Protecting Donor Intent, Preserving a Legacy

Whether you are a longtime supporter of The 1791 Foundation and the Friends of NRA program, or you are just getting acquainted with our organization, it is worth taking a moment to clarify an important part of our history.

As The 1791 Foundation continues to grow and reach new audiences, I’ve noticed a recurring misconception about the Foundation’s financial history and how we built the resources that allow us to continue supporting charitable and educational programs today.

At the center of that misunderstanding is the Friends of NRA program. For those unfamiliar with it, Friends of NRA is a nationwide grassroots fundraising effort powered by volunteers and local events. For decades, it helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars that were then distributed in the form of grants supporting shooting sports, youth programs, range development, law enforcement training, hunter education, conservation efforts, and other initiatives across America.

Some have suggested that The 1791 Foundation’s current assets were accumulated from years of Friends fundraising. While I understand why some might make that assumption, it simply is not how the program operated.

In fact, Friends fundraising was designed to do exactly what donors expected it to do: support grantmaking.

Generally speaking, funds raised through Friends events in one year were distributed the following year in the form of grants. After accounting for the costs of running the program, those dollars went back into communities across America to support shooting sports, youth programs, law enforcement training, range development, hunter education, conservation efforts, and countless other initiatives.

The Foundation also reimbursed the NRA millions upon millions of dollars for work performed in support of the Friends program. In addition, the Foundation spent millions more on inventory, event support, and other operational expenses necessary to sustain a nationwide fundraising effort.

The result was straightforward: Friends fundraising generated grants.

What it did not do was quietly accumulate inside the Foundation and somehow grow into the assets we manage today.

To suggest otherwise reflects either a fundamental misunderstanding of how the Friends program operated or an attempt to distract from the facts.

The impact of Friends fundraising can be seen all across the country. When we talk about more than $500 million in grants awarded over the years, a substantial portion of that funding originated through Friends events and the generosity of the volunteers, donors, sponsors, and attendees who made those events successful.

Those dollars have long since been invested in communities. They exist today in the form of improved shooting ranges, youth teams, hunter education programs, law enforcement training opportunities, conservation projects, and countless local initiatives that benefited from Foundation grants.

That was always the purpose.

At the same time, the Foundation received donations, gifts, bequests, and other contributions outside of the Friends program. Those funds were managed according to donor intent and with a long-term commitment to financial stewardship. Through disciplined management, prudent investment practices, fiscal responsibility, and responsible leadership, the Foundation protected and grew those assets over time. Today, as The 1791 Foundation, we are building on that legacy with strengthened governance, enhanced transparency, and an unwavering focus on our charitable mission, ensuring donor resources are stewarded more effectively than ever before.

That stewardship is what created the strong financial position we enjoy today.

It is also important to remember that The 1791 Foundation provided substantial support to the NRA itself over the years, including more than a quarter-billion dollars in direct grant funding to the organization. Those contributions extended beyond Friends of NRA dollars and represented another significant way the Foundation advanced just part of its charitable mission.

Today, The 1791 Foundation remains more financially secure and mission-focused because generations of donors entrusted us with resources that were carefully managed and invested according to their wishes.

And despite the organizational changes of recent years, we continue to provide meaningful assistance to the Friends program. We want it to succeed, just as it did for many years under the Foundation’s stewardship. The volunteers, donors, and local communities served by Friends deserve nothing less.

At The 1791 Foundation, our responsibility remains the same as it has always been: to honor donor intent, steward charitable resources wisely, and invest in programs that strengthen communities, preserve our heritage, and expand opportunities for future generations.

That commitment has not changed. And it never will.