Friends of NRA is the blockbuster fundraising program under The NRA Foundation. Established in 1992, Friends of NRA is a 100% grassroots effort dedicated to securing the Second Amendment and raising money for the shooting sports. Each year, volunteers across the country raise charitable dollars (and generous donors make gifts) that are then awarded as grants in support of educational and public service programs relating to the shooting sports in our communities.
Since The NRA Foundation is invested in the next generation of America’s leaders, a significant majority of grants support youth shooting sports programs. In 2023 alone, The NRA Foundation funded over 2,100 grants for youth programs across the nation, totaling almost $8 million! These programs included 4-H, JROTC, Scouts, school/college clubs and teams, and a wide variety of other youth shooting programs. From air rifle, to smallbore rifle and trap/skeet/clay programs, these grants help youth learn safe, responsible firearm handling.
As America’s leading charitable organization in support of the shooting sports, we are dedicated to serving the needs of freedom-loving Americans, preserving the core of our American values and traditions, and Teaching Freedom across this great nation.
2023 grants for youth programs funded:
- Over 7 million shotgun shells
- 5.7 million rounds of rimfire ammo
- More than 400 shotguns
- More than 500 rimfire firearms
- $700k+ in Archery supplies
- 187 Trauma Kits
- 120,000+ pairs of foam earplugs
- Over 1,000 pairs of ear muffs
- Over 12,000 pairs of safety glasses
- 90 gun safes
- 180+ assorted reactive targets
- 500+ Shooting mats and kneeling rolls
Our grants helped major organizations, including 4-H, Boy Scouts of America, JROTC and ROTC, Scholastic Clay Target Program, Future Farmers of America, NASP and S3DA archery groups, and hundreds of competitive youth shooting teams! The grants benefitted nearly 500,000 youth across the country, concluding that The NRA Foundation is THE leading charity working to sustain and grow youth shooting sports.
The Piedmont Council Boy Scouts of America, based in Gastonia, NC had much to say about the grant they received in 2023. "Without the NRA Foundation grant, our program this year would have been significantly scaled back. The impact of the grant goes beyond numbers. It positively affected the lives of our youth because we were able to run a successful shooting sports program! These young men and women learn responsibility as they worked to improve good sportsmanship, self-discipline, logic, and concentration. They gained confidence and were trained in safe habits and attitudes which will last a lifetime.”
You can continue the impact on youth shooting sports programs by attending a Friends of NRA event near you. www.friendsofnra.org/events/
About Friends of NRA
Friends of NRA is a grassroots fund-raising program that fosters community involvement to organize and, with help from NRA field staff, plan community events for firearms enthusiasts. All net proceeds from Friends of NRA events are allocated to The NRA Foundation, the leading charitable organization in support of the shooting sports. Through NRA Foundation grants for equipment, training materials, range improvements, and more, qualified local, state, and national programs receive aid to involve and inspire a new generation of competitive shooters. Learn more about Friends of NRA at www.friendsofnra.org.
About The NRA Foundation
Established in 1990, The NRA Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that raises tax-deductible contributions in support of a wide range of firearm-related public interest activities of the National Rifle Association of America and other organizations that defend and foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. These activities are designed to promote firearm and hunting safety, to enhance marksmanship skills of those participating in the shootings sports, and to educate the general public about firearms in their historic, technological, and artistic context. More information about The NRA Foundation can be found online at www.nrafoundation.org.
About the National Rifle Association
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Five million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and is the leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit nra.org.
