The 1791 Foundation (formerly The NRA Foundation)

What The 1791 Foundation (formerly The NRA Foundation) does

The 1791 Foundation is the grant-making charity that was known for more than three decades as The NRA Foundation. It funds firearm safety and marksmanship training, youth shooting sports, hunter education, law enforcement firearms training, conservation, competitive shooting, and education about constitutional rights. It says it has invested more than $500 million in programs since 1990 and supports work in all 50 states.

For most of its history the Foundation served as the National Rifle Association's charitable arm, with a board controlled by NRA directors. A 2024 consent judgment in a case brought by the D.C. Attorney General required it to strengthen its governance and make decisions independently. In early 2026 the NRA sued the Foundation, alleging it was withholding funds and misusing NRA trademarks. The Foundation's trustees say they were enforcing tighter oversight of how donor money is spent. On June 3, 2026, it renamed itself after 1791, the year the Bill of Rights was ratified. The lawsuit was still active as of June 2026.

Gifts to the Foundation are tax-deductible, and in 2023 it reported about $194 million in assets. It is no longer part of the NRA, though its trustees say it pledged more than $7 million in 2026 for qualified NRA programs. Donors who want to support NRA-run programs in particular should read the notes below.

Key facts

• Reports more than $500 million in grants since 1990 for firearm education, youth shooting sports, law enforcement training, conservation, hunting and competitive shooting (1791 Foundation press release, June 2026)
• Renamed from The NRA Foundation to The 1791 Foundation on June 3, 2026, after the NRA sued it earlier in 2026 over control of its funds and use of NRA trademarks (Outdoor Wire; Bearing Arms)
• About $34.2 million in revenue and $194.2 million in total assets in tax year 2023 (ProPublica)
• A trustee says the Foundation pledged more than $7 million in 2026 grant support for qualified NRA programs, even amid the litigation (Outdoor Wire op-ed by trustee Ronnie Barrett)

Before you give

• Different entities: the National Rifle Association of America (EIN 53-0116130) is a 501(c)(4). Membership dues and gifts to it are not deductible as charitable contributions. This profile covers the separate 501(c)(3), EIN 52-1710886, formerly The NRA Foundation and now The 1791 Foundation. Gifts to it are tax-deductible.
• As of June 2026 The 1791 Foundation operates independently of the NRA, and the two are in litigation. NRA Executive Vice President Doug Hamlin said that since February 1, 2026, proceeds from Friends of NRA events go to other 501(c)(3)s, the Patriot Fund and the Freedom Action Foundation, and no longer to this foundation (Bearing Arms, Feb 2026).
• nrafoundation.org now redirects to the NRA's Friends of NRA site, not to The 1791 Foundation. Check the organization name on any form before you give.