WE ARE THE NRA ... Freedom’s Safest Place. We protect, defend and promote the fundamental right of every law-abiding American to safely and responsibly exercise our God-given Constitutional right to keep and bear arms for defense of self, family, home, state and country, as well as for hunting and recreation, now and for future generations.
Reorganizing For The Future
In my past columns, I wrote about change coming to the NRA—not in our mission, but in how we deliver on it.
As you are aware, NRA has been extremely successful in protecting Second Amendment rights at the federal level and in most states. Our successes at the Supreme Court of the United States are unmatched. Our successes in Congress have been phenomenal, from passing pro-Second Amendment laws to electing pro-gun candidates, including many presidents. NRA has trained more than 32 million school children in gun safety, and more than 100,000 certified instructors teach safe gun handling and marksmanship to millions each year.
So, you might wonder—why make changes despite all the success? It’s really quite simple: History is full of thousands of organizations that were once great and rested on past success. The recent demise of Remington after a century of greatness now marks its place in the history books. American giants that once dominated their industries, like Compaq, Kodak, Pan Am and Yahoo, are no longer mainstays.
Why did these companies fail? There are many reasons, but common ones include leadership failing to listen to their customers, complacency, a lack of vision and, most importantly, failing to anticipate the future.
Stories abound about how Amazon, which started by selling books online, and Apple, which sold computers for kids, were once written off, yet are among the largest companies in the world today. All great companies have faced major challenges at one time or another, but their leadership did not sit idly by. They reacted boldly and decisively.
The NRA is also poised for resurgence—standing at a pivotal moment to adapt, modernize and reassert its leadership in a changing landscape. Gun-owner demographics are shifting. Younger generations get their news online and communicate mainly through texting, with phone calls becoming less common. They are also learning online, not in a classroom. They prefer action-packed shooting sports rather than just shooting at paper targets. Traditional competitive shooting and hunting are no longer the only options. Younger consumers are purchasing most items online based on recommendations from their digital peers.
Additionally, many gun owners do not perceive any real threat to their Second Amendment rights because of the NRA’s successes, unless you live in a blue state. We have a pro-gun president. The fight has, for the most part, moved from the federal level to states and municipalities that are ignoring our Constitution, federal laws and even their own state laws. Unlimited dollars continue to flow into the anti-gun movement, gun sales are sluggish and the economy is impacting the entire industry.
Based on emails I’ve received, NRA members are asking for their publications on mobile devices. NRA must balance the needs of our older members who prefer a print publication with those of our younger members who favor a digital experience.
Since the creation of ILA more than 50 years ago, NRA has not undergone significant organizational changes. Think about that: Handheld calculators were just emerging, there were no personal computers or cell phones, and there was no modern internet or apps.
At the end of October, the NRA announced a major internal reorganization to modernize and drive efficiencies. NRA 2.0 is refocusing on its core missions of defending our Second Amendment rights, gun safety and training, supporting our clubs and associations and hosting shooting competitions. Programs for women, youth and hunting and conservation will also receive renewed focus. We are flattening our organizational structure, redeploying staff and leveraging technology to improve the operations of the association. By breaking down the current vertical silos and forming cross-functional teams, there will be less staff duplication, stronger member services and improved communication.
As we move forward with these changes to strengthen our future, please know that our life members, members, donors, volunteers and industry partners who have stood with the NRA over the years are at the forefront of everything we consider and do.
Our greatest strength has always been our members, donors, volunteers, staff and partners who never stop believing in what we stand for. The new NRA 2.0 is just getting started, and with your passion and commitment, we’ll build an organization that is stronger, more effective and more united than ever—one every American will be proud to stand with.
