketing grants, we have an established working committee and 20 states have been able to put $1 million toward marketing tactics that have accomplished R3. The case studies outline the successes and challenges of each $50,000 project and detail the increase in participation where possible. Over the past several years we have proven this program through helping states invest in marketing and assisting them in implementing effective, trackable campaigns that are tied directly to increasing participation. This year we expect the same. The grant funds will increase participation in hunting and target shooting in a measurable way as has been done in every year this has been funded. This program continues to be one that teaches through case studies and increases participation in a proven way also increasing the effectiveness of our conservation funding system.deliverables: 1. 5 marketing campaigns that will increase participation in 5 trial states.2. R3 stats for number of people impacted by these campaigns.5. 5 case studies from the 5 trial states.there is still a great need to increase marketing efforts and TRY new experimental efforts and share thesuccesses and challenges of doing those efforts using marketing to accomplish R3.

Intended beneficiaries

5 trial states will be beneficiaries. Every state can learn from these projects that can be replicated in any state if they are successful or learn from the challenges that are faced. People that will be recruited, retained, or reactivated! Subrecipients will be associated with the project. Depending on the trial state projects chosen, subrecipients could include state agencies, a state agency foundation, marketing firm, or other related firm.