Partners
Since 1984, the FishAmerica Foundation has invested more than $13 million in grassroots freshwater and saltwater fisheries restoration projects throughout the United States and Canada.
Our investments have helped local communities accomplish 1,230 projects to keep our fish and waters healthy. The FishAmerica Foundation has maintained its steady growth in funding thanks to the support of our funding partners. By working with natural resources agencies, conservation groups, sportfishing clubs and other organizations, the foundation is helping to ensure a positive future for sportfishing.
FUNDING PARTNERS
The newest FishAmerica Foundation Funding Partner is the American Fishing Tackle Company (AFTCO). Their passion for the outdoors goes beyond their product offerings because of an unwavering commitment to help protect our fishing resources and angler rights.
Family owned and operated, AFTCO represents unparalleled quality, performance and reliability when it counts most. Worn across the globe, AFTCO’s fishing clothing is designed to handle the harshest elements.
Since 2000, the FishAmerica Foundation has received annual financial support from the Brunswick Public Foundation to enhance boating and fishing opportunities along our nation’s coastal states. These donations may be matched with monies from FishAmerica’s partnership with the NOAA Restoration Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and community organizations to fund critical on-the-ground sportfish enhancement projects.
Maurice Cares is the charitable foundation for Maurice Sporting Good, Inc. Established in 2008 as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Maurice Cares is about giving back to the community, to the environment in order to make it a better place for all of us to live.They began their support of the FishAmerica Foundation in 2013, with a gift recognizing the services of Gregg Wollner, executive vice president, Rapala, to the sportfishing industry. The Maurice Cares support makes possible the continued work of the the FishAmerica Foundation to improve fish habitat.
The FishAmerica Foundation has partnered with American Snuff Co. and their Grizzly brand since 2014. Their donations have contributed to programs that build essential reef habitat, that develop fisheries management and access plans, and prevent the littering of our waterways.
They have also been a significant partner in helping to mitigate fish mortality rates with support of FishSmart – a conservation and outreach program that distributed thousands of descending devices to recreational saltwater guides, outfitters and enthusiasts to improve release survival and contribute to the stability of recreational fisheries.
To date, we have awarded more than $1 million in grants through our partnership with the NOAA Restoration Center to restore marine and anadromous fish habitat in the United States. Community-based grant recipients and their partners have provided more than $2 million in non-federal matching dollars and an additional $1.1 million in additional funds through donations and in-kind services.
To date, volunteers across nine states have invested more than to 11,600 hours in these projects. Once the current projects are completed, 32 miles streams and rivers will be open to fish passage and 105 acres of habitat will be restored for various sportfish populations.
Since 2003, the FishAmerica Foundation has partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on community-based conservation projects to restore and enhance aquatic habitats including stream buffer zones and fish passage. Our partnership has invested more than $700,000 in projects across the United States and restored more than 20 miles of in-stream fish habitat, 75 acres of wetland and riparian areas and installed six structures to improve fish passage and reduce erosion and sedimentation.
The FishAmerica Foundation and B.A.S.S. LLC partnered to form the B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation Fund. A donation from Simms Fishing Products provided the seed money for the fund. The Conservation Fund specifically targets projects which benefit black bass species and their habitats and associated black bass research. Only B.A.S.S. chapters are eligible for consideration of grants from the B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation Fund.B.A.S.S. is a membership organization with approximately 500,000 members nationwide. Individual members are organized into clubs that are affiliated with B.A.S.S. Federation Nation chapters in 47 states, Canada, Italy, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mexico, Spain and Japan. In addition to hosting competitive fishing events, B.A.S.S. members are dedicated to fisheries conservation and youth education activities. Although B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its members, it remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access.
Since 2002, 1% for the Planet has inspired members of the business community to contribute 1% of their sales to environmental groups around the world. This network has become one of the largest funders of environmental work, inspiring environmental change while increasing the net worth of participating organizations.
More than 1,000 businesses in 37 countries are members of 1% for the Planet. Annually, more than $12 million is donated to 1,000 environmental groups worldwide. To date, 1% for the Planet has donated $42 million to nonprofits dedicated to the pursuit of sustainability, conservation and restoration of the natural environment. The FishAmerica Foundation is a proud member of this organization and to date has received $5,300 in donations.
CONSERVATION PARTNERS
There is strength in numbers, and the FishAmerica Foundation has joined together with other non-profit organizations to turn this strength into tangible results for fisheries restoration.
Teaming up with conservation partners, the FishAmerica Foundation works to increase the impact of every local community dollar to restore and improve our nation’s fish and water resources.
