NRA Geez?!

dontcatchmany · August 20, 2013, 02:34 PM

Earlier this year I did a Lifetime Membership to the NRA.

I truly appreciate the NRA's fight to beat the opponents of the 2nd Amendment and I also will also give my life to protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as I did with my service in Vietnam in 68/69.

However the NRA seems to stoop lower than AARP in their dollar bill cravings.

Almost every week I get two or three mailings from NRA wanting me to buy some crap insurance or enter in some sort of raffle or what ever low life money grabbing scheme de jour.

NRA seems to be attempting to be the most contemptuous money grabbing used car salesmen ever. Sickening and perverse IMHO. Can these folks attempt to have a little class?

**Tom Servo** · August 20, 2013, 02:39 PM

From the NRA's site:

Quote:

Q: How can I reduce the amount of mail I receive from the NRA?

A: Simply email us at [email protected] or dial 800-NRA-3888 and request to be placed on the "Do Not Promote" list. This will significantly reduce the amount of mail you receive without affecting important mailings, magazine service, or your membership renewal.

dakota.potts · August 20, 2013, 02:50 PM

This is good to know, Tom.

We are also inundated by a ton of NRA mail. We have been signed up for 6 months (I think we've got a 3 or 5 year membership) and they're sending us stuff asking if we'd like to renew early.

It personally makes me mad that they continue to ask for money, but they don't put that membership money towards the ILA, which is the branch I mainly want to be supporting. I understand it probably takes an unfathomable amount of money to run an organization of that size, but to me it feels duplicitous.

dontcatchmany · August 20, 2013, 02:57 PM

Tom,

I sincerely appreciate the data and will use it.

However, I still question the NRA's ability to stoop to some type of money making that seems to be of a low character.

Are not there better ways? I ask this to the NRA and not you sir.

Again, thanks for the link and data.

**Mike Irwin** · August 20, 2013, 03:14 PM

"It personally makes me mad that they continue to ask for money, but they don't put that membership money towards the ILA"

Yep, it really stinks that NRA won't put membership dues towards the Institute for Legislative Action.

Then again, Federal law prohibits the use of membership dues for legislative functions.

I'll say that again.

It's against the law for NRA to use membership dues to fund the Institute for Legislative Action.

That is true of any organization like NRA that has an arm that does legislative affairs and lobbying.

"We have been signed up for 6 months (I think we've got a 3 or 5 year membership) and they're sending us stuff asking if we'd like to renew early."

I hate that, too, but just about every organization does it. A few years ago I got a "thank you for your renewal" letter from an organization to which I belonged.

Inside with the letter was a request to renew my membership.

BarryLee · August 20, 2013, 03:21 PM

The thing to remember is our foes are often funded by taxpayers, so they have an almost unlimited budget. The NRA only has the funds we as members donate or a portion they receive from these various promotions.

The fight is not over and after 2014 there will most likely be a major assault on our Second Amendment Rights, so we need to assure that the number one Gun Rights group is properly funded.

FrankenMauser · August 20, 2013, 03:28 PM

Quote:

"We have been signed up for 6 months (I think we've got a 3 or 5 year membership) and they're sending us stuff asking if we'd like to renew early."

I hate that, too, but just about every organization does it. A few years ago I got a "thank you for your renewal" letter from an organization to which I belonged.

Inside with the letter was a request to renew my membership.

GOA is so bad about that, and won't stop doing it, that I'm not going to renew my membership when it expires (next month?).
I get a renewal notice at least every 2 weeks, usually every 10 days, or so.

If they didn't waste their funds on 35 lbs of paper for the useless mailers they send to me, it would be the equivalent of a renewal...

dakota.potts · August 20, 2013, 03:29 PM

Really Mike? That's interesting. I didn't realize there were laws against that.

I would still like to see, perhaps, maybe taking money off of the membership dues if you contribute to the ILA or something as the law allows. But that does clear up a lot of confusion to me as to why they charge so much for memberships and then need donations for the ILA. It actually makes a lot more sense now.

Paul B. · August 20, 2013, 03:34 PM

I kow it's irritating as hell when all that mail and their phone calls at inconvenient times come in butI've learned to live with it.

I may even start donating a few bucks again. Why? I came to the realization that Micheal Bloomberg alone can easily outspend the NRA when it comes to gun control. WE aleady know where he stand when it comes to people's rights.

Then add the war chests of the Brady bunch, and all the other anti-gun groups and it puts us in a not too pleasant spot. In our governemt, money talks and BS walks. If the NRA is outspent, they're not gonna win any battles. Supposedly the NRA has 5 million members now. If every member donated just $10, that's only $50 million, a drop in the bucket to what just Bloomberg is willing to spend. I don't find that to be a too pleasant thought. If those 5 million member would commit to $10 a month that would be 600 million if my math deficient brain is anywhere near correct. That would go a long way toward making a heavy duty war chest gainst the likes of Bloomberg and crew. Th thing is, will the membership stand up and put their money where it counts?
Paul B.

FrankenMauser · August 20, 2013, 03:36 PM

Quote:

I would still like to see, perhaps, maybe taking money off of the membership dues if you contribute to the ILA or something as the law allows. But that does clear up a lot of confusion to me as to why they charge so much for memberships and then need donations for the ILA. It actually makes a lot more sense now.

We've discussed it here, quite a few times in the past.
Next time you have an NRA membership/renewal form in front of you, read the entire thing. Somewhere on there, you'll find it stated quite clearly that membership dues cannot be used for lobbying by the ILA.

kilimanjaro · August 20, 2013, 05:16 PM

The NRA, like any other gun rights organization, has to work for it's money. I'm a life member, and just toss the insurance quotes and credit card offers in the fireplace along with the rest of the junk mail. I know they would rather fund the ILA with $10 a year or $5 a month from every one of the 5 million members, but the facts are that they have to seek other means of funding, like it or not.

The anti-gun organizations are funded by billionaires, leftist trust funds, and tax money. That's what we should be complaining about.

thallub · August 20, 2013, 06:49 PM

The NRA is forced to solicit contributions because only about ten percent of NRA members ever contribute to the ILA. i'm among the ten percent who foot the bill for those who never contribute.

johnwilliamson062 · August 20, 2013, 09:20 PM

The NRA with memberships is like a club or a sporting association such as IDPA more than a "gun rights organization." At least in how money is spent if not culture. Federal laws mentioned before guarantee that. NRA has 3 million members at $15 or more a piece, so they take in at least 50 million a year I imagine. Their filings must be available somewhere.

SAF used to be MUCH better about this than NRA. The first few years I received very little junk mail. Now I get at least a few things tucked in with my newsletter each month and often a second solicitation of some sort. They seem to be big on the "matching donation" solicitations.

UncleEd · August 20, 2013, 09:37 PM

It's true, the NRA can't use membership dues for the ILA. Those dues go to the museum, many staff salaries, and other programs such as Eddie Eagle.

I don't like all the solicitations either but I just ignore them except for a periodic ILA contribution. I figure if I can afford some pretty decently expensive guns, and want to keep them, I can afford some extra money for the ILA.

Think of the perhaps 100 million Americans who have guns, enjoy them, use them responsibly and don't contribute even a dime to membership let alone the ILA.

g.willikers · August 21, 2013, 12:29 PM

Their latest mailing for donations also includes chances on a 12 gun raffle.
All EBRs, too.
That should get some positive action.

Bullcamp82834 · August 21, 2013, 04:41 PM

The NRA sends me at least a couple invitations a year to join.

I've been a member since about 1969 when I took my first hunter safety course in Ohio as a kid.
They don't need to expend resources recruiting me. I'm already in and always will be.

If every other member gets the mailings I do the NRA is spending their money in a wasteful way. I called them about this issue once but it did no good.
I wish they would be more careful and spend every dollar for maximum effect.

**Mike Irwin** · August 21, 2013, 05:15 PM

Direct mail marketing IS maximum effect.

It is still the most successful way of reaching members available.

There is a simple premise by which direct mail operates.

It pays for itself.

Ted D · August 21, 2013, 06:38 PM

I donate $100 a year.to support Our GUN RIGHTS.If every member would do that it would ad up.Most people waste 100 on crap in one week.Just my 2cents.

arch308 · August 21, 2013, 07:00 PM

I'm with you Ted. I only keep my NRA membership current. All extra donations I can afford go to the NRA-ILA or PVF.

**Mike Irwin** · August 21, 2013, 09:50 PM

This article just hit Reuters news:

http://news.yahoo.com/national-rifle...194327840.html

Much ado about absolutely nothing, and yet another case of the media trying to stir the pot.

Evan Thomas · August 21, 2013, 10:40 PM

OMG! You mean... their marketing department is doing its job? How shocking.

noelf2 · August 22, 2013, 08:22 AM

Paul B.

Quote:

I came to the realization that Micheal Bloomberg alone can easily outspend the NRA when it comes to gun control.

thallub

Quote:

The NRA is forced to solicit contributions because only about ten percent of NRA members ever contribute to the ILA. i'm among the ten percent who foot the bill for those who never contribute.

Barrylee

Quote:

The NRA only has the funds we as members donate or a portion they receive from these various promotions.

I'm sure considerable lobby funding also comes from the firearms industry.

johnwilliamson062 · August 22, 2013, 09:39 AM

The industry does some PR donation to NRA but their big bucks go to NSSF, the industry organization. NSSF has been supportive of several laws that were not in my favor. Many of the import restrictions for instance. Of course, their donations to NRA allow them to in effect lobby NRA also to stand by on such laws. Their goals don't always line up with ours.

bikerbill · August 22, 2013, 12:51 PM

All very interesting ... I've been a member for many years and personally think the occasional bit of mail from them is a. not a huge issue and b. easy to toss in the recycle bin unopened if you're not interested. And it really is occasional; I'd love to see somebody demonstrate to me that they get three pieces of mail a week (more than 150 a year!!!) from the NRA; doesn't happen. I get a few solicitations a month from them, most being requests for early renewal. When I do donate to the NRA outside my dues, I always specify that it be used for the ILA ...

dontcatchmany · August 22, 2013, 03:08 PM

Just a few minutes ago I received a phone call from a lady who stated she is a professional fund raiser for the NRA....she was soliciting a donation

Nice lady, but I did politely ask her to go to her management and as see if they can maybe search for a better way to raise funds than they currently do.

Case in point, Since Monday (today is Thursday) I have received 7 different mailings from the NRA soliciting something....and yes, one of them was the raffle mentioned above....and I have not checked today's mail.

I question whether the solicitations are coordinated and if so do the folks managing the solicitations know how rude it is?

I also question whether the solicitations are truly from NRA and, if so, how much actually goes to fighting the gun control bastages and how much is overhead.

I remember the United Way crap from years ago where over 98 percent went to administration and paying Acrimony and others extremely excessive salaries and "perks"....jets and expensive limos. Has the NRA sold my data??

August 20, 2013, 02:34 PM	#1
dontcatchmany Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2010 Posts: 460	NRA Geez?! Earlier this year I did a Lifetime Membership to the NRA. I truly appreciate the NRA's fight to beat the opponents of the 2nd Amendment and I also will also give my life to protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as I did with my service in Vietnam in 68/69. However the NRA seems to stoop lower than AARP in their dollar bill cravings. Almost every week I get two or three mailings from NRA wanting me to buy some crap insurance or enter in some sort of raffle or what ever low life money grabbing scheme de jour. NRA seems to be attempting to be the most contemptuous money grabbing used car salesmen ever. Sickening and perverse IMHO. Can these folks attempt to have a little class?

August 20, 2013, 03:14 PM	#5
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,379	"It personally makes me mad that they continue to ask for money, but they don't put that membership money towards the ILA" Yep, it really stinks that NRA won't put membership dues towards the Institute for Legislative Action. Then again, Federal law prohibits the use of membership dues for legislative functions. I'll say that again. It's against the law for NRA to use membership dues to fund the Institute for Legislative Action. That is true of any organization like NRA that has an arm that does legislative affairs and lobbying. "We have been signed up for 6 months (I think we've got a 3 or 5 year membership) and they're sending us stuff asking if we'd like to renew early." I hate that, too, but just about every organization does it. A few years ago I got a "thank you for your renewal" letter from an organization to which I belonged. Inside with the letter was a request to renew my membership. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 20, 2013, 03:21 PM	#6
BarryLee Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2010 Location: The ATL (OTP) Posts: 3,946	The thing to remember is our foes are often funded by taxpayers, so they have an almost unlimited budget. The NRA only has the funds we as members donate or a portion they receive from these various promotions. The fight is not over and after 2014 there will most likely be a major assault on our Second Amendment Rights, so we need to assure that the number one Gun Rights group is properly funded. __________________ A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it ... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman

August 20, 2013, 03:34 PM	#9
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,800	I kow it's irritating as hell when all that mail and their phone calls at inconvenient times come in butI've learned to live with it. I may even start donating a few bucks again. Why? I came to the realization that Micheal Bloomberg alone can easily outspend the NRA when it comes to gun control. WE aleady know where he stand when it comes to people's rights. Then add the war chests of the Brady bunch, and all the other anti-gun groups and it puts us in a not too pleasant spot. In our governemt, money talks and BS walks. If the NRA is outspent, they're not gonna win any battles. Supposedly the NRA has 5 million members now. If every member donated just $10, that's only $50 million, a drop in the bucket to what just Bloomberg is willing to spend. I don't find that to be a too pleasant thought. If those 5 million member would commit to $10 a month that would be 600 million if my math deficient brain is anywhere near correct. That would go a long way toward making a heavy duty war chest gainst the likes of Bloomberg and crew. Th thing is, will the membership stand up and put their money where it counts? Paul B. __________________ COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION! Last edited by Evan Thomas; August 20, 2013 at 04:36 PM. Reason: redacted invective.

August 21, 2013, 12:29 PM	#15
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Their latest mailing for donations also includes chances on a 12 gun raffle. All EBRs, too. That should get some positive action. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

August 20, 2013, 02:50 PM	#3
dakota.potts Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2013 Location: Keystone Heights, Florida Posts: 3,084	This is good to know, Tom. We are also inundated by a ton of NRA mail. We have been signed up for 6 months (I think we've got a 3 or 5 year membership) and they're sending us stuff asking if we'd like to renew early. It personally makes me mad that they continue to ask for money, but they don't put that membership money towards the ILA, which is the branch I mainly want to be supporting. I understand it probably takes an unfathomable amount of money to run an organization of that size, but to me it feels duplicitous.

August 20, 2013, 02:57 PM	#4
dontcatchmany Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2010 Posts: 460	Tom, I sincerely appreciate the data and will use it. However, I still question the NRA's ability to stoop to some type of money making that seems to be of a low character. Are not there better ways? I ask this to the NRA and not you sir. Again, thanks for the link and data.

August 20, 2013, 03:29 PM	#8
dakota.potts Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2013 Location: Keystone Heights, Florida Posts: 3,084	Really Mike? That's interesting. I didn't realize there were laws against that. I would still like to see, perhaps, maybe taking money off of the membership dues if you contribute to the ILA or something as the law allows. But that does clear up a lot of confusion to me as to why they charge so much for memberships and then need donations for the ILA. It actually makes a lot more sense now.

August 20, 2013, 05:16 PM	#11
kilimanjaro Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2009 Posts: 3,963	The NRA, like any other gun rights organization, has to work for it's money. I'm a life member, and just toss the insurance quotes and credit card offers in the fireplace along with the rest of the junk mail. I know they would rather fund the ILA with $10 a year or $5 a month from every one of the 5 million members, but the facts are that they have to seek other means of funding, like it or not. The anti-gun organizations are funded by billionaires, leftist trust funds, and tax money. That's what we should be complaining about.

August 20, 2013, 06:49 PM	#12
thallub Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: South Western OK Posts: 3,112	The NRA is forced to solicit contributions because only about ten percent of NRA members ever contribute to the ILA. i'm among the ten percent who foot the bill for those who never contribute.

August 20, 2013, 09:20 PM	#13
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	The NRA with memberships is like a club or a sporting association such as IDPA more than a "gun rights organization." At least in how money is spent if not culture. Federal laws mentioned before guarantee that. NRA has 3 million members at $15 or more a piece, so they take in at least 50 million a year I imagine. Their filings must be available somewhere. SAF used to be MUCH better about this than NRA. The first few years I received very little junk mail. Now I get at least a few things tucked in with my newsletter each month and often a second solicitation of some sort. They seem to be big on the "matching donation" solicitations.

August 20, 2013, 09:37 PM	#14
UncleEd Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2013 Location: N. Georgia Posts: 1,150	It's true, the NRA can't use membership dues for the ILA. Those dues go to the museum, many staff salaries, and other programs such as Eddie Eagle. I don't like all the solicitations either but I just ignore them except for a periodic ILA contribution. I figure if I can afford some pretty decently expensive guns, and want to keep them, I can afford some extra money for the ILA. Think of the perhaps 100 million Americans who have guns, enjoy them, use them responsibly and don't contribute even a dime to membership let alone the ILA.

August 21, 2013, 04:41 PM	#16
Bullcamp82834 Member Join Date: July 31, 2013 Location: Buffalo, WY Posts: 94	The NRA sends me at least a couple invitations a year to join. I've been a member since about 1969 when I took my first hunter safety course in Ohio as a kid. They don't need to expend resources recruiting me. I'm already in and always will be. If every other member gets the mailings I do the NRA is spending their money in a wasteful way. I called them about this issue once but it did no good. I wish they would be more careful and spend every dollar for maximum effect.

August 21, 2013, 05:15 PM	#17
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,379	Direct mail marketing IS maximum effect. It is still the most successful way of reaching members available. There is a simple premise by which direct mail operates. It pays for itself. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 21, 2013, 06:38 PM	#18
Ted D Member Join Date: January 27, 2013 Location: Dayton.Ohio Posts: 76	I donate $100 a year.to support Our GUN RIGHTS.If every member would do that it would ad up.Most people waste 100 on crap in one week.Just my 2cents. __________________ LIFE MEMBER OF THE NRA.GREENHORN RELOADER

August 21, 2013, 07:00 PM	#19
arch308 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2011 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 876	I'm with you Ted. I only keep my NRA membership current. All extra donations I can afford go to the NRA-ILA or PVF.

August 21, 2013, 09:50 PM	#20
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,379	This article just hit Reuters news: http://news.yahoo.com/national-rifle...194327840.html Much ado about absolutely nothing, and yet another case of the media trying to stir the pot. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 21, 2013, 10:40 PM	#21
Evan Thomas Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2008 Location: Upper midwest Posts: 5,631	OMG! You mean... their marketing department is doing its job? How shocking. __________________ Never let anything mechanical know you're in a hurry.

August 22, 2013, 09:39 AM	#23
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	The industry does some PR donation to NRA but their big bucks go to NSSF, the industry organization. NSSF has been supportive of several laws that were not in my favor. Many of the import restrictions for instance. Of course, their donations to NRA allow them to in effect lobby NRA also to stand by on such laws. Their goals don't always line up with ours.

August 22, 2013, 12:51 PM	#24
bikerbill Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2007 Location: Lago Vista TX Posts: 2,425	All very interesting ... I've been a member for many years and personally think the occasional bit of mail from them is a. not a huge issue and b. easy to toss in the recycle bin unopened if you're not interested. And it really is occasional; I'd love to see somebody demonstrate to me that they get three pieces of mail a week (more than 150 a year!!!) from the NRA; doesn't happen. I get a few solicitations a month from them, most being requests for early renewal. When I do donate to the NRA outside my dues, I always specify that it be used for the ILA ... __________________ "The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants." Albert Camus

August 22, 2013, 03:08 PM	#25
dontcatchmany Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2010 Posts: 460	Just a few minutes ago I received a phone call from a lady who stated she is a professional fund raiser for the NRA....she was soliciting a donation Nice lady, but I did politely ask her to go to her management and as see if they can maybe search for a better way to raise funds than they currently do. Case in point, Since Monday (today is Thursday) I have received 7 different mailings from the NRA soliciting something....and yes, one of them was the raffle mentioned above....and I have not checked today's mail. I question whether the solicitations are coordinated and if so do the folks managing the solicitations know how rude it is? I also question whether the solicitations are truly from NRA and, if so, how much actually goes to fighting the gun control bastages and how much is overhead. I remember the United Way crap from years ago where over 98 percent went to administration and paying Acrimony and others extremely excessive salaries and "perks"....jets and expensive limos. Has the NRA sold my data??

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search