Friends of NRA State Fund Grant Guidelines

The Friends of NRA State Fund Grant Program provides supplies, equipment, and financial support to a variety of qualified groups and programs at the local level; geared towards youth, women, law enforcement, veterans, the disabled, and the general public, including:

• General shooting programs
• Competitive shooting
• Education, training and safety
• Hunting and conservation
• Community outreach

Eligible Organizations

All applying organizations must possess a Federal Employer Identification number (EIN) issued by the Internal Revenue Service and be an/a:

• IRS 501 (c) recognized entity (must submit IRS Determination Letter with application)

or

• Federal, State or local government entity (law enforcement, public school, college)

or

• State recognized nonprofit organization (must submit copy of state nonprofit registration)

Applicants shall not discriminate against any member, person, or other user of its facilities or equipment on the basis of age, race, color, sex, or national origin, or any other class protected by applicable law. Applicants are not required to be members of or have association with the NRA to receive funds under this grant program.

Ineligible Organizations

The following organizations are NOT eligible for grants:

• Labor organizations
• Private businesses and enterprises, including LLCs
• Organizations or groups that do not have a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) issued by the Internal Revenue Service
• Friends of NRA State Fund Committees
• Individuals

Organizations or groups which have not completed final report requirements from previously-awarded grants may submit an application. However, no awards will be made until all outstanding requirements have been satisfied.

Eligible Projects and Activities for Funding

Grant funding provided by Friends of NRA State Fund Grant Program must meet all requirements and be used to further a charitable purpose as defined by the Internal Revenue Code under section 501(c)(3) and accompanying rules, regulations, and other IRS law and materials. Eligibility and funding amount are determined by the Friends of NRA State Fund Grant Program

Grant requests must conform to, and foster the purposes in the mission, such as:

• Promote, advance, and encourage firearms, the shooting sports, and hunting safety.
• Educate individuals, including the youth of the United States, with respect to firearms, firearms history, participation in the shooting sports, hunting safety, and marksmanship, as well as with respect to other subjects that are of importance to the well-being of the general public.
• Conduct research in furtherance of improved firearms safety and marksmanship facilities and techniques.
• Support activities of the National Rifle Association of America, to the extent that such activities are in furtherance of charitable, educational, or scientific purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code which includes activities that are charitable, educational, or foster National or International sports competition.

Organizations that are not a governmental agency or are not recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) entity:

• Must provide a public benefit equal to or in excess of the amount requested.
• If you seek funding to conduct a program such as a Women on Target event or support of a youth league, and these programs are open to the public, the public benefit is clear.
• Public benefit may also be shown by the nature of the qualified group benefiting from the project or activity, for example the Boy Scouts, a school, a local law enforcement agency, a veterans group, or other qualified groups may meet this requirement.
• Projects or activities that further amateur sports competitions may meet the public benefit requirement.
• Simply being open to the public, and charging the public for use, does not provide a public benefit.

Ineligible for Grant Funding

The following types of projects or items are among those not eligible for State Fund grant funding:

• Deficit financing
• i.e. payment for something already purchased, work already started or completed, or reimbursement for an event that has already taken place prior to grant approval by the Grant Program
• Projects for commercial ventures, i.e., private businesses
• Projects that require membership in the NRA or in the applying club or group
• Administrative fees, office overhead, advertising, insurance, postage or other similar charges
• Salaries, stipends, or compensation
• Computers, laptops, televisions
• Multi-year funding of projects
• Requests must be submitted for consideration each year for that year’s costs only
• Raffle items or similar prizes of material value
• The mission of the Grant Program is to support programs, not fundraising activities. Items are only funded that will be used for a 501(c)(3) purpose as part of a program activity. Prizes, such as trophies, ribbons, certificates, medals, for competitive shooting and other similar activities may be allowable.
• Fundraising or sponsorships for organizations not falling within the mission, to include charity shoots held for those purposes
• Landscaping or related equipment
• i.e. lawnmowers, tractors, weed eaters, snow blowers, etc.
• Vehicles, such as cars, trucks, off-road vehicles or ATVs
• Duty ammunition for law enforcement
• Only training ammunition can be funded
• Archery-only requests
• Archery programs may only be considered if they are part of an overarching shooting program OR part of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) OR part of Scholastic 3-D Archery (S3DA)
• Projects for schools, public or private, that fall under the NRA School Shield Program, such as school security improvements or training for security or school staff
• These must be applied for separately under the NRA School Shield Program
• Projects which are contingent on future funding from the Grant Program to be completed
• If funds are awarded in one year, there is no guarantee of funding in subsequent years

Still Have Questions?

Contact the Grant Department at [email protected] or 800-554-9498