Give.org logo
Support Give.org
Support Give.org
CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: August 2024 Expires: August 2026

Ducks Unlimited

Standards Not Met
Standards Not Met
6 7 12 19
(800) 453-8257
One Waterfowl Way
Memphis, TN, 38120
https://ducks.org
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Ducks Unlimited does not meet the following 4 Standards for Charity Accountability:

Standard 6 (Board Policy on Effectiveness)
Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

Ducks Unlimited does not meet this Standard because:

  • The board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least every two years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization's performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

Standard 7 (Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness)
Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

Ducks Unlimited does not meet this Standard because:

  • The organization has not completed an effectiveness assessment in the last two years.

Standard 12 (Detailed Functional Breakdown of Expenses)
Include in the financial statements a breakdown of expenses (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) that shows what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities. If the charity has more than one major program category, the schedule should provide a breakdown for each category.

Ducks Unlimited does not meet this Standard because, in the organization's financial statements - consolidated - for the year ended June 30, 2023, the detailed functional breakdown of expenses:

  • Did not include a detailed breakdown of expenses for each of its major program activities (e.g. communications and conferences, education delivery, government relations, etc.).

Standard 19 (Cause Related Marketing)
Clearly disclose how the charity benefits from the sale of products or services (i.e., cause-related marketing) that state or imply that a charity will benefit from a consumer sale or transaction. Such promotions should disclose, at the point of solicitation: (a) the actual or anticipated portion of the purchase price that will benefit the charity (e.g., 5 cents will be contributed to abc charity for every xyz company product sold), (b) the duration of the campaign (e.g., the month of October), (c) any maximum or guaranteed minimum contribution amount (e.g., up to a maximum of $200,000).

Ducks Unlimited does not meet this Standard because, in the past year, the organization participated in an affinity credit card promotion which indicated that the organization would benefit from purchases made with the card. The promotion, however, did not specify:

  • The actual or anticipated amount of the purchase price that would benefit the organization.

Ducks Unlimited meets the remaining 16 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for the benefit of North America's waterfowl."

Year, State Incorporated:
1937, DC

Ducks Unlimited accomplishes its work through four strategically located regional offices (Great Lakes/Atlantic, Great Plains, Southern and Western regions) that pinpoint priority conservation projects and its headquarters in Memphis that provides overarching support and tactical direction for the organization. Ducks Unlimited supports the life cycle of waterfowl in North America by developing, preserving, restoring, and maintaining waterfowl habitats. The organization educates the public about wetlands and waterfowl management through wetlands demonstrations, educational literature, an interpretive center, youth programs, and outdoor conservation exhibits. Ducks Unlimited reports that it serves approximately 644,000 members through education membership materials, Ducks Unlimited magazines, conservation brochures, and educational components of fundraising events. Some ($12,033,969 or 5%) of Ducks Unlimited's programs are conducted in conjunction with informational materials that include fundraising appeals.

For the year ended June 30, 2023, Ducks Unlimited's program expenses were:

Conservation easements: $9,471,250

Government relations: $4,613,183

Ducks Unlimited de Mexico: $1,302,814

Magazine and publication: $4,494,112

Communications and conferences: $8,001,466

Donated educational programming: $14,703,242

Education delivery: $12,033,969

Membership services: $3,487,964

Ducks Unlimited Canada: $16,250,564

U.S. habitat delivery: $188,160,599

Total Program Expenses: $262,519,163

Chief Executive
Adam Putnam, Chief Executive Officer

Compensation*
$538,303

Chair of the Board
Doug Schoenrock

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Director of Foodservice Sales and Marketing, Savannah Food Company

Board Size
65

Paid Staff Size
795

*2021 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Grant proposals, Internet, Direct mail appeals, Radio, Special events, Print advertisements

Ducks Unlimited incurred joint costs of $26,742,154 for informational materials and activities that included fundraising materials. Of those costs, $14,708,185 was allocated to fundraising expenses and $12,033,969 was allocated to program expenses.

Fundraising costs were 13% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $311,794,651, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Ducks Unlimited's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2023.

Source of Funds
Direct response $12,309,036
Major gifts $56,251,597
Planned gift maturities $1,250,000
Licensing and sponsorships $2,262,776
Governmental reimbursements $135,798,248
Non-governmental partnerships $19,304,943
Donated conservation easements $9,471,250
Advertising revenue $2,529,187
Donated educational programming $14,703,242
Spend from investments $5,292,840
Other revenues $72,526
Revolving land contributions $1,360,162
Other quasi-endowment contribution $2,093,810
Unappropriated quasi-endowment earnings $322,884
Special events, net $59,252,363
Total Income $322,274,864

Programs: 84% Fundraising: 13% Administrative: 3%

Total Income $322,274,864
Total expenses: $313,396,852
  Program expenses $262,519,163
  Fundraising expenses $40,991,962
  Administrative expenses $9,885,727
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $8,878,012
Beginning Net Assets $325,751,904
Other Changes In Net Assets $-2,705,675
Ending Net Assets $351,026,856
Total Liabilities $87,458,095
Total Assets $438,484,951

Note 1: According to Ducks Unlimited's audited financial statements - consolidated - for the year ended June 30, 2023, the organization received in-kind contributions totaling $24,174,492 in the form of donated educational programming ($14,703,242) and donated conservation easements ($9,471,250).

Note 2: In the financial section above, "other changes in net assets" refers to net loss on land sales (-$225,151) and net periodic benefit cost other than service cost (-$2,480,524).

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance