Native American Fish & Wildlife Society

What it reported doing in 2025

Trainings, workshops & technical assistance: we provided direct services to 369 federally recognized tribes and served 5,026 participants (sum of all attendees and interactions, including repeat customers) in 2025. This included 71 trainings, workshops & webinars throughout the year on topics such as climate resilience, invasive species, nepa, wildlife chemical immobilization, threatened and endangered species, grant writing and wildlife disease sampling. Tribal conservation law enforcement: throughout 2025, nafws provided tribal conservation law enforcement officers (cleos) trainings to supplement and/or achieve annual training requirements or to provide officers with advanced law enforcement training to safely and successfully carry out their duties as sworn peace officers. In total 148 cleos received training representing 66 tribes. Trainings topics included waterfowl identification, hunt safe, human/wildlife conflict management, tactical medical training, defense tactics, legal updates, and firearm training.habitat connectivity: the intent of this work is to assist wildlife movement between habitats and areas while minimizing mortality risk and human encounters. At times it is necessary for tribal communities to collaborate with federal, state, or other tribal entities, to address corridor concerns on tribal lands. During 2025, the wildlife connectivity coordinator (wcc) developed contacts with a total of 113 tribes across 25 states. The wcc focused on providing technical assistance to tribes working on wildlife connectivity and creating federal policy and management recommendations that improve the capacity and inclusiveness related to wildlife migration conservation. This work is being conducted via regular tribal-only working group meetings that address current migration issues, project implementation, and/or local success stories in managing ungulate species. Invasive species: the invasive species team help build tribal capacity to manage invasive species and implement early detection and rapid response (edrr) and management capabilities. The invasive species team served 229 contacts representing 128 tribes through club meetings, direct technical assistance and in-person trainings. Fish & wildlife biologists: biologists provided technical assistance and training to native american and Alaska native tribes to identify invasive species, monitor wildlife disease changes, support endangered species programming, develop partnerships, and develop a resource bank to assist tribes in protection of their environmental resources and populations. Huntsafe program: the nafws huntsafe program was officially certified through the international hunter's education association in november 2022. In 2025, the hunt safe instructor course included 122 attendees representing 48 tribes completing the instructor courses. Alaska tribal climate resilience: the Alaska tribal climate resilience liaison (tcrl) team made up of a senior tcrl and two assistant tcrls. We also hosted an Alaska native intern focused on climate resilience in ak. The team held workshops on various climate related topics. Research and publications committee: the nafws research and publication committee (rpc) was established in 2021 due to concerns regarding research on and about tribal lands, resources, and people. The purpose of the rpc is to aid tribal fish and wildlife professionals to navigate, pursue, and apply the different aspects of contemporary research-related issues including research guidance, data sovereignty, professional growth, funding, publications, and academia involvement. In 2025 the rpc team worked on development of a publication "from the field elevating indigenous knowledge".grants team: in 2025, the grants team, composed of a director of operations and two grant field liaisons provided direct technical services and helped seek out and apply for funding opportunities with the goal of getting more funds directed towards tribal fish and wildlife progra

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 76.1%; rating input score 76
• Program expense ratio: 86.4%; rating input score 86
• Fundraising efficiency: $33.93 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 12.5%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.41; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.55; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.9%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 20.5% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 16% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 17.5% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings