Create Your League
Let’s connect on three things central to every conservation organization: Mission, Members, & Methods
Conservation organizations are always built on mission first. Then people that share that vision become members and establish methods to achieve the mission. In most cases the Mission never changes. The members and methods are very different though and should be in a constant state of change. Far too often though we get stuck in ruts, repeating things because thats the way they were done before while growing frustrated with declining membership. Calendars revolve around annual banquets and jamborees with board meetings about needing to find ways to get more “young people” involved. This years idea, resembles the last 10 years in that we have a new game for the “little guys” to play at the banquet.
The problem is we never address the problem! “Young people” and “little guys” don’t go to banquets. You might be reading this and completely disagree because your grandkids come every year to that banquet. That’s because you are on the board and your family knows it’s important to you. It’s the same reason why kids go to weddings.
So let’s talk about implementing a new method that may really benefit your mission while building community amongst your members. Your mission is unique! There is no one size fits all league that will serve your unique mission so instead of skipping ahead I would encourage you to read HuntLeague’s vision for conservation. That might help stir some of the creative juices before we setup a phone call or zoom meeting with the board to dive deeper. You will quickly find that HuntLeague is serious about serving your vision and providing tool to document the hunting experience in the midst of constant environmental changes that impact the wildlife and habitat we care so deeply about.
If you are serious about your mission, let’s have a conversation and see how leagues can best serve it and your members. Email [email protected] to schedule your League Conservation Meeting.
Our goal in working with conservation organizations is to grow and develop with you over time. Building a league for a year doesn’t move the needle and will not ultimately serve your mission. This is a 10 year experiment that needs to start today!
The process of creating a league is relatively straight forward. You may have some questions along the way in which case you can email [email protected]. Before you fill out the League Application, take a minute to review what type of league you want to create:
Private League:
Create a private league exclusive to your members. If you are hesitant about introducing it to your entire organization start with a local chapter, a region, or 20 members that will commit to it for a season. A private league will not draw attention from others and will not promote your organization to nonmembers. Private leagues require an invitation or league code to view or join. They are not listed with other leagues on the JOIN tab of the main League page for HuntLeague members to find. This is a great option for testing the platform. HuntLeague members can join multiple leagues so creating private leagues for regions and local chapters while creating a larger public league is a great option for most conservation organizations to explore.
- One person from your organization must be designated as the league admin. That responsibility can shift after the league is created but only one person has admin privileges for the league at any given time.
- There are no minimum prize requirements in private leagues. You have complete control of prizes or titles to be awarded. Leagues do provide an incredible way though to award prizes at annual banquets and events. Corporate sponsors that donate firearms, archery equipment, and other gear can be featured in the app for months while the league is still active.
- The League Pass – Most leagues require members to purchase a League Pass subscription ($14.99) to participate. Every conservation organization should have a discussion about creative ways that HuntLeague can assist raising funds to support the mission or offering a discount to members that are contributing to the mission.
- Managing league members: The league admin is the only one that can invite from within the app, approve, or remove league members. If your private league code is used, the member attempting to join will be listed as pending until approved. You can designate if league messaging is open to you alone, designated contributors, or everyone in the league and adjust these settings at any time.
Public League:
Public leagues are visible to all members in the HuntLeague Community. They do not require a special invite or league entry code. Members can freely view and join a public league as it will be listed under the JOIN tab on the main Leagues page. You can make a league public while narrowing public visibility to a specific state/region or primary species. Public leagues may also include custom requirements such as a member number, company email, or proof of purchase in order to join. Most conservation organizations will want this type of league as it provides exposure to a larger number of people but entry could be contingent on having an active membership with your organization.
- All public leagues require a hunting/outdoor related prize package that exceeds a combined MSRP value of $1000 or $500 if the league is limited to a single state. That value may be from a single product or combined value of up to 10 products.
- Prize packages are not limited to physical items and may include experiences or some other value related to an outdoor lifestyle.
- Offering a discount on a product is not considered a valid prize package. However, product discounts can be listed as a prize for league winners or all league members in addition to the qualifying prize package.
- Conservation organizations that host a public league are eligible to participate in HuntLeague’s Outdoorsman of the Year competition. Your organization will be listed as a sponsor when you contribute an approved outdoor related product valued at over $250 to the league. Your organization’s logo with an active link will be visible the entire year of the competition as well as 5 years after the competition is complete under past leagues. With a single product valued at over $1,000 MSRP, your organization may select a recipient for an award and present that award during the live event which occurs at the end of January each year.
- In general, prizes awarded must be new in original packaging. Some exceptions may apply for products that have antique/nostalgic value or items that carry a high resale value or would still be listed in like new condition.
- HuntLeague charges a $100 fee to create, test, and publish a public league hosted by a conservation organization. This fee will be waved for subsequent years or leagues once there is a proven track record of app usage, engagement, and confirmed delivery of promised prize packages.
- Public leagues are visible in the app during the time the league is live and one year after the completion of the league under past leagues. This allows you to highlight past winners and provides additional exposure for products and sponsors.
The First Step
Always the hardest but the only way forward. Complete the League Application which includes all the information that will be visible and relevant to your league.
Need help? Contact [email protected]
Once complete, it is manually uploaded and approved by a HuntLeague team member. You will then be notified to view and give your final approval. This process may take up to 5 business days to complete but can be done same day.
Pay to Play
Invite Your Buddies
Leagues don’t make sense without buddies. What are you waiting for? Send those invitations, share your league code, and get the party started!
