If Michigan United Conservation Clubs doesn鈥檛 raise $100,000 by May 1, 鈥渨e will be forced to close our doors,鈥� President Stephen Dey said in an email sent to members and supporters Monday.
According to Dey, it鈥檚 been a long time coming.
鈥淥ver the last 20-plus years, we鈥檝e been selling all of our major assets to operate on,鈥� he told Bridge Michigan on Tuesday.
MUCC had been producing two magazines and running a youth camp, but it would be pausing those operations amid financial woes.
The nonprofit, which claims to be the largest statewide conservation organization in the nation, was established in 1937 to protect hunting, fishing and trapping rights. It鈥檚 made up of individual members and affiliate clubs who pay dues to support its efforts.
MUCC lobbies, produces a podcast, and holds nature cleanups. It spearheaded the petition drive that led to Michigan鈥檚 鈥渂ottle bill鈥� passing in 1976, lobbied for the measure that led to the in 1984, and, in 2024, it for a coyote hunting decision that it said wasn鈥檛 based on science.
The executive board is actively fundraising in hopes of buying time to come up with a new funding model. Dey said that, as of Tuesday, they had raised almost $24,000 toward the $100,000 goal.
鈥淚鈥檓 cautiously optimistic,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut then when I see the financial numbers, I can get dragged down a little bit.鈥�
He said he didn鈥檛 know how much money the MUCC had left to run on 鈥渂ut it only takes us into May.鈥�
, the most recent listed online, say MUCC had about $1 million in net assets. It brought in $1.7 million in 2024 and spent $1.75 million that year, a net loss of about $50,000. In 2023, the organization suffered a net loss of around $390,492, but that was coming off of a net gain of $860,377 in 2022.
Dennis Eade 鈥� the executive director of the Michigan Steelhead and Salmon Fishermen鈥檚 Association, an affiliate club of MUCC since the 1970s 鈥� said he was 鈥渟addened鈥� by the statewide organization鈥檚 financial news.
鈥淚 really feel that MUCC has played a major role in preserving our environment as well as our hunting and fishing heritage,鈥� he said.
While his own group is continuing to meet its financial obligations, Eade said he could empathize with MUCC because recruiting new members can be a challenge these days.
鈥淚t鈥檚 sad because our heritage could be threatened if we don鈥檛 get people outdoors and enjoying our hunting and fishing,鈥� he said.
If MUCC doesn鈥檛 reach its goal by May 1, Dey said it will be up to the board to decide if it should begin the process of dissolution. If it comes to that, MUCC would begin paying off any outstanding debts and distributing any remaining assets.
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