TargetTalk

OK I need as many Ideas as possible on fundraising Fast and furious style. I have too many kids and not enough equipment I have plenty of BB equipment but my older kids are stagnating and are "too good" or don't want to use the "kids stuff" for BB's and since this is our first year we haven't been able to plead for funds through an NRA Grant. Are there any other grants? Thanks for yall's help.

Chris Moore
Roanoke Va
4-H Shooting Education Coordinator[/u]

Turbo Daggit wrote:OK I need as many Ideas as possible on fundraising Fast and furious style. I have too many kids and not enough equipment I have plenty of BB equipment but my older kids are stagnating and are "too good" or don't want to use the "kids stuff" for BB's and since this is our first year we haven't been able to plead for funds through an NRA Grant. Are there any other grants? Thanks for yall's help.

Chris Moore
Roanoke Va
4-H Shooting Education Coordinator[/u]

Ah, fundraising...

You don't need a track record to get an NRA Foundation grant, but it helps. We started with a NRA Range Grant of $1700. That's different from the Foundation grant, basically used to set-up or improve a range. We used it to build 6 traps and purchase 6 Daisy 888s. I would recommend going with the 888 for starters - 1/2 the price of the Valiant and a good solid air rifle. If you are affiliated with the CMP (I would suggest affiliating with the CMP, NRA, USA Shooting, and your state NRA affiliate) you can get 888s on a extended-pay program. Stay with CO2 or CA 3P sporter-class equipment. No TAUs or single-stroke pneumatics. That way you will be ready to be competitive.

As far as direct fundraising, we have found that raffles are the best. I gave each junior club member a packet with 6 tickets to sell, but no pressure - do what you can. Some sold more, some didn't sell at all. Pick a popular, fairly inexpensive gun (we are raffling a special Ruger 10/22 - $5 ea, 3 for $10), and SELL, SELL, SELL! Keeping cost at about $250 is a good start in my opinion. We did raffle an airgun last year (IZH-46M - $10 tickets), but the 10/22 has a lot more interest for the average shooter. This year we added a second and third prize also. You may be able to get a local gun store to donate the rifle, or at least the transfer paperwork.

Our bake sale made about $250, our rummage sale fizzled at about $100, the raffle is at about +$700. We sold over $400 worth of tickets in 1 day at the state NRA-affiliate (ISRA) range Open House - go where the shooters are!

Let me know if you have any specific questions. I can also give you recommendations on the best places to buy the best equipment (in my opinion of course!).


Jay V
IL
www.aiac-airguns.org
jverg@att.net

Hi Turbo

I have been at it for awhile (4-H SS) and find that those who really are interested will get there own equipment. Our club provides 4 basic guns all of which can outshoot the shooters. Folks (youth included) take better care of their own equipment than they do a club gun. Raffles work but you might be required to get a gaming permit (we had to). The 888's are good for the sporter competitions. The Valiants are going to raise the bar as well as the cost. Whatever you do make sure the youths enthusiasm matches your own for equipment. If a youth is wearing $150 sneekers and is riding a $500 bicycle but claims he cannot afford a $200 air rifle, you need to do some pondering about the seriousness he has for the sport. Growing too fast has problems as well and the long term clubs tend to be on the slow growth track here in AK. A red flag was the "too good" or not wanting to use "kids stuff". Summer is here and lawns can be mowed and cars washed so that the youth "invest" themselves in the equipment instead of mom and dad doing everything from being the coaches to selling tickets etc. A fast way to pair down "unlimited wants" of a child is to say "You pay 1/2 jr. and we will pick up the other half". It is amazing how fast that sorts out where their interests truly are.

Don't get me wrong I applaud your efforts and you are by definition "one who is making a difference" by getting involved and actually doing it. I just don't want you to get burned out by doing too much while others are not pulling their fair share of the load.

Don't forget the "Learn by Doing" is for the youth.

Turbo Daggit wrote:OK I need as many Ideas as possible on fundraising Fast and furious style. I have too many kids and not enough equipment I have plenty of BB equipment but my older kids are stagnating and are "too good" or don't want to use the "kids stuff" for BB's and since this is our first year we haven't been able to plead for funds through an NRA Grant. Are there any other grants? Thanks for yall's help.

Chris Moore
Roanoke Va
4-H Shooting Education Coordinator[/u]

[quote="akihmsa"]I have been at it for awhile (4-H SS) and find that those who really are interested will get there own equipment. (snip)[quote]

That approach does have merit, but we have gone the other direction.

We supply everything for 3P sporter-class air rifle for under $50 per year. Our approach is to make it VERY easy for kids and families to try the shooting sports - no big money for guns and equipment, no big commitment. What that approach does is allows kids to just "give it a try". True, many don't last, but all leave with a very clear understanding of how important it is to handle a gun - even an airgun - safely. That is our actual mission, the competition is secondary. Some come for 5 or 6 classes, some for a few months, some for a full season. We have about 15 that have been shooting year-round for the two and a half years that the club has been operating. Those are the ones that focus on getting to the championships.

We will have a different approach as they move into precision-class air rifle. Then they will be required to purchase all of their personal gear (jackets, boots, pants, etc) while we will supply the precision rifles - still a good deal, but a significant commitment on their part.

Jay V
www.aiac-airguns.org

Check your pm

For others readers, a club I know raised a couple hundred with an UNbake sale. Parents added cost of baking, time they would have had to sell stuff, then donated that much instead.

Hi Jay

We also provide the basic equipment for the beginners and run a 8 week course that covers the discipline. When the parents bring their child I suggest that they let them take the course without purchasing any equipment (we have it all covered) and at the conclusion of the course let the child decide if they wish to continue into the competitive areas. For those that do not we encourage them to take one of the other disciplines (shotgun, archery etc.) to see if they like that as well. The main goal of the basic course is gun safety and to let them learn by doing. All who complete the course understand the importance of stance, grip, sight alignment and adjustment, trigger control and very importantly setting personal goals. Everyone is a winner is a large part of the plan. My experience is that only about 1 in 10 are truly interested in competing and that is fine. I believe sometimes too much emphasis is placed on competition. Recreational shooting is a valid past time and can easily be a lifetime form of recreation. After the basics the youth are prepared for this and encouraged to try as many of the Shooting Sports as they want.
It sounds like you are doing the same making the youth that wish to go on to precision self fund. Like your club the ones that come back are those interested in competing. I would like those who don't want to compete to stay and grow in other areas such as running the club and becoming the treasurers and secretaries etc. so that they learn to plan events and things like that but they tend to drift off if they are satisfied with the level of shooting they obtained. The program is much larger than just the shooting part. Of course anything that keeps them from just hanging out and into a constructive environment is a good thing!

The point I was trying to make (maybe not to well ;~) was that the Adult leaders need to be careful that they do not overspend and end up disapointed and then leave the program. I have seen more than a few get discouraged because the youth don't seem to care. I tell them that many of the seeds planted may not grow for years and this is often an excellent result.

Jay V wrote:

akihmsa wrote:I have been at it for awhile (4-H SS) and find that those who really are interested will get there own equipment. (snip)

That approach does have merit, but we have gone the other direction.

We supply everything for 3P sporter-class air rifle for under $50 per year. Our approach is to make it VERY easy for kids and families to try the shooting sports - no big money for guns and equipment, no big commitment. What that approach does is allows kids to just "give it a try". True, many don't last, but all leave with a very clear understanding of how important it is to handle a gun - even an airgun - safely. That is our actual mission, the competition is secondary. Some come for 5 or 6 classes, some for a few months, some for a full season. We have about 15 that have been shooting year-round for the two and a half years that the club has been operating. Those are the ones that focus on getting to the championships.

We will have a different approach as they move into precision-class air rifle. Then they will be required to purchase all of their personal gear (jackets, boots, pants, etc) while we will supply the precision rifles - still a good deal, but a significant commitment on their part.

Jay V
www.aiac-airguns.org

Anonymous wrote:Hi Jay

We also provide the basic equipment for the beginners and run a 8 week course that covers the discipline. When the parents bring their child I suggest that they let them take the course without purchasing any equipment (we have it all covered) and at the conclusion of the course let the child decide if they wish to continue into the competitive areas. For those that do not we encourage them to take one of the other disciplines (shotgun, archery etc.) to see if they like that as well. The main goal of the basic course is gun safety and to let them learn by doing. All who complete the course understand the importance of stance, grip, sight alignment and adjustment, trigger control and very importantly setting personal goals. Everyone is a winner is a large part of the plan. My experience is that only about 1 in 10 are truly interested in competing and that is fine. I believe sometimes too much emphasis is placed on competition. Recreational shooting is a valid past time and can easily be a lifetime form of recreation. After the basics the youth are prepared for this and encouraged to try as many of the Shooting Sports as they want.
It sounds like you are doing the same making the youth that wish to go on to precision self fund. Like your club the ones that come back are those interested in competing. (snip)

I tell them that many of the seeds planted may not grow for years and this is often an excellent result.

I certainly agree - especially the last sentence. I was introduced to shooting as a Boy Scout at age 10, but didn't do anything else until I was in my mid 20s. Hopefully some that haven't continued will rediscover the sport as an adult like I did.


Jay V
IL

Absolutely Jay! Even one day at a shooting range to learn that shooting is fun and that one needs to always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, and the fingers off the trigger is very worthwhile. Something this simple plants the seed that often bears fruit for decades in the future!

Few will ever make it to the Olympics but the effort to make the best better is always worthwhile.

Jay V wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi Jay

We also provide the basic equipment for the beginners and run a 8 week course that covers the discipline. When the parents bring their child I suggest that they let them take the course without purchasing any equipment (we have it all covered) and at the conclusion of the course let the child decide if they wish to continue into the competitive areas. For those that do not we encourage them to take one of the other disciplines (shotgun, archery etc.) to see if they like that as well. The main goal of the basic course is gun safety and to let them learn by doing. All who complete the course understand the importance of stance, grip, sight alignment and adjustment, trigger control and very importantly setting personal goals. Everyone is a winner is a large part of the plan. My experience is that only about 1 in 10 are truly interested in competing and that is fine. I believe sometimes too much emphasis is placed on competition. Recreational shooting is a valid past time and can easily be a lifetime form of recreation. After the basics the youth are prepared for this and encouraged to try as many of the Shooting Sports as they want.
It sounds like you are doing the same making the youth that wish to go on to precision self fund. Like your club the ones that come back are those interested in competing. (snip)

I tell them that many of the seeds planted may not grow for years and this is often an excellent result.

I certainly agree - especially the last sentence. I was introduced to shooting as a Boy Scout at age 10, but didn't do anything else until I was in my mid 20s. Hopefully some that haven't continued will rediscover the sport as an adult like I did.


Jay V
IL

Our club also provides all the gear for the kids. We have sporter and precision air guns, jackets, stands, scopes, just about everything but pants.

For fund raising Try your local VFW, American Legion, besides 4H programs. All of them have air rifle shooting programs and postal matches. A local VFW or AL post can give a lot of sponsorship. Also look for local organizations that sponsor youth sports activites like the Lions or Optomists.

As others have stated the Friends of the NRA and NRA range development grants are also a good way to go. Our club is also sponsored by our IWLA which provides us with facilities for the range and some money every year.

I also noticed you are also in Virginia, Have you tried contacting Al Fehlings, he's the youth coordinator for the VSSA?