Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation

Public charity · Grantmaker McLean, VA EIN: 54-1915490

The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) is a Form 990 (a public charity) based in McLean, Virginia, formed in 1998. It supports efforts to increase participation in recreational fishing and boating, including outreach, education, and programs for angler and boater recruitment, retention, and reactivation.

Key facts about Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation

EIN
54-1915490
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2026
Total assets
$289,293

Data from IRS Form 990, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Financial Overview

From 2026 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$289K

-88.5% YoY

Revenue

$1.9M

-85.9% YoY

Net Investment Income

$13K

-58.5% YoY

Expenses

$2.3M

-83.2% YoY

Is Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation open to new grantees?

23%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 3 of 13 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $17K. How we count

Medians: $17K first-time, $11K repeat.

  • 62% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving fell 49% from 2022 to 2025. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

RBFF’s mission is to implement an informed, consensus-based national outreach strategy to increase participation in recreational angling and boating and raise public awareness and appreciation of the need to protect, conserve, and restore aquatic natural resources.

The organization’s website describes state R3 grants for sustainable and replicable state programs focused on increasing fishing license sales and boat registrations. Its George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar Education Fund provides non-federal funds for state agencies to match and subgrant to local organizations for initiatives engaging families in fishing, boating, and conservation. The First Catch Centers program works with wildlife agencies and nonprofit organizations to offer hands-on fishing and boating activities.

Grantmaking

IRS filing data reports 20 grants totaling $366,807 in 2024 and 14 grants totaling $216,117 in 2025. The corresponding averages were approximately $18,340 and $15,437 per grant. The 2026 filing reports zero grants; it does not provide a grant total for that year.

RBFF’s website says the 2025 State R3 Program Grants supported state R3 initiatives and that proposals were reviewed by RBFF staff and a Proposal Review Working Group. The 2025 cycle is no longer soliciting proposals, and the website said the next RFP would be available in late 2025. The website also states that the current George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar Education Fund cycle is closed and that the next cycle would be available in Fall 2025. Both dates are past. The First Catch Centers page describes support of up to $25,000 in the first year for a trailer and equipment, and up to $1,500 in the second year for supplies; it directs agencies to the program guide and scoring rubric for application details.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

RBFF’s website describes R3 programs as intended to increase fishing and boating participation across the United States. Its Education Fund guidelines say the fund is available to all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Grant Distribution by State

42states
+34 more states

Cities

TallahasseeAustinSacramentoHarrisburgNashvilleProvidenceDes MoinesHenricoAnnapolisColumbusLittle RockOklahoma CityRenoWestboroughBoiseDenverPhoenixPierrePrattRaleigh

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$500K$1M$1.5M18 grants2020 54 grants2021 22 grants2022 27 grants2023 20 grants2024 14 grants2025 0 grants2026

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $216K (2025) to $1.2M (2021). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $216K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Grant Size Distribution

83 grants across all recorded years

80<$50K3$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 80 grants of 83 (96%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for 2026.

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants reported
2024 $2,027,714 $13,785,521 $13,774,772 $366,807; 20 grants
2025 $2,515,218 $13,827,555 $13,734,726 $216,117; 14 grants
2026 $289,293 $1,948,208 $2,310,877 0 grants
Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$5M$10M$15M$20M2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Metric202620252024
Total Assets$289,293$2,515,218$2,027,714
Revenue$1,948,208$13,827,555$13,785,521
Expenses$2,310,877$13,734,726$13,774,772
Net Investment Income$12,842$30,910$25,837

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 6, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 24, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 25, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 30, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 13, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 21, 2025)
  7. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 26, 2026)

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Officers and directors listed on the 2026 filing include Craig Bonds and Jeff Pontius, both identified as immediate past chair; Joe Lewis, vice chair; Kathy Fennel, treasurer; and Shelley Tubaugh, secretary. The filing also lists Diane Brusoe, Ellen Bradley, Rese Cloyd, Heather Dugan, and Emily Cope as directors.

Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation is led by David Chanda, President & CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2020); 7 of 33 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.

Officers on the 2026 filing

  • David Chanda

    President & CEO

    Vice President - Industry & Government Engagement → Vice President - Industry & Government, 2021

    Vice President - Industry & Government → President & CEO, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $178K (2020) → $364K (2026)

  • Rachel Piacenza

    Senior Director & Marketing

    Senior Director of Marketing → Senior Director, Consumer Marketing & Communications, 2024

    Senior Director, Consumer Marketing & Communications → Senior Director & Marketing, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $104K (2020) → $106K (2026)

  • Stephanie Hussey

    Senior Director & Governmen

    State R3 Program Director → Senior Director & Government Engagement, 2023

    Senior Director & Government Engagement → Senior Director & Governmen, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $123K (2020) → $103K (2026)

  • James Strong

    Senior Director & Industry

    Senior Director & Industry Engagement → Senior Director & Industry, 2026

    On filings since 2025

    40 hrs/week

    $108K (2025) → $117K (2026)

  • Glenn Hughes

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jon Schlosser

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ken Hammond

    Director

    Vice Chair → Director, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Phil Smoker

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ron Regan

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ellen Bradley

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Bryan Seti

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Carly Hysell

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Heather Dugan

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Rese Cloyd

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Rob Ohno

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Billy Pope

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Daniel Nussbaum

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Diane Brusoe

    Director

    On filings since 2025

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Doug Craven

    Director

    On filings since 2025

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Emily Cope

    Director

    On filings since 2025

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lenn Scholz

    Director

    On filings since 2025

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ronnie Green

    Director

    On filings since 2025

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Toby O'Rourke

    Director

    On filings since 2025

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Wayne Hubbard

    Director

    On filings since 2025

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • James Hemenway

    Chief Financial Officer

    Senior Vice President - Finance & Administrator → Senior Vice President - Finance & Administration, 2024

    Senior Vice President - Finance & Administration → Chief Financial Officer, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $224K (2020) → $272K (2026)

  • Stephanie Vatalaro

    Chief Operating Officer

    Senior Vice President - Marketing & Communiction → Senior Vice President - Marketing & Communications, 2023

    Senior Vice President - Marketing & Communications → Chief Operating Officer, 2026

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $151K (2020) → $162K (2026)

  • Holly Mahla

    Senior Manager & Administrator

    Senior Manager & Administrator → Senior Manager & Administration, 2024

    Senior Manager & Administration → Senior Manager & Administrator, 2025

    On filings since 2021

    40 hrs/week

    $105K (2021) → $122K (2026)

  • Craig Bonds

    Immediate Past Chair

    Treasurer → Chairman, 2023

    Chairman → Immediate Past Chair, 2026

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jeff Pontius

    Immediate Past Chair

    Chairman → Immediate Past Chair, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Joe Lewis

    Vice Chair

    Director → Secretary, 2022

    Secretary → Vice Chair, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kathy Fennel

    Treasurer

    Director → Treasurer, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Steve Guertin

    Non-Voting Representative

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Shelley Tubaugh

    Secretary

    Director → Secretary, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (31)
  • Former: Louis Chemi (2022–2025) — Director
  • Former: Wade Middleton (2022–2025) — Director
  • Former: Kendra Wecker (2023–2025) — Director
  • Former: Rachel Auslander (2023–2025) — Director of Partnerships
  • Former: Diane Bristol (2020–2024) — Director
  • Former: Dirk Hyde (2020–2024) — Treasurer
  • Former: Bruna Carincotte (2022–2024) — Director of Pr & Communications
  • Former: Brad Loveless (2023–2024) — Director
  • Former: Jenifer Wisniewski (2023–2024) — Director
  • Former: Barb Gigar (2020–2023) — Director
  • Former: Bobby Wilson (2020–2023) — Director
  • Former: Colleen Callahan (2020–2023) — Director
  • Former: Eric Sutton (2020–2023) — Director
  • Former: Frank Peterson (2020–2023) — Former President & CEO
  • Former: Jeff Marble (2020–2023) — Director
  • Former: Bob Ziehmer (2021–2023) — Director
  • Former: Ed Mahoney (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Joey Weller (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Johana Reyes (2021–2022) — Director of Digital Strategy
  • Former: Dave Chanda (2022) — President & CEO
  • Former: Catherine Sparks (2020–2021) — Director
  • Former: Dale Barnes (2020–2021) — Secretary
  • Former: Libby Yranski (2020–2021) — Director
  • Former: Lou Sandoval (2020–2021) — Director
  • Former: Maurice Bowen (2020–2021) — Director
  • Former: Thomas Dammrich (2020–2021) — Director
  • Former: Rick Jacobson (2021) — Director
  • Former: Carl Blackwell (2020) — Director
  • Former: Dan Chesky (2020) — Director
  • Former: Joel Wilkinson (2020) — Director
  • Former: Mac McKeever (2020) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2026 IRS filing

David Chanda — President & CEO: $364KDavid ChandaPresident & CEO$364KJames Hemenway — Chief Financial Officer: $272KJames HemenwayChief Financial Officer$272KStephanie Vatalaro — Chief Operating Officer: $162KStephanie VatalaroChief Operating Officer$162KHolly Mahla — Senior Manager, Administra: $122KHolly MahlaSenior Manager, Administra$122KJames Strong — Senior Director, Industry: $117KJames StrongSenior Director, Industry$117KRachel Piacenza — Senior Director, Marketing: $106KRachel PiacenzaSenior Director, Marketing$106KStephanie Hussey — Senior Director, Governmen: $103KStephanie HusseySenior Director, Governmen$103K

The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $364K, to David Chanda (President & CEO). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Contact

Mailing address: 1742 Fairview Avenue, Mclean, VA 22101
Phone: (703) 869-2779

Frequently asked questions about Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation

How large is Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation?

Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation reported $289K in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.9M.

What does Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation fund?

RBFF’s mission is to implement an informed, consensus-based national outreach strategy to increase participation in recreational angling and boating and raise public awareness and appreciation of the need to protect, conserve, and restore aquatic natural resources. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation?

Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.

Where does Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation make grants?

RBFF’s website describes R3 programs as intended to increase fishing and boating participation across the United States. Its Education Fund guidelines say the fund is available to all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

What is Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation's EIN?

Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1915490. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2026.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.

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