NRA and Money to Clubs

[Liven The Dream]

I could call the NRA ! But for now , No

If a Club receives NRA Grant Money for a certain Range with in a Club .

Does the Club have any obligation to maintain that Range ?

Point being a local Club took 5 years to build a KD Range 200 yard to 1000 yards.
They did receive NRA Funds.

The Rest on the Club Ranges are being Maintained , plus the Club is Billing Members extra for
Club Range Maintenance each year .

The KD Range is not getting any of this Maintenance ?
When asking about what is going on with the Range ? Oh there are Problems ?
This has been brought to the Attention of a Board Member with nothing being done , to date.

Thays for any and all ideas .

 

[hpshooter]

"If a Club receives NRA Grant Money for a certain Range with in a Club .

Does the Club have any obligation to maintain that Range ?"



I was involved with our local Friends of NRA fund raising dinners for 15 years, most of that time I was the chairman. I attended the state grant meetings every year. Many dollars were distributed to Virginia 4-H shooting sports clubs, Boy Scout troops and camps and gun clubs. The grant program has benefited many shooting sports facility nation wide and is IMO one of, if not the most beneficial aspect, of the NRA.

Now, to address your question: A grant is given to a club or organization, that club has to file a report showing that the funds were used for what was requested in the grant. After the report is filed and verified there is no additional follow up that verifies continued use or maintenance or possession of funded ranges or firearms, shooting coats, spotting scopes etc. This was a problem that I had (and have unless something drastic has changed in recent years) with the program. When clubs disband or a club becomes more focused on activities that don't use the funded range or equipment there is no system, other than the personal integrity of the club or organizations officers and members, to be sure the equipment isn't "appropriated" or the range or ranges that were funded don't fall into disrepair.

 

[bsekf]

I have been out of the Foundation loop for several years and what you are talking about is one of the reasons.

I always maintained the Foundation should follow up on how grant money was spent and make sure it was done correctly. The grant where they requested the funds should have stipulated how the maintainance was going to be handled.

Any grant money has to be used for projects where the public is welcome....no members only. No forcing members to join an outside organization, like the ATA, etc. I understood the the club membership had to be open, but I know that rule was often violiated. The grant has to for projects that benifit the community, the Club requesting the funds cannot be the only benificiary. That would violate the 501,c3 (non-profit) regulation.

The NRA Foundation is closely audited by the IRS, it is a shame all 501,c3's aren't!

Bill

 

[Bbear]

If the grant came from NRA Ranges or the NRA Foundation (through the Friends of NRA) then yes, the club should make the effort to maintain the range. If they are not, you may contact your local NRA Field rep. (www.friendsofnra.org) on the right hand side of the page is a tab 'select a state'. That will give you the name and email of the rep. or reps in your state.

 

[jonbearman]

The club I belong too just got a grant and every penny went to the shotgun sports and not a thin dime to do any repair on the rifle range.

 

[Bbear]

jonbearman, if you have a youth group shooting on the rifle range, put in a grant in their name and info to the NRA Foundation. you might be able to get some help for the rifle range as well.

 

[Liven The Dream]

Well made a contact with the NRA !!!! To date will forward to the next person , not anything I can do ..
This was at Local level in Oregon . Will move up the ladder soon.

 

[BLCKWLF]

"If a Club receives NRA Grant Money for a certain Range with in a Club .

Does the Club have any obligation to maintain that Range ?"



I was involved with our local Friends of NRA fund raising dinners for 15 years, most of that time I was the chairman. I attended the state grant meetings every year. Many dollars were distributed to Virginia 4-H shooting sports clubs, Boy Scout troops and camps and gun clubs. The grant program has benefited many shooting sports facility nation wide and is IMO one of, if not the most beneficial aspect, of the NRA.

Now, to address your question: A grant is given to a club or organization, that club has to file a report showing that the funds were used for what was requested in the grant. After the report is filed and verified there is no additional follow up that verifies continued use or maintenance or possession of funded ranges or firearms, shooting coats, spotting scopes etc. This was a problem that I had (and have unless something drastic has changed in recent years) with the program. When clubs disband or a club becomes more focused on activities that don't use the funded range or equipment there is no system, other than the personal integrity of the club or organizations officers and members, to be sure the equipment isn't "appropriated" or the range or ranges that were funded don't fall into disrepair.

As a Current Chairman for the FNRA AZ#1 Committee, I can confirm that it is still like this. We make sure the money we granted is being used for the purposes expressed in the grant.

Now, Shooting Range Development Grants are managed through HQ, they are not generally given by the State Committee and the state committee is generally out of the loop on the Range Development Grants.

If you feel a Grantee is Misusing Funds, I encourage you to bring it up to your Local NRA Rep who runs the Friends of NRA program in our area.

 

[watercam]

Don,
Thank you for still being involved despite all you are going through personally.
Just so everyone knows how great a guy Don is, he took it upon himself to put years of effort into planning, supervising and building a very nice High Power Range near Bend, OR. We shoot there monthly 7 mo. out of the year and are lucky to have the 1000 yd. venue. Don has a few health issues now and yet he is still taking the time to try and take care of the shooters.
He is definitely one of us!
Mike