OWAA PLANS & POLICIES: STRATEGIC PLAN

Vision:

The Outdoor Writers Association of America provides world-class resources, support and inspiration to a diverse group of communicators dedicated to sharing the outdoor experience with the public through print, digital and broadcast media. We are The Voice of the Outdoors

Values:

  • Excellence
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Mentorship
  • Free
  • Collaboration
  • Professional Growth
  • Camaraderie
  • Integrity
  • Leadership
  • Conservation

Goals:

  1. Be a trail-breaking leader in professional development for aspiring and professional outdoor communicators by continuing to enhance benefits, media resources and partnerships (especially regarding changing demographics and new professional landscapes).
  2. Advocate for and protect the needs of outdoor communication professionals.
  3. While remaining firmly rooted in the communication of traditional outdoor passions, including fishing, hunting, and conservation, expand OWAA membership diversity across multiple fronts, including (but not limited to):
  • Male/female membership parity.
  • Welcoming people of color, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities with expanded outreach to prospective members within those communities.
  • Outreach to and recruitment of members who cover outdoor sports currently under-represented in OWAA (surfing, diving, caving, overlanding, etc.) and those working in digital media.
  • Increase long-term financial strength and organizational capabilities by expanding staff capacity and growing OWAA’s endowment funds through:
  • Securing guidance of fundraising experts, either via board/volunteer positions or consultants.
  • Expanding OWAA’s culture of giving inside and outside the organization.
  • Continuing to promote and educate members about planned giving opportunities.

Declaration of Principles

We who inform, through the various media at our disposal, on the out-of-doors and its enjoyment, are known as the Outdoor Writers Association of America.

Through this Association, we strive to improve ourselves in the art and media of our craft and to increase our knowledge and understanding of the many facets of our subject.

We pledge our support to the conservation of natural resources and to the best precepts for the recreational use of these resources.

Above all, we pledge ourselves to maintain the highest ethical standards in the exercise of our craft.

OWAA Creed

I believe in the profession of outdoor reporting as a public trust to report that which is true. Accuracy, fairness and clarity in words and photographs are a fundamental part of my profession.

I will present to my audience only that which I can present ethically. My financial return will not influence my judgment, nor will I evade my personal responsibility to search for facts. I believe in honest representation and conscientious performance, and I will not stoop to plagiarism.

I believe the trust that is imposed on me is subject to justification in my own heart and mind, and that the true test of my work is the measure of its public service.

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