From 2005 to 2025, AFTCO and the Shedd family have contributed more than $9.05 million to conservation through the 10% Pledge.
The 10% Pledge sits at the core of AFTCO. It's a pledge made by our family, but one that starts and ends with the passionate anglers who purchase AFTCO and make it possible. Your support enabled us to donate over $600,000 in 2025 alone.
What is special to me about the 10% Pledge is where this commitment began. The idea behind the pledge started with my grandfather, Milt Shedd, who believed deeply that those who benefit from the ocean have a responsibility to protect it. Its roots date back to 1973. My father, Bill Shedd, turned that belief into action by formally establishing the pledge and embedding it into how AFTCO operates. He transformed this ethos into something lasting within our company. Today, my siblings and I are proud to carry that commitment forward as the third generation of our family at the helm. This consistency and multigenerational belief are among the things that make small, family-owned and operated companies special—and allow us to think and act with a long-term perspective.
To be clear, there is no short-term business justification for this kind of expense, yet I believe it is our most important discretionary spend. These annual contributions represent a meaningful line item for us. If private equity or a non-endemic entity were to acquire AFTCO, this is likely exactly the kind of line item that would be cut. The 10% Pledge—and programs like it, carried out by small, family-owned businesses across the country—require both passion and long-term vision.
That vision however has enabled us to build enduring partnerships and support many organizations for decades. Our longest-standing partner is Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute. Before the 10% Pledge existed, my grandfather founded the organization in 1963. My father has served on its board for 31 years, with my brother Cody now volunteering his time. Along with many other passionate anglers, Milt and Bill helped initiate the White Seabass Hatchery Program and have remained committed to advancing its vision and the millions of white seabass it has released. Together, the Shedd family and AFTCO have contributed more than $2 million to support Hubbs' mission, particularly the White Seabass Program.
Through the 10% Pledge, AFTCO and our family have supported conservation across fisheries, habitat, science, and efforts to keep our oceans open to responsible public access for all anglers. Key partner support includes more than $635,000 to the Coastal Conservation Association and its habitat arm, the Building Conservation Trust; $219,000 to the IGFA; and $165,000 in small, grassroots projects supporting Bass Nation clubs. Support has also extended to public–private partnerships, including a recent $100,000 contribution to the State of North Carolina to help build an aquatic greenhouse.
Many of our donations support behind-the-scenes, non–public-facing efforts. For example, we've contributed $407,395 to the Center for Sportfishing Policy to support its mission of advancing policy change, typically in approximately $25,000 increments each year since 2010. While long-term partnerships remain our foundation, 2025 also marked the start of a new relationship we're especially proud of—our first year supporting the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M and its shark tagging and tracking program.
Of these funds, $1.69 million came from the Peggie Shedd Marine Trust, with the remainder contributed directly by AFTCO. These figures do not include tens of thousands of volunteer hours or millions of dollars in donated product.
The 10% Pledge isn't a campaign or a trend. It's a long-term commitment rooted in our family's history—and one we intend to uphold for generations to come. Most importantly, it's made possible by you: the customers who support AFTCO, Marsh Wear, and the products our company has made, past and present.
Casey Shedd
President, AFTCO