Mississippi Wildlife Federation

What Mississippi Wildlife Federation does

Mississippi Wildlife Federation (MWF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1946 in Jackson, Mississippi, serving as the state's largest network of conservationists. Its mission centers on conserving Mississippi's natural resources, protecting wildlife, and defending sportsmen's rights. The organization runs five core programmatic lines: Certified Wildlife Habitat (residential habitat certification through a National Wildlife Federation partnership); Adopt-A-Stream Mississippi (water quality monitoring and stream stewardship, funded via an EPA §319(h) Clean Water Act grant channeled through MDEQ); Hunter's Harvest (venison donation logistics linking sportsmen, deer processors, and regional food banks); Magnolia Records Program (the state's only official white-tailed deer scoring program); and Habitat Stewards (volunteer-driven coastal habitat management covering 60,000+ acres). Auxiliary revenue and engagement activities include the Camo Coalition legislative advocacy platform, the annual Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza outdoor show (38th edition July 2025), the DMV-administered Federation specialty car tag ($24 per plate returned to MWF), and an e-commerce merchandise store.

Revenue mechanics are distributed across five streams: tax-deductible individual donations and memberships (recurring), event ticket sales for the Extravaganza, the $24-per-tag specialty license plate rebate, branded merchandise sales, and the federal pass-through grant under EPA §319(h). Headcount is in the 11-50 range with named roles including CEO Ashlee Ellis Smith, Director of Finance Deb Carlin, and Adopt-A-Stream Director Debra Veeder; three board/executive positions are presently vacant. The customer base spans sportsmen, food-insecure Mississippi families served via the food bank distribution network, educators and students engaged through Adopt-A-Stream curricula, and conservation volunteers along the Gulf Coast. No public revenue figures or external funding events are disclosed, and no AI, mobile app, or developer-facing technology infrastructure exists beyond the WordPress-based website and event-based ticketing.

Name

Mississippi Wildlife Federation

Legal name

Mississippi Wildlife Federation

Website

https://mswildlife.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mississippi Wildlife Federation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1946 in Jackson, Mississippi, running conservation programs including Certified Wildlife Habitat, Adopt-A-Stream water quality monitoring, Hunter's Harvest venison donations, Magnolia Records deer scoring, and the annual Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Advocacy, Policy & Public Awareness (Animal Welfare) (BPAGAIAJ), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation programs
• Natural resource stewardship
• Habitat certification services
• Water quality monitoring
• Outdoor recreation events

Headquarters

HQ city

Jackson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting wildlife conservation and sportsman's rights
2. Event Revenue: Ticket sales for the annual Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza outdoor show
3. Car Tag Program: $24 from each MS Wildlife Federation car tag comes back to support the organization's mission
4. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of branded apparel and merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, and accessories
5. Government Grants: Nonpoint Source grant from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality under §319(h) of the Clean Water Act, administered by Mississippi Wildlife Federation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mississippi Wildlife Federation is a non-profit citizen's organization that runs conservation programs including Certified Wildlife Habitat, Adopt-A-Stream water quality monitoring, Hunter's Harvest venison donations, Magnolia Records deer scoring, and Habitat Stewards volunteer program. It also hosts the annual Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza outdoor show and sells branded merchandise and specialty car tags to fund its wildlife and sportsman's rights mission.

Product overview

Mississippi Wildlife Federation is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 1946 that offers a portfolio of programs and services centered on wildlife protection, outdoor recreation, and natural resource conservation. Core programs include the Certified Wildlife Habitat (in partnership with NWF), Adopt-A-Stream (water quality monitoring), Hunter's Harvest (venison donation for food security), Magnolia Records (deer scoring program), and Habitat Stewards (coastal volunteer program). The federation also hosts the annual Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza outdoor show, operates the Camo Coalition legislative advocacy platform, sells specialty car tags, and maintains an e-commerce store for branded merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Camo Coalition: Legislative monitoring program that tracks wildlife bills proposed by the House and Senate, allowing public voting on support or opposition.
• Adopt-A-Stream Mississippi
• Hunter's Harvest
• Magnolia Records Program
• Habitat Stewards Program

Products and services

• Certified Wildlife Habitat A program in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation that helps individuals cultivate wildlife in their own backyard and certify their yard as a wildlife habitat, providing food, water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable practices.
• Adopt-A-Stream Mississippi A water quality monitoring and stream stewardship program that promotes environmental stewardship through training workshops, outdoor field activities, youth educational programs, and watershed action projects, funded through an EPA Nonpoint Source grant to MDEQ.
• Hunter's Harvest A venison donation program that connects Mississippi hunters with food banks, enabling sportsmen to provide high-quality protein to food-insecure families across the state.
• Magnolia Records Program The state's official white-tailed deer records program using the Boone & Crockett and Pope & Young scoring system. Minimum scores are 125 for Typical and 155 for Non-Typical deer.
• Mississippi Habitat Stewards Program A volunteer program supporting management and conservation on public lands along the Mississippi Coast, providing 24 hours of training and matching volunteers with land stewards.
• Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza Mississippi's oldest and most recognized Outdoor Show, serving as the annual kick-off to hunting season. Features exhibitors, entertainment, contests, and family activities.
• Camo Coalition A legislative monitoring platform that tracks wildlife bills proposed by the House and Senate, allowing the public to vote in support or opposition and sending aggregated feedback to Wildlife committees.
• Federation Car Tag Mississippi specialty license plate program where $24 from each tag sale supports the federation's conservation mission.
• MWF Online Store Online merchandise store selling branded apparel including t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, accessories such as camo gaiters, leather patches, water bottles, and phone cases.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 160 meals provided per deer donated through Hunter's Harvest program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Wildlife Federation (NWF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Certified Wildlife Habitat program - MWF certifies yards as wildlife habitats in partnership with NWF, providing recognition from both organizations
• Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdopt-A-Stream program funded through EPA Nonpoint Source grant to MDEQ under §319(h) of Clean Water Act, administered by MWF
• Mississippi Food BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood bank partner distributing donated venison through Hunter's Harvest program to member agencies operating food pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters
• Feeding the Gulf CoastcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood bank partner distributing donated venison through Hunter's Harvest program to member agencies across the Gulf Coast region
• Mid South Food BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood bank partner distributing donated venison through Hunter's Harvest program to member agencies across the Mid-South region
• Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMWF advocates for Recovering America's Wildlife Act which would provide MDWFP over $15 million annually for 308 at-risk species conservation
• Small Town Hunting Properties & Real EstateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for 37th Annual Wildlife Extravaganza
• Mississippi Outdoor Expo, LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShow promoters Dan Robinson and Rob Neblett working with MWF on Wildlife Extravaganza event production and management

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Trout Unlimited: National coldwater fisheries conservation nonprofit with state chapters. Closely comparable in combining water quality advocacy, volunteer-based habitat stewardship, and sportsman community engagement, similar to MWF's Adopt-A-Stream program.
• Safari Club International: Hunting-conservation nonprofit with state chapters sharing sportsman-focused donor base. Comparable in combining policy advocacy, wildlife habitat programs, and event-based member engagement around hunting heritage.
• Boone and Crockett Club: National conservation nonprofit whose scoring standards underpin MWF's Magnolia Records Program. Directly comparable in their role as a hunting-heritage organization maintaining official wildlife records and advocating for conservation.
• Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation: National hunting-conservation nonprofit with similar membership, donation, and event-based revenue model. Comparable in mission alignment between sportsmen and habitat conservation, but with a larger national footprint.
• Quality Deer Management Association: National nonprofit focused specifically on white-tailed deer and habitat management. Direct peer given MWF's Magnolia Records deer scoring program and Hunter's Harvest venison donation network serving the same hunting demographic.
• Izaak Walton League of America: Long-established national conservation nonprofit with chapter-based structure focused on habitat, water quality, and outdoor recreation. Highly comparable organizational form and member-driven conservation model.
• Ducks Unlimited: Larger national nonprofit focused on wetlands and waterfowl habitat conservation, with state chapters including Mississippi. Comparable membership-and-donation-driven nonprofit model targeting hunters and conservationists.

Others

• Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks: State government counterpart that MWF advocates for and partners with on the Recovering America's Wildlife Act. Both share overlapping mission of conserving Mississippi wildlife and managing public lands, but MDWFP is a government agency while MWF is a nonprofit.

Broad incumbents

• National Wildlife Federation: National affiliate and core strategic partner for the Certified Wildlife Habitat program. Operates as a much larger national federation with state affiliates, sharing program infrastructure and brand standards with MWF.
• The Nature Conservancy - Mississippi Chapter: Much larger national conservation nonprofit with active Mississippi operations. Shares the land and habitat conservation mission and donor base, though TNC operates with significantly more resources and broader conservation scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mswildlifefed
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mississippiwildlifefederation
• Facebookfacebook.com/mswildlife
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mississippi-wildlife-federation
• Instagraminstagram.com/mississippiwildfederation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mississippi Wildlife Federation