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Non-profit

NRA Foundation

Website:

www.nrafoundation.org/
Location:

FAIRFAX, VA
Tax ID:

52-1710886
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2023):

Revenue: $34,224,215
Expenses: $36,036,468
Assets: $194,219,494
Type:

Firearm advocacy group
Formation:

1990

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The NRA Foundation is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the National Rifle Association (NRA) that functions as the lobbying organization’s charitable arm. The Foundation has awarded millions in grant funding to police organizations, gun clubs, and school groups. 1 2

In 2020, the District of Columbia Attorney General’s Office sued the Foundation, alleging that its finances were not independent from the NRA. 3 The NRA Foundation is challenging the allegations, and the case is unresolved as of June 2021.

Background

The NRA Foundation was established in 1990. It is the charitable and education arm of the National Rifle Association (NRA). 4 The NRA Foundation has given $426 million in grants to promote firearms and hunting safety. It also supports public education programs on Second Amendment rights and firearms history. 5 6

The NRA Foundation and the NRA share office space and staff in Fairfax, Virginia. 7 The foundation is incorporated in Washington, D.C., while the NRA is incorporated in New York City. 8

Fundraising and Grants

NRA Foundation volunteers raise money each year through Friends of the NRA, a fundraising organization established in 1992. 9 In 2019, about 1,100 Friends of NRA events across the United States raised $65 million for the NRA Foundation. 10

The NRA Foundation contributed $7.3 million to 500 schools between 2010 and 2016. The foundation funds the Eddie Eagle Gun Safe Program for children and provides grants to the Boy Scouts, the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), agriculture clubs, and 4H groups. 1 2

The NRA Foundation also awards grants to police and sheriff departments. 11

Financial Controversies

2020 Suit by Racine

In 2020, the office of District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine (D) sued the NRA Foundation alleging the Foundation did not operate independently of the NRA advocacy group, using tax-deductible dollars for non-exempt purposes. 3

In 2018, the NRA Foundation reportedly gave $12 million to the NRA in grants, along with a $5 million loan. 7 In May 2019, the New York Times reported that since 2010, the NRA has received at least $206 million in assistance from the NRA Foundation. 12

NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre sat as an ex-officio member on the Foundation’s board of trustees. The NRA Foundation reportedly did not disclose donations between 2013 and 2017 to Youth for Tomorrow, which provides services for children with psychological and behavioral problems. LaPierre’s wife, Susan LaPierre, is a former president of Youth for Tomorrow and was a board member at the time of the donations. 13

In September 2020, U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) led a letter written by Democratic U.S. Senators to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The letter urged the office to prevent federal employees from donating to the NRA Foundation through workplace giving programs. 14

2026 Suit by NRA

In January 2026, the NRA Foundation was suit by its 501(c)(4) sister organization, the National Rifle Association (NRA), for “trademark infringement and unfair competition,” claiming that $160 million which the Foundation had raised with the NRA was misused and violated the “law of charitable trusts.” 15 According to federal court filings, the NRA suit was to prevent the Foundation from “passing itself off to donors and the public as the NRA or an authorized NRA affiliate and misappropriating the many millions of dollars that NRA supporters contributed.” 15 Attorneys for the NRA further claimed that the NRA Foundation was being led by “a disgruntled faction of former NRA directors who lost control of the NRA’s Board following revelations of financial improprieties, mismanagement, and breaches of fiduciary duty and member trust,” while said Foundation leadership wants to, “withdraw grant and other funding of the NRA…to undertake fundraising activities in competition with the NRA, and to conduct its own programmatic activities in competition with those of the NRA.” 15

Leadership

William H. Satterfield is the president of the NRA Foundation. 16 He is a retired U.S. Army colonel and former Army Ranger. 17Wayne Sheets is the executive director of the NRA Foundation. 16 Sheets is the owner of HWS Consulting, a fundraising firm used by the NRA. 18

References

  1. “The NRA Foundation Inc.” Great Nonprofits. Accessed May 20, 2021. https://greatnonprofits.org/org/the-nra-foundation-inc
  2. Binkley, Collin and Hoyer, Meghan. “AP finds the NRA gave $7 million to hundreds of schools.” Associated Press. March 9, 2018. Accessed May 21, 2021. https://apnews.com/article/shootings-north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-in-state-wire-ce39136dad7c49d6977ba851018f5d92
  3. Press Release. “AG Racine Sues NRA Foundation for Diverting Charitable Funds to Support Wasteful Spending by NRA and Its Executives.” Office of Attorney General, District of Columbia. August 6, 2020. Accessed May 20, 2021.  https://oag.dc.gov/release/ag-racine-sues-nra-foundation-diverting-charitable#:~:text=WASHINGTON%2C+D.C.+%E2%80%93+Attorney+General+Karl,the+NRA+and+its+executives.
  4. [1] “About the NRA Foundation.” NRA Foundation. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://www.nrafoundation.org/about-us/
  5. “More Than $426 Million Awarded in Grants Since 1990.” NRA Foundation. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://www.nrafoundation.org/grants/
  6. NRA Foundation. Open 990. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://www.open990.org/org/521710886/the-nra-foundation-inc/
  7. Conway, Marian. “As the NRA Turns: The Latest Episode.” Nonprofit Quarterly. December 4, 2020. Accessed May 21, 2021. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/as-the-nra-turns-the-latest-episode/
  8. Wofford, Benjamin. “DC Attorney General Is Suing the NRA Foundation.”  Washingtonian. August 6, 2020. Accessed May 21, 2021. https://www.washingtonian.com/2020/08/06/dc-attorney-general-is-suing-the-nra-foundation/
  9. NRA Foundation. Volunteer Match. Accessed May 20, 2021. https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/org340129.jsp
  10. “NRA Foundation Grants and Funding.” NRA Foundation. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://www.friendsofnra.org/national.aspx?cid=9
  11. DeBergalis, Joseph. “NRA Salutes Our Hero Police Officers.” NRA America’s First Freedom. May 7, 2021. Accessed May 21, 2021. https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/articles/2021/5/7/nra-salutes-our-hero-police-officers
  12. Hakim, Danni. “At the N.R.A., a Cash Machine Sputtering.” The New York Times. May 14, 2019. Accessed May 21, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/us/nra-finances-executives-board-members.html
  13. Spies, Mike. “The N.R.A.’s Questionable Charitable Giving.” The New Yorker. May 30, 2019. Accessed May 21, 2021. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-nras-questionable-charitable-giving
  14. White, Eric. “Senators want NRA Foundation out of the Combined Federal Campaign.” Federal News Network. September 21, 2020. Accessed May 21, 2021. https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-newscast/2020/09/senators-want-nra-foundation-out-of-the-combined-federal-campaign/
  15. Grumbach, Gary and Raquel Coronell Uribe. “The National Rifle Association is suing its own charitable arm.” NBC News, January 5, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/national-rifle-association-sues-nra-foundation-federal-court-rcna252465
  16. NRA Foundation. Pro Publica. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521710886
  17. Bill Satterfield. Committee for a Strong Board. Accessed May 22, 2021. https://www.nrastrong.org/bill-satterfield
  18. Maremont, Mark. “NRA Awarded Contracts to Firms With Ties to Top Officials.” The Wall Street Journal. November 30, 2018. Accessed May 22, 2021. https://www.wsj.com/articles/nra-awarded-contracts-to-firms-with-ties-to-top-officials-1543590697
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: April 1, 1991

    • 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
    2023 Dec Form 990 $34,224,215 $36,036,468 $194,219,494 $10,899,325 N $15,628,481 $32,876 $2,585,753 $0
    2022 Dec Form 990 $58,279,843 $33,186,090 $179,822,604 $7,483,667 N $40,156,580 $20,789 $2,265,116 $0 PDF
    2021 Dec Form 990 $31,195,407 $22,706,642 $170,191,654 $8,958,100 N $13,860,708 $0 $2,046,237 $0 PDF
    2020 Dec Form 990 $31,708,941 $31,043,459 $153,762,945 $11,302,321 N $14,779,498 $0 $2,155,639 $0 PDF
    2019 Dec Form 990 $45,316,749 $48,706,382 $146,853,462 $8,402,174 N $24,070,042 $49,395 $2,570,071 $0 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $55,244,207 $50,424,586 $136,231,145 $4,868,297 N $36,681,298 $53,710 $2,907,438 $0 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $45,805,799 $44,460,690 $141,617,430 $7,792,595 N $29,020,564 $50,970 $2,175,275 $0 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $52,621,079 $47,057,079 $132,653,392 $8,345,815 N $36,337,996 $63,474 $1,988,593 $0 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $49,746,464 $45,577,207 $123,162,862 $7,383,946 N $34,806,949 $54,900 $1,859,058 $0 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $45,663,924 $38,644,023 $123,265,444 $8,546,332 N $30,774,410 $49,145 $1,890,974 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $41,337,513 $31,484,754 $115,156,609 $8,953,443 Y $25,417,993 $43,420 $1,462,586 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $43,034,962 $29,132,902 $98,214,547 $7,756,747 Y $31,874,591 $30,890 $1,253,801 $0 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $29,412,304 $26,751,339 $81,140,578 $7,885,594 Y $20,486,708 $30,945 $1,416,300 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    NRA Foundation

    11250 WAPLES MILL ROAD
    FAIRFAX, VA 22030-7550