Charity Watchdog Says Pro-Hunting Non-Profits Outperform All Other Charities

Conservation groups promoting the protection of wildlife and game lands for hunters and fisherman operate more efficiently than the average charitable group, according to a recent study conducted by Charity Navigator, America’s largest charity evaluator. Of the nine hunting and fishing groups listed in Charity Navigator’s database of more than 3,600 501(c)(3) organizations, seven are rated as 3- or 4-star charities, and the other two groups earned 2 stars each.

In general, conservation groups excelled in limiting administration expenses (6.1%) and maximizing the percentage of donations that are applied to intended causes (84.3%). The following are the nine conservation groups that Charity Navigator reviewed: U. S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, Pheasants Forever, Quail Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, International Game Fish Association, and the California Waterfowl Association.

Details revealed by the study include: • Outdoor conservation charities are among the most efficient at using donors’ money. The average conservation group spends more on programs and less on administration expenses than other charities examined by Charity Navigator. • Hunting and fishing charities are growing. These groups are growing their revenues at a substantially faster rate than other charities.

The average hunting/fishing charity has grown by 17 percent over the last several years, whereas the average charity’s revenue has only grown by 5.6 percent. • Conservation charities have limited rainy-day funds. If income dried up tomorrow, the average outdoor conservation charity could sustain its programs and services for little more than 6 months. Comparatively the average charity evaluated by Charity Navigator has enough liquid assets to maintain its level of spending more than a year and a half.

Charity Navigator is best known for its ratings, accessible at no charge at of the financial health of 3,600 of America’s best-known charities. Using publicly available tax returns (forms 990) filed with the Internal Revenue Service, the Charity Navigator rating system evaluates a charity’s financial health based on two broad areas, organizational efficiency and organizational capacity. Based on how the charity rates in each of the two areas, it is assigned an overall rating, ranging from zero to four stars.

The Charity Navigator website offers complementary tools and features to help donors make informed choices about where their contributions will be used most effectively. By accepting no advertising or donations from the organizations it evaluates, Charity Navigator ensures that its evaluations are unbiased. Editor Keith Lawrence Technical