The Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF), the sister organization to Safari Club International (SCI), works to ensure the future of wildlife and its habitat through conservation programs, education, and humanitarian services.
At the end of SCIF’s Fiscal Year 2020, all participating SCI chapters, their members and our generous donors are commended for once again helping to fulfill SCIF’s mission. With the support of SCI’s 40,000 hunter-conservationist members, this year’s $1.15 million total in SCIF’s grant funding adds to the $70 million already invested in the mission to be First for Wildlife since 2000.
Concerning conservation programs specifically, SCIF distributed an impressive $366,000 to support both North American and African initiatives in priority conservation strategy areas.
In North America, for example, this money funds vital wildlife research that forwards our understanding of predators and habitat quality in the population dynamics of North America’s most important game species, increases our knowledge of the importance of wildlife migrations, and improves the management of North American bear species.
In Africa, this money provides resources to anti-poaching efforts, improves understanding of population dynamics in African game species (especially lions), and promotes capacity building among government authorities and community-based support organizations. The annual African Wildlife Consultative Forum is a critical component of these efforts.
Regarding conservation education, SCIF spent more than $600,000 this year on mission-driven programs such as the American Wilderness Leadership School. This institution partners with other organizations to teach and promote the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, which emphasizes the inclusion of scientific sustainable use in wildlife and natural resource management. Specifically, the program focuses on educators and helping them to understand the North American Model and its importance in conserving our wildlife resources.
SCIF also spent nearly $184,000 on humanitarian services in the U.S. and across the globe. These funds are essential to sustaining life-changing programs such as Sportsmen Against Hunger and the Blue Bag program that allows individual hunters to support humanitarian efforts in Africa. SCIF also supported the Disabled Hunter Program that fosters opportunities for disabled sportsmen and women to experience the hunting tradition and programs that support the many veterans that participate in outdoor recreation.
As another year of accomplishments comes to a close, SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin applauded the Foundation’s success, saying, “the money raised and distributed by SCIF this year is just the latest example of the extent to which members of our organization are committed to improving the world around us, especially when it comes to the wildlife populations we all love. I look forward to their continued success in the upcoming year.”
