The NRA has started a new program — Firearms For Freedom — that allows gun owners to donate firearms to help fund the NRA and the fight for 2nd Amendment rights. Clifford T. Burgess, the NRA Firearms For Freedom program coordinator, said the new program was an opportunity to leave a financial legacy for the next generation of America’s gun owners. Burgess said, “Many NRA members ask if there’s a way they can contribute firearms to help support NRA programs. The answer to that question is yes.”
Firearms given to the NRA may be selected for the National Firearms Museum or bound for auction. Either way, all firearms will be handled with the utmost of care and following the strictest procedures, Burgess said. Once your gift is committed to the NRA or one of its charitable affiliates, the management and disposition become the fiduciary responsibility of the NRA Treasurer’s Office, led by Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Wilson H. Phillips Jr. From there, NRA staff or their designated representatives handle each step of the process.
NRA’s stewardship includes professional pick-up, packing, handling and transport — all at no cost to the donor. Climate control for temperature and humidity, as well as insurance and security, are provided. Professional inventory management, storage and maintenance are standard. After auction, the treasurer’s fiduciary obligation also includes investment management and oversight of assets.
Gifts of firearms are welcome from members and non-members alike. Also, non-firearms-related collectibles can enter the FFF program, too. All too often, items of considerable value are unwittingly tossed in the trash by heirs. Burgess said one donor provided his collection of antique airplane banks along with his firearms. Other collectibles to consider donating are ammunition, sporting and wildlife art, old hunting and firearms books, collectible firearms-related accessories, old catalogs, bulletin boards, and memorabilia, trophy collections, and decoys.
Your gift can be contributed to one of four separate entities that qualify for a tax deduction. Two charitable groups I like are the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund, which provides legal and financial assistance to selected individuals and organizations defending their right to keep and bear arms. And the NRA Whittington Center shooting facility offers an abundance of ranges, a shotgun shooting center, guided and unguided hunts, and an adventure camp for younger shooters.
To get more information, contact Burgess at 855-4NRA-FFF (467-2333) or email him at nrafff@nrahq.org.
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