PA Council of Trout Unlimited

[Prospector]

I received a letter in the mail from this organization asking for a donation to assist with trout habitat, advocacy of cold water resources and youth education. Based on the letter, I’m fairly confident this is a legit organization (these days you’re never sure), but can someone confirm their mission and effectiveness. Also curious if anyone knows their top projects from 2018 or 2019.

I bought the voluntary wild trout permit with the state and this seems to be complimentary with that (ie different projects but all in PA).

 

[Nymph-wristed]

I believe they stopped printing the newsletter they used to send out? The web site has much of what you are looking for, and you can sign up for updates.

 

[maxima12]

Perhaps one of the finest, if not the finest conservation, cold water resources organization in the United States. And yes fishing also! Not a secret organization, "in front, out front and up front". This organization is broken up into "Chapters". You don't have to travel far to find a chapter. Great groups, great people, great opportunities not only for fishing, learning, helping, understanding etc. But great opportunity to build "friendships". I would advise fishermen of all walks of life to "get involved", in T. U.! And the best you could do when joined. Take your sons and daughters to a meeting! Get them involved! Most chapters have speakers that come a provide a show, usually of fishing trips, fly tying, entomology etc. Some have chapter dinners, Christmas parties, auctions, gatherings, outdoor adventures and fishing get togethers. But all do one thing in common, "help". Pollution, erosion, floods, stream improvement, are just a few examples of what they help do!

T. U. has a mission or so called pledge! Rather than tell you, I would prefer you look it up. Check out the T. U. page. Trout Unlimited can always use your help and time but sometimes in life's struggle help and time is limited. Donations are accepted and are tax deductible! Memberships or dues are yearly and I believe a magazine subscription Is given. Sometimes flies and hat are given. Most important is the patch and auto sticker! This means you belong to something that is good!

Well with this, let's just say. "the doors are wide open, walk right in".

"Boy oh boy, I sure met a lot of neat, cool, nice, genuine people through T. U.". Friendships that lasted the test of time.

Maxima12

 

[troutbert]

Prospector wrote:
I received a letter in the mail from this organization asking for a donation to assist with trout habitat, advocacy of cold water resources and youth education. Based on the letter, I’m fairly confident this is a legit organization...

Yes, Trout Unlimited is legit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trout_Unlimited

Here in PA there are many local TU chapters and about 12,000 members state-wide.

Many people on this forum are members.

 

[Prospector]

I’m a member of TU. I’m familiar with the different chapters. I’m not familiar with the operation of the PA Council of Trout Unlimited. It appears from the letter I received the PA Council is seeking funding outside of the National fund raising process of TU.

I never counted the days or months between solicitation of the National membership but it seems to go something like this. I pay my membership fees. 4-5 months they ask me to renew my membership, 3-5 times per year I’m asked to make an additional donation that generally comes with some piece of merchandise in return. Or I might be given the opportunity to be a lifetime member for a specific donation. I thought all of those solicitations provided a contact name and phone number for questions.

Now I get a letter from the PA Council of Trout Unlimited and it sounds like it’s part of the National Trout Unlimited organization but I’m not sure. The letter does not reference anyone’s name, which is not the norm. It lists a PO Box to Mail a check to and a website to make a credit card donation. The logo used is similar to but not the same as the TU logo.

I’m supportive of worthwhile programs, but this one had some red flags based on how it was handled. Has anyone attended an event hosted by the PA Council or helped them with a project or attended a meeting or knows someone who is a member of the council?

EDIT: I just read the post above this one and using the link it says that they do have councils that provide oversight to a group of chapters. So I guess it is legit. Thanks!!

 

[afishinado]

The PA Council of Trout Unlimited is legit here is their website >

https://www.patrout.org/

Each chapter as well as PATU has fundraising drives for their own projects. Most of the money paid to national TU in dues and donations goes to lobbying efforts as well as projects nationwide.

 

[Oregon_OwlII]

The request is not uncommon. I have been in Oregon 6 years and the State Council sends out a donation request to help support projects and chapters. The state council is the umbrella organization that binds all the chapters of that particular state. PATU council has done excellent work for many years. I volunteered for the communications committee when it was still publishing a paper newsletter.

 

[redietz]

The chapters are organized by state into councils. The councils are where much of the legal stuff get done. For example, a chapter can't sue anyone (to stop a polluter, for example) but the state council can (with the permission of the national organization.) It's usually the councils that interact with their states DNR (or whatever it's called in a particular state) and smooze polititions, if necesssary.

If you pay your TU dues, some of that money comes back to council ($3) I think, who then distribute a $1 of it to you chapter. That's not a lot of money to pay lawyers and such, and the councils all have their own fund rasing schemes, including direct requests to the membership.

With the sole expection of Maryland, all the councils are named for the state they represent. (Maryland, since we include the National Capital Chapter, and in theory the Deleware chapter is called the Mid Atlantic Council.) So, yes, the Pennsylvania Council of TU is a legitimate organization, and yes, they will beg for money from time to time.