Guidelines for NRA Foundation State Fund Grants

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 your 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 your 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 Committees or NRA Foundation State Fund Committees
• Individuals

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

Eligible Projects/Activities for Funding

Grant funding provided by The NRA Foundation must meet all NRA Foundation requirements and be used to further a charitable purpose as defined by the Internal Revenue Code under section 501(c)(3) and accompanying IRS rules, regulations, and guidance. Eligibility and funding amount are determined solely by the Foundation.

Grant requests must conform to, and foster the purposes in, The NRA Foundation’s mission statement. This includes:

• 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.

o   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.

o   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.

o   Projects or activities that further amateur sports competitions may meet the public benefit requirement.

o   Please note that 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 most likely 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 Foundation
• Projects for commercial ventures, i.e., private businesses
• Projects that require membership in the NRA or in the applying non 501 (c)(3) or government entity club or group
• Administrative fees, salaries, office overhead, advertising/marketing/public relations, insurance, postage or other similar charges
• Computers, laptops, televisions
• Multi-year funding of projects, projects contingent on future funding from the NRA Foundation
• Requests must be submitted for consideration each year for that year’s costs only
• Raffle items or similar prizes of material value and fundraising events or activities
  • The mission of the Foundation is to support programs, not fundraising activities. The Foundation only funds items 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, 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 Scholastic 3-D Archery (S3DA)

 If you have questions as to whether a project or program qualifies for funding, please email it to [email protected].