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In case you haven’t heard, the Big Rock Sports Conservation Foundation (BRSCF or “The Foundation”) is off to a great start. In its first six months of operation, BRSCF has been set up as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, created a separate board of directors from its parent company, met monthly to review revenues, allocated funding requests to a wide variety of organizations (more to follow on this) and developed other revenue streams to grow the Foundation.
One such revenue stream— the “Round-Up” or “Add-on” feature to every order retailers place with parent company Big Rock Sports —is working very well. As of July, over 3,600 transactions by almost 700 unique retailers has led to donations ranging from rounding up to the nearest dollar on up to $20.00 per order. This has raised thousands of dollars for BRSCF for distribution to industry-related causes. As the momentum continues to build, we are hoping many more Big Rock Sports customers will join the program. It’s as simple as the click of a button at the end of an order and can be set up to automatically add to every order in the future. Please consider opting “IN” the next time you place an order through Big Rock Sports. Your donations are tax-deductible, and you can download and print a summary of your donations at any time.
Other revenue streams are also in the works. At the upcoming September Big Rock Sports Outdoor Expos in Orlando, FL and St. Cloud, MN , there will be silent auctions in place where retailers, vendors and employees can bid on products donated by vendors and Big Rock Sports. 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Foundation.
Also, at the January 2019 Big Rock Outdoor Sports Expo in Nashville, there will be a vendor VIP summit with both a live and silent auction including products, prizes and trips to bid on, with the proceeds going to the Foundation. Lastly, during the January 2019 Expo, customers, vendors and staff can purchase custom T-shirts commemorating each year’s Expo, with 100 percent of the funds going to BRSCF.
There are other ways customers can contribute as well. For example, Brent Kane from Fish Heads of Stuart, FL recently held a customer seminar night where they raised $375 through hosting a cash bar at the event. They then gave a matching $375 from the store, donating a total of $750 to the BRSCF. Thank you, Brent and everyone at Fish Heads, for your creative thinking and donation to the foundation.
So, where does all this money go? In the first six months of operation, requests from third party organizations and causes have come through Big Rock Sports employees, customers, trade associations, other foundations and some vendors.
Part of the criteria that the BRSCF board of directors considers is if the request is related to outdoor fishing, boating, camping, shooting sports and hunting. Also, is it related to exposing young people or returning military veterans about the great outdoors and does the activity help grow participation in the sport? Individual donations from $500 to $1,000 and higher have been given out each month.
Here is a sampling of some of the requests from organizations the Foundation has funded:
- Camp Needles in the Pines: Outdoor activities for children with diabetes.
- Valor and Honor Outdoors: Military veterans fishing trips with product donations for every participant in 10 states, from NC to SD to WA.
- The Land Trust for Central NC: Employee request for banquet table to protect outdoors recreation area near our NC distribution center.
- Kicking Bear Foundation: Outdoor archery and shooting events and training for teenage children.
- Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing: Employee request to aid them in the rehabilitation of injured active duty and disabled veterans.
- Star Coastal Conservation Association of Florida: Request from retailer Aledia Tush at CB Outfitters to fund youth scholarships through CCA-FL.
- Annandale, MN High School Fishing Team: Donation of products for team to use during tournaments requested through a Big Rock Sports customer.
- Sporting Clays for Kids: Product donation to help teach kids to shoot.
- Treasure Lake Kids Fishing Rodeo: Product donation to support the event.
These are just a few of the worthwhile causes and events the BRSCF has provided funding and/or products to in the first six months of operation. Requests can be made via email at ConservationFoundation@BigRockSports.com or by replying to this email. We welcome your requests, comments and donations.
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