PF Spends over $33.8 million in 2006 on Mission Projects

Non-Profit Conservation Group is Nation's Most Efficient

Saint Paul, Minn. - February 07 -

Pheasants Forever (PF) has released its 2006 annual report. Last year marked the most successful year in the non-profit conservation organization's 24-year history. During 2006, PF and its quail division, Quail Forever (QF), spent more money on habitat projects and conservation education than any single year prior. It was also the organization's most successful year in forming new chapters.

Last year, PF/QF spent more than $33.8 million on its mission. Those mission dollars helped PF/QF complete 23,552 habitat projects across the nation in 2006. Those projects are today benefiting wildlife on over 460,000 acres of land. Since the organization's inception in 1982, PF/QF has spent nearly $200 million to complete 4.4 million acres of habitat work. More than 113,000 of those acres were land acquisition projects. All PF/QF land acquisitions are turned over to the appropriate federal and/or state agency and are now open to public hunting.

In addition to habitat efforts, PF/QF funded 500 youth conservation education events with more than 15,000 participants in 2006. Additionally, PF's Leopold Education Project trained over 1,000 participants in 2006.

The $33.8 million total mission expenditures helped PF/QF raise their efficiency rating to 90.9 percent from 90.3 percent in 2005. In other words, PF/QF spent nearly 91 cents of every dollar it raised directly on the organization's mission in 2006. The remaining 9 cents is spent primarily on administration and fundraising functions. This high level of efficiency is tops among national conservation groups and has led Charity Navigator, America's charity watchdog, to award PF/QF with their highest rating of four stars. In fact, Charity Navigator says that PF/QF outperforms most non-profit organizations in America.

Last year also marked the organization's most successful year in forming new chapters. The PF/QF financial model is unique in the conservation world. PF/QF empowers local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent. This local control allows members to see the fruits of their chapter efforts in their own communities, while belonging to a national organization with a voice on federal conservation policy in Washington D.C. Last year, 90 communities responded to this model to form new locally-based chapters. QF saw the majority of this growth with 77 chapters formed in 23 different states. In total, there are over 700 PF/QF chapters across the continent accounting for 115,000 members.

Bob St.Pierre (651)209-4931

Pheasants Forever is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasants, quail and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness and education. Such efforts benefit landowners and wildlife alike.