Become a Major Sponsor

Ducks Unlimited's major sponsors are conservation champions who make significant pledges toward work in any of DU's initiative areas, individual states or even specific projects that further the organization’s wetland conservation mission.
 
The donor-directed funds are then matched (often at ratios of 3:1 or greater) with additional monies from state and federal grants and other partners to ultimately build the significant sums needed for wetland and grassland conservation. Nationwide, major sponsor philanthropy accounted for roughly 33 percent of DU’s fiscal year 2022 annual operating revenue.
 
The revenue generated through Wyoming's chapter event system is designated as "unrestricted income," and as such, may be utilized across DU's highest organizational needs and priorities. DU sends approximately 15 percent of these unrestricted dollars to Canada for work on the critical nesting areas of the provincial Prairie Pothole Region. The remainder supports general operational costs or is apportioned out across the U.S. according to priorities driven by DU's science and ongoing research. DU has built an enviable 86-year history of putting its resources wherever it provides the greatest benefit for waterfowl, other wildlife and people.
 
While Wyoming has marvelous habitat of many varieties, breeding waterfowl habitats are not predominant, and the majority of waterfowl routing through the state visit almost exclusively for rest and refueling during their spring and fall migrations. While a migration pit stop ultimately plays an important role in nesting success, Wyoming's wetlands rank a bit lower on the funding priority scale compared to crucial nesting and wintering areas elsewhere on the continent, or the breeding grounds, which remain DU's highest-priority landscape.
 
By making a pledge to any of Wyoming's DU initiatives, major sponsors fill an indispensable role in the development of habitat projects across our state and elsewhere. These gifts provide the important private funding required for DU projects in the running to receive additional grant support under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust Fund (WWNRTF) and numerous other conservation partners, corporations and foundations.
 
Wyoming DU's conservation staff has proven marvelously effective in securing matching grant monies and used it to help propel significant growth in the state's conservation accomplishments since 2016. To continue seeing this gratifying work requires an ongoing stream of new major sponsor funds.
 
Please consider becoming a Wyoming Ducks Unlimited major sponsor. The continued work on the state's critical wetland conservation projects quite literally depends on it.
 
For more information on the Ducks Unlimited major sponsor program, contact:
Chris Hildebrandt (northern and western Wyoming): childebrandt@ducks.org, (406) 203-2503
Jordan Brown (southeastern Wyoming): jdbrown@ducks.org, (970) 568-6832