Major Announcements for our Members
We have been pretty quiet, over the last month or so, and with good reason.
In the past weeks, our board of directors has undergone restructuring (new board member announcements, coming soon!) and held special meetings to address the needs of our members and updates to our programming strategy.
After considering the data, economic realities, and the effect of the political climate on conservation organizations and projects, we are announcing these changes to our programming - with more on the way:
1. Business member dues are, effectively immediately, simplified and reduced.
Businesses with <$5M in gross sales will now only pay $300, annually.
A savings scaling from $0 - $1700 for members currently in this bracket
Businesses with >$5M in gross sales will now only pay $2000, annually.
A savings of $1000 - $3000 and up for members currently in this bracket.
All best practice discounts and referral discounts are still in effect.
Included are legacy “2%” members, who have until the end of 2026 to update their “2%” branded packaging and reporting to our FWV program (essentially, a certification badge swap and way less annual paperwork).
This change will help our members reinvest in their teams and communities during these very challenging economic times, and moving forward into the future.
The update also also applies to any members that already submitted their recertification information for the year.
No one will have to pay the old dues rates to recertify.
2. In 2026, we are refining the focus of our programming to stand in the project gap between average people and the conservation work that needs to be done in the field for wildlife.
Our business and individual memberships will be enhanced by a refined focus and strategic partnerships we are currently working to put in place to help even more “average people do extraordinary things for wildlife.”
More details on that strategic plan will be released to our membership and the public before the end of the year, but we can share two parts of it, now:
We have removed the members-only “member tools” page of our website and will be sharing all wildlife volunteering best practices freely and through more readily accessible channels, moving forward. Not everyone can afford a membership, and that should not be a barrier to any individual or business that wants to get out and volunteer safely and effectively for wildlife.
At the end of October, Jared Frasier’s role was changed from “Executive Director” to “Program Director”. This was at Jared’s request, to allow for more flexibility for the organization to change and adapt in the current and future economic and political climates.
Rest assured, at a time when it might be attractive to batten down the programming hatches to try and weather the current storm, we are pointing our small-but-mighty “ship” directly into it.
We would love for you to come along with us.