Nonprofit reinvents its successful event system after crisis forces cancellations

Ducks Unlimited evolved its ongoing fundraising efforts by taking their auctions online.

Ducks Unlimited (DU) chapters across the country are finding new and innovative ways to keep their volunteers and members engaged at a time when many of DU’s popular fundraising events have been postponed. In response to Covid-19 social gathering restrictions, Ducks Unlimited is allowing supporters the opportunity to bid on exclusive merchandise, collectable firearms and excursions online from the comfort of their homes.

Following CDC guidelines, DU has been forced to postpone 1,200 fundraising events so far, and that number could increase to 2,000 by end of June. During a typical year, those banquets, raffle nights and other fundraisers regularly bring in about $17 million in revenue.

To help offset this substantial loss, Ducks Unlimited made the bold move to take its event system online for the first time in the organization’s history. DU will offer its top event items online in 43 state auctions, and they will run for four weeks with new items each week.

“Auction sites across the country will offer different items, and you can bid on auctions outside your state,” said David Schuessler, DU national director of event fundraising. “People in Kansas can put a bid in on what California offers, and vice-versa. Our hope is the uniqueness of these auctions will draw excitement from our regular event attendees as well as the public at large.”

The main draw for these online auctions will be items previously only available in person at DU events. Every year, a national committee selects collectable firearms, decoys, knives, artwork, housewares and other unique DU merchandise for local chapter use. Each event gets only one of each item to auction off.

These events and major donor dollars provide necessary match for the public and private grants that fund DU’s conservation work. Fortunately, that vital conservation work has continued during the current crisis.

“For the next couple of months, we are full steam ahead with previously funded conservation work, which includes engineering wetland restorations, working with producers through regenerative agriculture programs and other forms of habitat conservation,” said DU CEO Adam Putnam. “We are currently planning how we continue that work during the next fiscal year, but nothing about what’s happening right now changes our conservation goals. We are each doing our part to continue our mission to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and their associated habitat.”

DU’s event system is more than a fundraising vehicle, it is the backbone of the volunteer-run organization.

“About 80 percent of our new memberships come from the event system,” Schuessler said. “These new members may be leading our organization in the future.”

All prices within the online auctions include the cost of shipping. Purchased items will be shipped from DU’s National Headquarters in Memphis, Tenn., once local shelter-in-place orders are lifted. All local, state and federal laws apply to firearm purchases.

To access an auction, visit www.ducks.org, click the “my state” link, choose your state and click on the auction banner.