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Non-profit

Firearms Policy Foundation

Location:

Las Vegas, NV
Tax ID:

47-2471253
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2022):

Revenue: $2,126,196
Expenses: $1,453,684
Assets: $1,090,023
Type:

Charitable Organization
Formation:

2014 1

References

  1. “Firearms Policy Foundation.” Cause IQ. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/firearms-policy-foundation,472471253/

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The Firearms Policy Foundation, also known as FPC Action Foundation, is a charitable organization focused on promoting firearms ownership rights. 1 The Firearms Policy Coalition is the organization’s advocacy arm. 2 The two nonprofits have partnered to form FPC Law for litigating gun cases and writing amicus briefs. 3

Brandon Combs is the head of both organizations. 4

Background

The Firearms Policy Foundation engages in legal analysis and litigation to defend the Second Amendment. 5 Its sister organization is the Firearms Policy Coalition, a lobbying and advocacy group that was founded in 2013, one year before the foundation. 6

The Second Amendment Foundation helped create the Firearms Policy Coalition. The Firearms Policy Coalition was founded to partner with the Second Amendment Foundation, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, CalGuns, and the California Associations of Federal Firearms Licensees. The coalition also sought to focus on young gun owners and engaged heavily on Twitter and Facebook. 7

The foundation contends that a government’s regulation of firearms is a reflection of its approach to other “natural rights.”  Further, it says, a “well-armed people make tyranny at scale significantly more costly.” 8

In June 2024, Brandon Combs, head of both the Firearms Policy Foundation and the Firearms Policy Coalition, spoke out opposing the conviction of Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, on certain firearms-related charges. The younger Biden was charged with lying about his drug addiction on a federal gun purchase form. 9

FPC Law

The Firearms Policy Foundation partnered with the Firearms Policy Coalition to form FPC Law. 10 It claims that FPC Law is the largest public interest legal team that focuses on the Second Amendment. 11

As of August 2024, major law firm Cooper & Kirk was set to represent the Firearms Policy Coalition and the Second Amendment Foundation in a Supreme Court case in the fall of 2024 regarding regulations targeting so-called “ghost guns.” 12

Brandon Combs, the head of both the Firearms Policy Foundation and the Firearms Policy Coalition, praised the law firm, saying: “Indeed, FPC is already working with the exceptional litigators at Cooper & Kirk — truly the best in the space — on the largest Second Amendment litigation program in the country.” 13

The organization represented clients in litigation against the federal government challenging the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives “pistol brace” rule and challenging the “frame or receiver” rule. 14

FPC Law was successful in the U.S. Supreme Court for its challenge to the ban on bump-stock devices. 15

In August 2024, it joined the Second Amendment Foundation to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal to overturn Maryland’s “Assault Weapons Ban of 2013.” 16

The organization also challenged California’s lifetime gun ban on individuals who were convicted of a non-violent crime, as well as California’s ban on high-capacity firearm magazines. 17

In June 2024, the group led a lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court on behalf of clients against the state of California challenging the state’s taxes on gun purchases. Assembly Bill 28 imposed an 11 percent excise tax on the sale of firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition. 18

FPC Law has also challenged the Massachusetts ban on common handguns and challenged New York City’s ban on stun guns and less-lethal arms, as well as New York state’s ban on “assault weapons.” 19

It challenged bans on “assault weapons” and bans on “large capacity” magazines in California, Delaware, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington. It has also challenged public carry bans in several states, including New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and New Mexico. 20

Policy Goals

The Firearms Policy Foundation focuses on the philosophy of natural rights, including the right to keep and bear arms and adjacent issues that include freedom of speech, due process, opposing unlawful searches and seizures, supporting separation of powers, and opposing asset forfeitures. 21

The group wants to eliminate prohibitions on the right to keep and bear arms for non-dangerous adults aged 18 and older. The foundation opposes bans on the acquisition and possession of firearms and parts it deems “necessary to an essential scope and capability of the right to keep and bear arms,” especially essential features of modern sporting rifles. 22

It calls for elimination of prohibitions on the times, places, and manners of bearing arms in non-sensitive public places. It also calls for eliminating prohibitions on the personal manufacture of common categories of firearms. 23

References

  1. “Firearms Policy Foundation.” Cause IQ. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/firearms-policy-foundation,472471253/
  2. Press Release. “FPC and FPF Announce Disbursement of Funds Following Class Action Victory by Attorney Joshua Prince.” April 23, 2021. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.firearmspolicy.org/fpc-and-fpf-announce-disbursement-of-funds-following-class-action-victory
  3. “About.” FPC Action Foundation. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.fpcactionfoundation.org/about
  4. Van Sant, Will. “Inside the Secret Multimillion-Dollar Operation to Dismantle America’s Gun Laws.” The Trace. July 30, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.thetrace.org/2024/07/gun-rights-lawsuits-donors-trust-funding/
  5. “Firearms Policy Foundation.” Cause IQ. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/firearms-policy-foundation,472471253/
  6. [a] Press Release. “FPC and FPF Announce Disbursement of Funds Following Class Action Victory by Attorney Joshua Prince.” April 23, 2021. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.firearmspolicy.org/fpc-and-fpf-announce-disbursement-of-funds-following-class-action-victory
  7. Van Sant, Will. “Inside the Secret Multimillion-Dollar Operation to Dismantle America’s Gun Laws.” The Trace. July 30, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024.  https://www.thetrace.org/2024/07/gun-rights-lawsuits-donors-trust-funding/
  8.  “About.” FPC Action Foundation. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.fpcactionfoundation.org/about
  9.  Pandolfo, Chris. “Gun rights groups call law used to convict Hunter Biden unconstitutional.” Fox News. June 14, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gun-rights-groups-call-law-used-convict-hunter-biden-unconstitutional
  10. “About.” FPC Action Foundation. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.fpcactionfoundation.org/about
  11.  Press Release. “FPC and FPF Announce Disbursement of Funds Following Class Action Victory by Attorney Joshua Prince.” April 23, 2021. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.firearmspolicy.org/fpc-and-fpf-announce-disbursement-of-funds-following-class-action-victory
  12. Van Sant, Will. “Inside the Secret Multimillion-Dollar Operation to Dismantle America’s Gun Laws.” The Trace. July 30, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024.
  13.   Van Sant, Will. “Inside the Secret Multimillion-Dollar Operation to Dismantle America’s Gun Laws.” The Trace. July 30, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024.
  14. “What We Do.” FPC Action Foundation. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.fpcactionfoundation.org/work
  15. “What We Do.” FPC Action Foundation. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.fpcactionfoundation.org/work
  16. Crietz, Charles. “Gun rights groups ask Supreme Court to rule on sweeping Maryland firearm ban lower bench upheld.” Fox News. August 23, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gun-rights-groups-ask-supreme-court-rule-sweeping-maryland-firearm-ban-lower-bench-upheld
  17. “What We Do.” FPC Action Foundation. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.fpcactionfoundation.org/work
  18. Vives, Ruben. “Gun rights groups sue to block California’s new tax on firearms.” Los Angeles Times. July 4, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-07-04/gun-rights-groups-sue-to-block-california-tax-on-firearms
  19.  “About FPC Law.” Firearms Policy Coalition. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.firearmspolicy.org/legal
  20. “About FPC Law.” Firearms Policy Coalition. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.firearmspolicy.org/legal
  21. “About.” FPC Action Foundation. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.fpcactionfoundation.org/about
  22. “About.” FPC Action Foundation. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.fpcactionfoundation.org/about
  23. “About.” FPC Action Foundation. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.fpcactionfoundation.org/about
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: September 1, 2015

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2022 Dec Form 990 $2,126,196 $1,453,684 $1,090,023 $0 N $2,090,379 $0 $0 $169,934
    2021 Dec Form 990 $1,443,423 $1,111,804 $419,439 $1,928 N $1,321,547 $121,876 $0 $168,633
    2020 Dec Form 990 $824,836 $964,831 $86,041 $149 N $503,709 $0 $0 $0
    2019 Dec Form 990 $573,845 $469,362 $225,887 $0 N $573,845 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990EZ $0 $0 $121,404 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990EZ $0 $0 $102,946 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990EZ $0 $0 $39,587 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990EZ $24,654 $2,481 $23,683 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Firearms Policy Foundation

    5550 Painted Mirage Road, 320
    Las Vegas, NV 89149