Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters

What it reported doing in 2024

See schedule o.programs: protecting the boundary waters canoe area wilderness from proposed copper-nickel mining in the rainy river watershed of northeast Minnesota.on january 26th, 2023, interior secretary deb haaland cemented historic protections for the boundary waters by signing an order to withdraw approximately 225,504 acres of public land in the rainy river watershed of northeast Minnesota from federal mineral leasing for 20 years. The mineral withdrawal order will now ban federal hardrock mineral leasing upstream of the boundary waters and voyageurs national park.the monumental decision ensures future generations of hunters, anglers, and wilderness paddlers will bring their children to fish for lake trout, chase grouse, and share a campfire under the stars in america's most visited wilderness for decades to come. The boundary waters is the most visited wilderness area in the united states, attracting more than 150,000 visitors from across the world. It is a major driver of the regional economy, supporting hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs. A vast collection of peer-reviewed science shows that if a twin metals copper-nickel mine were built along the rivers and streams flowing into the wilderness, pollution and environmental degradation would be certain. A peer-reviewed independent study from harvard university showed that protection of the boundary waters from a proposed twin metals sulfide-ore copper mine would result in dramatically more jobs and more income over a 20-year period.in 2024, sfbw worked with a broad coalition of conservation organizations, outdoor businesses, and supporters across the country. Our shared work with state and national conservation partners is why we've been able to make the impact we have on bwca protection. Sfbw will continue to nurture these relationships to work towards future conservation wins for the boundary waters, Minnesota, and beyond.sportsmen for the boundary waters continues its work at both the state and federal levels, advocating for permanent protection of the boundary waters from copper-nickel mining while educating and uplifting the public on the issue and the boundary waters itself through events, partnerships, and online work.programs: stewardship & habitat initiative - for the better part of a decade, sportsmen for the boundary waters has worked diligently at the Minnesota state capitol, Washington dc, and all over the country advocating for boundary waters protections, something we are enormously proud of. While this will remain one of the pillars we continue to operate under, we've decided that there is a significant enough need here in the arrowhead region of Minnesota to get involved with "boots on the ground" stewardship projects that help improve the region's outdoor experiences.during the summer of 2024, sportsmen for the boundary waters asked the question, "what else can we do for the region we love to hunt and fish so much?" we considered a number of projects around the arrowhead region of Minnesota but, in the end, settled on adopting the pine island wma on lake vermilion. Being less than a mile from the boundary waters canoe area wilderness and needing access and habitat work, it was exactly the type of project we could get behind. This is the first project of sportsmen for the boundary waters' stewardship and habitat initiative, a program that we are excited to implement in multiple spheres in and around the boundary waters with partnering agencies, conservation organizations, and outdoor industry leaders.as a part of the adoption, sfbw accomplished the following through a volunteer event with 50 volunteers participation and over 400 volunteer hours: create access for a difficult-to-reach wma, create and improve a series of hunter walking trails, plant white spruce and red oak trees to improve white-tailed deer wintering habitat, clear canopy to allow for regenerating long lived conifer species to grow and thrive, replace and repair wma signage at

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 82.1%; rating input score 82
• Program expense ratio: 72.1%; rating input score 72
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.91 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 90%; rating input score 90; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• 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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • 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: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -5.7%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.38; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 42.5%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: Limited
• Revenue growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 23rd percentile among comparable filings