Rugged Cross Outdoors

What Rugged Cross Outdoors does

Rugged Cross Outdoors, Inc. (RCO) is a 501(C)(3) non-profit Christian outdoor ministry founded in 2004 and headquartered at 4748 South 16th St., Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The organization runs a portfolio of interrelated programs built around its central thesis that outdoor recreation is a productive venue for Christian Gospel outreach. Core program lines include the Outfitter Outreach Ministry (weekly teams deployed to hunting outfitters for fellowship and filming), the Youth Hunters Outreach Ministry (youth turkey and deer hunts, hunting camps, scholarships), the Disabled Hunters Ministry (established 2008, providing adapted hunting experiences), the Veterans and First Responders Hunt Program, the Speaking Ministry (wild game dinners, banquets, retreats, expos with 25 to 500+ attendees), the Outdoor Media Ministry (a Christian-based hunting television show aired on Sportsmen's Channel, Outdoor Channel, and Pursuit Channel plus a DVD series), and the Venison Donation Ministry (donating up to 90% of harvested venison through Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, providing up to approximately 5,200 meals annually).

The business model is donation-driven with two revenue streams: (1) charitable contributions collected online via PayPal and by mailed gift cards, with a suggested $5.00 per month ($0.17/day) giving cadence promoted on the website; and (2) speaking engagement fees from wild game dinners, sportsman's banquets, schools, churches, and hunting expos booked through the contact number 989-600-0747 and [email protected]. The organization is volunteer-led by co-founder Executive Directors Tom DuBois and Andy Kaminski, supported by a distributed Field Staff in 10+ states and a board that includes Allen Weese, Shane Montgomery, and Jim "Linus" Duflo.

Distribution is direct and relationship-driven rather than technology-mediated: churches and organizations book speakers via phone/email, volunteers apply through downloadable forms, and media content reaches the 101+ million U.S. hunting and fishing enthusiast TAM primarily through cable TV syndication and YouTube. Core operating partnerships include B&D Outfitters, Powder River Outfitters, Central Nebraska Outfitters, Across the Valley (ATV) for veterans programming, Veterans Airlift Command, Hunt of a Lifetime, and ministry allies such as the National Wild Turkey Federation, Christian Bowhunters of America, Christian Outdoor Fellowship of America, and Truth In Nature. The technology stack is minimal — a WordPress website, YouTube, and Facebook — and there are no proprietary platforms, APIs, or AI/ML components.

Name

Rugged Cross Outdoors

Legal name

Rugged Cross Outdoors, Inc.

Website

https://ruggedcrossoutdoors.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rugged Cross Outdoors is a 501(C)(3) non-profit Christian outdoor ministry founded in 2004 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin that delivers youth, disabled hunter, and veteran hunt programs, faith-based speaking engagements, a cable hunting TV show, and venison donation ministry funding itself through donations and speaking fees across 10+ U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Outdoor Ministry Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs (THAAAOAG)

Keywords

• Christian outdoor ministry
• Hunting ministry programs
• Youth hunting outreach
• Veterans outdoor ministry
• Venison donation ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheboygan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Financial Contributions: As a 501(C)(3) non-profit, Rugged Cross Outdoors is funded primarily through donations. The organization encourages monthly donations, noting that $5.00/month ($0.17/day) per visitor to their website would enable continued growth and additional mission trips. Donations are accepted online via PayPal and through printed gift cards mailed to their office.
2. Speaking Engagement Fees: RCO generates revenue by speaking at wild game dinners, banquets, retreats, and hunting expos. While presented as ministry, speaking fees from events help support the organization's operations. The co-founders have been speaking at events since 2004.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rugged Cross Outdoors is a 501(C)(3) non-profit Christian ministry that operates outdoor mission programs by combining hunting, fishing, and outdoor fellowship with Gospel outreach. It runs organized hunts for youth, veterans/first responders, and people with disabilities; delivers speaking presentations at wild game dinners, banquets, churches, schools, and hunting expos; produces and distributes a Christian-based hunting television show and DVD series; and operates a Venison Donation Ministry that donates up to 90% of harvested game to hunger-relief partners such as Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry.

Product overview

Rugged Cross Outdoors is a 501(C) 3 non-profit Christian ministry organization that serves as a platform for mission trips to the Woods, Lakes, Fields and Streams. The organization operates as a unified ministry combining outdoor recreation with Gospel outreach, offering multiple interconnected programs: the Outfitter Outreach Ministry (weekly hunting expeditions with Gospel sharing and media production), Youth Hunters Outreach Ministry (youth development through hunting), Speaking Ministry (presentations at various outdoor events), Disabled Hunters Ministry (accessibility-focused hunting programs), Outdoor Media Ministry (Christian-based hunting television show and DVD series), and Venison Donation Ministry (food donation program). Additional services include Speaking Events, the annual Youth Gun Hunt Giveaway, Veterans/First Responders Hunt Program, and a comprehensive Hunting Event Schedule spanning multiple states and hunting seasons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rugged Cross Outdoors Ministry Platform Core ministry platform of Rugged Cross Outdoors, combining outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, camping) with Christian Gospel outreach through mission trips to woods, lakes, fields and streams.
• Outfitter Outreach Ministry Weekly ministry program sending teams of 2+ individuals (ministry leaders, field staff, guests) to established hunting outfitters for fellowship and Gospel sharing while filming for the RCO television show.
• Youth Hunters Outreach Ministry Programs designed to engage youth in hunting activities while teaching biblical principles, including Junior Field Staff volunteering, youth hunting scholarships, and hunting camps focused on archery, shooting skills, and woodsman skills.
• Speaking Ministry Year-round fellowship program where RCO teams speak at wild game dinners, fellowship hunts, hunting shows, seminars, and various men's, women's, and youth events and retreats.
• Disabled Hunters Ministry Ministry program providing hunting opportunities for people with disabilities, including hunts tailored to accommodate various challenges and assisting agencies like Hunt of a Lifetime.
• Outdoor Media Ministry (Television Show and DVD Series) Christian-based hunting television show and DVD series produced from video captured during ministry activities, airing on Sportsmen's Channel, Outdoor Channel, and/or Pursuit Channel, focused on hunting techniques and delivering the Gospel.
• Venison Donation Ministry Program donating up to 90% of harvested venison to organizations like Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) and local families in need, with capacity to provide approximately 5,200 meals per year.
• Veterans/First Responder Hunt Program Hunt program coordinated by Scott Glassic providing outdoor hunting experiences for veterans and first responders, including turkey hunts and doe hunts in collaboration with ATV Schuylkill County in Pennsylvania.
• Youth Gun Hunt Giveaway Annual giveaway program providing youth hunters (ages 10–15) with a guided 3-day gun hunt at B&D Outfitters in Pike County, IL, including travel arrangements, food, lodging, and youth hunting license (up to $800 travel expense coverage).
• Hunting and Ministry Event Schedule Comprehensive calendar of ministry, speaking, fundraising events and hunting activities including youth turkey events, fellowship turkey hunts, whitetail hunts, antelope hunts, waterfowl hunts, and muzzle loader seasons across multiple states.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• B&D OutfitterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerB&D Outfitters hosts RCO's 16th Annual Youth Hunt Giveaway gun hunt event in Pike County/Nebo, Illinois. B&D Outfitters also co-hosts the 2nd Annual RCO Youth Waterfowl Hunt. This is a key partner for RCO's youth hunting programs.
• Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFHFH is an outreach ministry that transforms renewable God-given resources into food for the hungry. RCO donates up to 90% of all harvested venison to FHFH and/or other similar programs. According to FHFH, one in five children goes to bed hungry. One deer can feed 200 hungry people.
• Powder River OutfitterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts RCO's 1st Annual Youth Antelope Hunt in Southeastern Montana. Powder River Outfitters is listed as a partner on the RCO homepage links section and is a key outfitter partner for RCO's western hunt programs.
• Central Nebraska OutfitterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner on the RCO homepage. Provides hunting opportunities for RCO's various hunt programs in Nebraska. Featured with a logo on the RCO homepage.
• Montgomerys Outdoor Adventures (Ohio Big Bucks)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontgomerys (Montgomerys Ohio Big Bucks) is listed as a partner on the RCO homepage. Shane Montgomery, a board member of RCO, owns and operates Workin's Man's Guide Service providing deer and turkey hunts in southeastern Ohio.
• Bluff Bucks OutfittersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner on the RCO homepage links section. Bluff Bucks Outfitters provides hunting services that support RCO's mission and programs.
• Blackwater Hunting ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner on the RCO homepage links section.
• Veterans Airlift CommandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a Ministry Friend on the RCO links page. Veterans Airlift Command provides free flights for wounded veterans and their families to access healing outdoors programs. Aligns with RCO's Veterans Ministry.
• Across the Valley (ATV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCO partners with Across the Valley (ATV) for Schuylkill County Veteran/First Responder Turkey and Doe Hunts in Sacramento, Pennsylvania. This is a key partnership for RCO's veteran-focused hunt programs. ATV's logo appears on the RCO homepage.
• Hunt of a LifetimeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCO's Disabled Hunters Ministry may assist other agencies such as Hunt of a Lifetime that promote hunts for people with disabilities. Listed in the About Us page.
• National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a Ministry Friend on the RCO links page. NWTF is a hunting organization that supports conservation and hunting programs, aligning with RCO's mission.
• Lifest Music FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCO attends the annual Lifest Music Festival in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (July 9-12, 2026). This is one of RCO's speaking/fundraising/show schedule events. It provides exposure to a large Christian music festival audience.
• Truth In Nature, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a Ministry Friend on the RCO homepage links section. Truth In Nature is a Christian outdoor ministry organization, complementary to RCO's mission.
• Christian Bowhunters of America (CBA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a Ministry Friend on the RCO links page. CBA is a Christian organization for bowhunters, sharing RCO's faith-based outdoor ministry approach.
• Christian Outdoor Fellowship of America (COFA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a Ministry Friend on the RCO links page. COFA is a Christian outdoor ministry organization that aligns with RCO's mission to reach outdoor enthusiasts with the Gospel.
• Fully Involved OutdoorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner on the RCO homepage with a logo link to their Facebook page. Fully Involved Outdoors appears to be a related outdoor/Christian hunting organization.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Veterans Airlift Command: Non-profit providing free flights for wounded veterans and their families, listed as a Ministry Friend of RCO; shares the veteran-outdoor-recreation mission but provides transportation rather than hunting programs.

Direct peers

• Hunt in the Truth: Linked from RCO's homepage as a ministry partner; Christian-focused hunting media/outreach brand with strong overlap in faith-and-hunting content and donor audience.
• Fully Involved Outdoors: Partner outdoor/Christian hunting organization linked on RCO's homepage; operates a closely comparable faith-based hunting ministry targeting the same niche audience.
• Hunt of a Lifetime: Non-profit that RCO's Disabled Hunters Ministry directly assists; provides hunting and outdoor experiences for children with life-threatening illnesses and disabilities, sharing the disability-focused hunting mission overlap.
• Truth In Nature: Faith-based outdoor ministry organization listed as a partner on RCO's homepage; runs similar Christian outdoor programming for youth and uses wilderness experiences for spiritual formation, directly comparable mission and audience.
• Across the Valley (ATV): Partner organization co-hosting RCO's veteran and first responder hunt programs in Pennsylvania; comparable faith-influenced outdoor ministry targeting veterans and first responders.
• Christian Outdoor Fellowship of America (COFA): Christian outdoor ministry organization listed as a Ministry Friend of RCO; pursues the same intersection of Christian faith and outdoor recreation, competing for similar donors and volunteers.
• Christian Bowhunters of America (CBA): Christian hunting organization explicitly linked as a Ministry Friend of RCO; combines bowhunting with faith-based outreach, sharing the same faith-and-hunting integration model and donor base.

Broad incumbents

• National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF): Large, established conservation and hunting organization listed as a Ministry Friend of RCO; operates at significantly broader scale with overlapping hunter-conservation mission but a more secular orientation.

Others

• Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH): Venison donation partner organization that processes donated deer into meals for the hungry; an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but tightly operationally linked to RCO's Venison Donation Ministry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RuggedCrossOutdoors
• Facebookfacebook.com/RuggedCrossOutdoors
• Xx.com/officalRCO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rugged-cross-outdoors-inc

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 Rugged Cross Outdoors