2010 NRA Foundation Grants

[jhmartin]

For those of you who may have submitted NRA Foundation grants for the 2010 year ... the online versions, especially 4-H clubs .... something that we (NM 4-H clubs) found out this week.

While you were not asked for it, the Foundation Grant program was holding up all the NM 4-H grant awards because we did not file non-taxable certs. I had to get ahold of the New Mexico State University (our land grant institution) non-tax cert and send it into Sandy at the NRA. Hopefully this cleared the way.

Why do they need this now when they've never needed it before?

Well, if you don't know yet, the NRA has started their own Grant Fullfillment store where certain items, pellets, ammo, equipment and other common grant "stuff" is available for you to order. If they have it, you must order it from them. In order for them to not charge you tax, they need a non-tax cert.

If you have not heard yet from the NRA, and you usually have by this time, I'd first try your area director, or State NRA Friends committee chairperson, or as a last resort, Sandy Elkin at NRA. I say Sandy as a last resort as the Foundation grant shop at NRA is a pretty small group at NRA and can be easily overwhelmed.

If you also need a 4-H 501(c)(3) determination letter, you can use the national one ... I've got it posted on our website at:
http://www.vc4hss.com/CharitableStatus.html

[Soupy44]

We are just finding this out too. Our club received two grants, one for our junior program and another for our 2 Women on Target events. The prices for most stuff at the store are reasonable. But as you shop around during the year, you will find plenty of places with sales/specials/just plain cheaper prices than the NRA Grant Fulfillment store. Our WOT folks are already pissed they have to pay almost 10% more for their 9mm ammo. Also, our club gets a huge discount (~40%) on targets because of the volume of our order. Now we can't do that? Seriously?

[jhmartin]

Finding this out now is very unfortunate, but next year about all you can do is specify your item in enough detail so that it cannot be mistaken for what the store offers ?????????

I'm guessing here as I've not heard back from NRA yet on the final status our grants......

[Quest1]

I am finding out that the prices for ammo pellets and 22 ammo is 30 to 50% higher then the match ammo we are forced to purchase from the NRA Store. We wanted to buy SKjad or Wolf Ammo, which in our guns shots as good as the Ely and it's much cheaper. They didn't have most of the targets we need, but they at least are sending cash so that we can purchase the targets we need. I am finding that I can get more bang for my buck if I buy the items myself from selected dealers when I watch for a good price throughout the year.

[PaulB]

I cannot seem to locate any info on the "NRA Foundation Grant Fulfillment Store". Would someone please supply a link.

[jhmartin]

Supposedly there is a link on the email you receive notifying you of your grant. From what I can tell, you must login w/ your grant number.... have not yet received our notification yet, so I'm not sure of the entire process.

[Soupy44]

That is correct, but you can only look at the categories of stuff you
put on your grant. So if you only put ammo, you can't even see the prices of target, coats, etc.

[jhmartin]

I have requested to our local rep that we (grant application'ees) get a pricelist next year before we do our applications ... NLT than Sept 1.

Would help if they got they same request or similar from others

[Soupy44]

What really eats me about this is how the NRA is now trying to make a buck off of the NRA Foundation. Since the prices I have heard thus far are right around what we can find elsewhere in the world, and not less than those prices, that means the NRA IS TURNING A PROFIT ON THE PURCHASES WE MAKE WITH OUR GRANT MONEY!!!

[SRichieR]

On our grant, the equipment will cost $700 more going through the NRA store than it would purchasing in the usual manner. This due to higher prices and sales tax.
We don't usually pay sales tax on mail order items purchased out of state. Plus they are charging us 9% tax even though the tax in my area for local sales is about 4.5%.
As coach, I'm glad for any funding, but, I am not happy with this waste of funding. I think it is a slap in the face to those coaches who have worked hard for years to stretch every dollar as far as possible to make sure the kids have what is needed. And then there are those of us who are NRA Foundation committee members who helped to raise these funds and now see them wasted.

[PaulB]

From the price list that someone was nice enough to send me it appears that many of the items are just "pass throughs" with the catalog prices listed. I checked a number of the Champion's Choice items and the prices were the same as their on-line prices. CC will usually give you a discount of 5-15% depending on the size of your purchase so the NRA prices do end up being a bit high. Also, does anyone know if the NRA Store is a "stocking dealer" or do they just have the items drop shipped from the various companies.

[Guest]

Also, does anyone know if the NRA Store is a "stocking dealer" or do they just have the items drop shipped from the various companies.

Figure the least efficient method, and that's what they are using ... anything to "better" spend the money that the FNRA committees raise

[Quest1]

On our grant, the equipment will cost $700 more going through the NRA store than it would purchasing in the usual manner. This due to higher prices and sales tax.
We don't usually pay sales tax on mail order items purchased out of state. Plus they are charging us 9% tax even though the tax in my area for local sales is about 4.5%.
As coach, I'm glad for any funding, but, I am not happy with this waste of funding. I think it is a slap in the face to those coaches who have worked hard for years to stretch every dollar as far as possible to make sure the kids have what is needed. And then there are those of us who are NRA Foundation committee members who helped to raise these funds and now see them wasted.

According to the explanation I got from the NRA Grant Store people is the sales tax is supposedly the rate of your local sales tax. If you are charged anymore then you need to get a hold of the Grant Store and discuss it with them about any problems or corrections. They are charging sales tax because the NRA is considered an entity in every state.

I agree with most of the sentiment expressed in many of the posting in that this is not a very efficient use of our funds. Know I have to budget sales tax into my Grant estimates so our greedy local governments can suck money from us, which do nothing to help support or causes.

[jhmartin]

We don't usually pay sales tax on mail order items purchased out of state.

Technically though, you should be paying that tax if the store is not an entity in your state. With 16,000 new IRS agents being hired (works out to 320 per state), they may finally have a way to police that.

[SRichieR]

Federal IRS agents and state sales tax are two different. In Alabama the tax rate various by county and municipality. The rate is so varied it is a nightmare to keep straight. Many of us shop in the county outside the city limits where the tax rate is considerably less. The rate is based on where the transaction takes place.

[jhmartin]

Two of my three grants have finally cleared all the hoops.
Had a few issues with items granted by the state committee not being in the store, but had store $$ for those items.

Called Kevin (he is the MyNRAGrantStore email address) and explained the situations to him. he did a quick check with my district rep and moved the funds to checks that I can spend outside the store.

Example: Some of our rifles shoot 4.49 pellets better than 4.50's. All the store has is 4.50's. A check is coming so that I can go find the ones we need.

A whole lot easier than I thought it would be.

[Soupy44]

I have been told that the store is hoping to have more competitive prices in the future. Hopefully deals can be struck which will make the store the best option for purchasing what we need. I'm just still upset this came up so suddenly, without notice, and is costing people money in the short run.

[PaulB]

A 4-H club in my state was awarded a state grant to buy some "low end" smallbore silhouette rifles. NRA Store does not have any such rifles. Club was told that they must buy from the store. Consequently, can't get the rifles that are needed. What a deal!!!

[Soupy44]

You are supposed to be able to request the store to send you a check for anything they don't offer. If they are not awarding checks for such purposes, then we have a big issue again.

[jhmartin]

A 4-H club in my state was awarded a state grant to buy some "low end" smallbore silhouette rifles. NRA Store does not have any such rifles. Club was told that they must buy from the store. Consequently, can't get the rifles that are needed. What a deal!!!

Log into your login page and at the bottom of the page is Kevin Nishiyama's email as well as phone contact numbers.

Call him and mention that the store does not have the rifles you wanteds, and he will begin the process of shifting the funds to a check .... he will contact your state/area rep to get that done.

It was very a simple and painless process for me. Kevin was polite and easy to work with