Financials

2022 Annual Report

Fiscal Year 2022 has been a year of transition for the National Wild Turkey Federation: a good year financially, a year of in-person events and growth in membership, a strong finish to the Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative and a transition of our president and CEO.

The NWTF came through a pandemic in a stronger financial position than we entered due to the dedication, commitment and generosity of our members and staff. We have replenished our cash reserves, managed our revenue and expenditures with far less risk and did not need to borrow operating cash for the second year in a row. Additionally, philanthropic giving increased, and with the generosity of Mr. Jimmy Wilkins, the NWTF was able to start an endowment to safeguard our future!

State chapters once again were able to allot a portion of their Super Fund allocations to mission delivery. While many projects were slow to get ramped back up after the pandemic, together we conserved more acres than ever in 2022. With a strong final year of the 10-year campaign, the Save the Habitat. Save
the Hunt. initiative concluded with a grand total of 5,216,914 conserved or enhanced acres, 700,041 acres opened to hunting/ recreational use and 1,534,819 new or lapsed hunters engaged. Congratulations to the entire Flock on this incredible achievement!

The excitement of coming together for in-person events was once again enjoyed across the nation. While attendance at events was still a bit lighter than pre-pandemic numbers, spending and giving were up! In Nashville, we once again held our National Convention and Sport Show with over 52,000 attendees. The ability to safely gather the Flock to renew friendships, raise money and carry out our mission was a welcome reprieve from the two prior years.

Fiscal Year 2022 was also a year of planning and investment. Our National Board of Directors and staff leaned into strategic planning for our future. The outcome is a greater focus on the four key elements of our strategic plan. This plan was developed with the input of our volunteers and staff and set priorities for our future work, focusing on healthy wild turkey populations, healthy habitats, passing on our hunting and outdoor lifestyle and investing in the NWTF. We were able to invest in a new website and technology upgrades, resume salary adjustments for staff to stay competitive and allocate research funding for healthy turkey populations. While COVID-19 forced us to make many business changes rapidly, this strategic plan sharpens our long-term focus on the future.

2022 also saw gains in policy work with the implementation of the Great American Outdoors Act and House passage of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act both included unprecedented funding for forest health and conservation programs. A Supreme Court decision regarding guns in New York resulted in several states passing statutes that restricted our ability to carry out our mission delivery with youth and hold fundraising events. These laws are a reminder that we must continue to share our expertise with elected officials at all levels so our tremendous mission can live on.

Through this year, we also planned for a transition in leadership. President Robert Higginbotham handed over the presidency to Bryan Perry in February of 2022 following our convention. In May, the Board announced the selection of co-CEOs Jason Burckhalter and Kurt Dyroff to replace Becky Humphries as she retires in February 2023. As any good relay team knows, a smooth handoff is critical to maintaining momentum, and we are all working hard to ensure the tremendous momentum we experienced in FY 2022 is carried forward and accelerated into 2023 for our 50th Anniversary year.

Thank you for your commitment to the NWTF and our great mission!