Could your shooting-sports program use a financial boost? In the last 34 years, The NRA Foundation has issued more than 63,000 grants, comprising over $492 total. In just the last grant cycle, nearly $10 million was awarded to qualified nonprofit organizations through The NRA Foundation State Fund Grant Program. The NRA Foundation's grants are designed to augment shooting sports-related and gun safety programs in their efforts to offer critical firearms-related services to millions of Americans.
The NRA Foundation's 2023 grants are already making a difference. For example, the Louisiana 4-H program received $77,500, allowing the state 4-H program--which supports 3,565 4-H students statewide--to win first place in air pistol and smallbore rifle at the national championships this past June in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Law enforcement is also eligible for NRA Foundation Grants! Dauphin County Sheriff’s Office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, received $25,000 in grant awards. Of that total, $15,000 went towards their K-9 Program, while $10,000 was awarded for various training supplies.
Grants are also frequently awarded to smaller programs. The Kids Outdoor Sports Camp in Vacaville, California, which coaches kids on hunter safety, marksmanship and outdoor conservation, received $8,600 for archery and shotgun shooting supplies.
Private educational institutions are also eligible. For example, St. John Bosco Academy located in Greencreek, Idaho received a grant for $13,200 to fund training materials for the school’s pistol club and trap shooters. Items included handguns, ammo, clay pigeons shotgun shells and targets.
Grants may also be issued in the form of free material goods. The Richland County 4-H Shooting Sports Program, located in Montana, was granted 10 new air rifles, cases and kneeling rolls. The equipment allowed members to participate in shooting programs and continue to learn about the safe and ethical use of firearms.
Ruthann Sprague, Assistant Director of NRA Foundation Grant Outreach & Strategy explains, “The NRA Foundation State Fund Grant program is the country’s premier funding source for the shooting sports, hunting and conservation programs, Second Amendment protections, range improvements and law enforcement support.”
These examples illustrate just a small portion of the grants awarded over the past year. Organizations and non-profit groups from across the country are encouraged to apply, so start planning early and apply for 2025 grant funding now! Begin your application by visiting https://www.nrafoundation.org/grants/. Applications have been open since August 5, 2024. Each state has its own grant application deadline to meet state and local regulations. Check the deadlines here (opens as a .pdf file):
https://www.nrafoundation.org/media/1xvjpe2i/grant-application-deadlines-webpage-list-2025.pdf
Every year, The NRA Foundation allocates half of all net event proceeds for use by the state in which it was raised. Friends of NRA volunteers are appointed to State Fund Committees who then make recommendations on how the local grant funding is dispersed. The other half is used by The NRA Foundation to fund operations and projects like those on the local and state levels, but with a national scope. These monies sustain vital NRA programs such as Youth and Women’s Programs, Range Services, Eddie Eagle, Education & Training, Law Enforcement, Competitive Shooting, Hunter Safety & Services and the National Firearms Museum.
