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Author Topic: I want...  (Read 1418 times)

Offline OnTheFly

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I want...
« on: September 24, 2013, 02:15:02 PM »
...YOU to put your money where your mouth is and set up a monthly donation to the NFOA or NFOA PAF.

and then post your good deed HERE.

We have a good start...



...but this is just a pittance considering how many NFOA members there are.

So get off your posterior and set up a monthly donation today.  Spend your kids inheritance, stiff a waitress, I...DON'T...CARE!  Just get it done.

Don't make me come over there!

Fly
« Last Edit: September 24, 2013, 02:18:32 PM by OnTheFly »
Si vis pacem, para bellum

Offline FarmerRick

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Re: I want...
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2013, 02:49:59 PM »
From the July Board meeting minutes(since the August minutes still haven't been posted, btw... is there a new NFOA President?)

Ending Book balance 6/30/13 - $24,247.81

What is the NFOA planning on doing with this money?
Collect interest?
Save forever?
Give more to NE Game and Parks for a shooting range that very few people would even use?

Just curious... 
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

Offline NE Bull

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Re: I want...
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2013, 06:01:24 PM »
Fly- Let me say I appreciate what you are doing.
Rick- That does seem like a lot of money, Huh?

And I'll probably get in trouble for this; but anyone who has been involved with the workings of the organization knows that direct donations, such as those which Fly is soliciting, can, due to rules/ regulations of our non profit status, only be used for lobbying purposes.  Our fight with the Victim Protection Act is one example of where that money can best be used.  Obviously it worked because we got the attentions of certain senator(s) who in turn, well frankly, hosed us.  We will be back and next time we have some deeper pockets to take things to the next level, thanks in part to the efforts of Mr. Fly.  Personally I believe our immediate focus should be with the PAF- getting the right folks in place in at the Capitol this next go around. And frankly THAT'S gonna take putting money in the right places, along with volunteers helping with door to doors, phone calls, etc. for promising candidates.

There is money the NFOA donates to partners and/or uses for events such as the Annual Meeting (that went over seemingly well.) (Don't get me wrong, it was great to see so many folks come out, but really, should we have to put on a dog and pony show for folks to gather and discuss their 2nd Amendment Rights and how to protect them???) These monies must come from fundraising (Different from donation drives, I'm still sorting it all out myself). 
As for the G&P grant, some may see this as money thrown away, but I see it as gaining a partner with a government agency.  Through our assistance with data collecting, our direct involvement in the planning process, and our financial contribution, our organization's name will be tied into EVERY range the G&P builds, not just the WMA Ranges, but others such as Bosallis, among others in the planning stages yet. The folks down at HQ thank Ghost and I over and over for our organization's help.  Our members voiced their concerns for the WMA ranges being systematically shut down, and what would it take to get a few "free" ranges built to go sight in a rifle or take the grand kids plinking without needing a membership to a range.  Sadly, as we all know, or should, nothing is FREE.  A couple of folks spent lots of time (and sleepless days, thank you) alongside the G&P folks to get us this far.  In the world of politics one needs to make every friend they can. And if we can do that while more directly helping our fellow members? Brother- that's Sweet Honey on the Biscuit!

As for what are "WE" planning to use all this moldy money for?  Who knows?  I want to have a presence at the NE State Fair build awareness and membership (FarmerRick you of all folks should know we have tapped the gun show circuit for danged near all it's worth), work our way into some Health/Safety Fairs to promote Safety and awareness.  We need to start thinking out of the box.  My goal is to see the NFOA surpass 10,000 signed members in the next couple of years with at least 10% of those members active in one form or another.
Get more involved with organizations such as Boy Scouts, 4H, High School Trap, etc.  More opportunities like the Women's Expo, WITO, etc. 
We need not only input from our members, but members ready and willing to take the reins of their project.
Should we just throw money at it?  Maybe not. But without more MEMBER INVOLVEMENT- folks with boots on the ground beating the bushes, making things happen, Writing checks is all we have left. 

*Let me throw this conundrum at ya'll- folks want merchandise (no one more than I- love me some NFOA swag)  Sure we could finance to start- but it needs to be a separate-ish entity,  we need someone to run a point of sale website, someone(s) to procure suppliers (preferably within the state), somewhere and someone to pickup/ receive/store the product, some one(s) to pick and ship orders,  most of all we would have to hire (or find someone to work pro bono) an accountant to deal with the sales tax and change in IRS filings, and maybe even folks to setup/work show booths and gun show tables (this and raffles is where gun shows still show cost worthiness) selling the gear.
I calculate this at 10 active members- Minimum! And that's the same couple of folks hitting every gun show in the state. (Been there, done that- got the burn marks to prove it, don't we Farmer Rick? )


Back to the Annual Meeting- It was great, huh? A good turn out, lots of different activities, classes, seminars, etc. Right? And what did it cost our members? Gas money and a $10 meal ticket? But if you look at the expenditures, there was very little of the organization's money invested. Wow! Why is that?  Well, let's start with the facilities- Heartland Public Shooting Park graciously gave us run of the land for the day- KUDOS to Bill and the gang!  All those classes/ seminars/ shooting opportunities everyone enjoyed so much, were funded by the individuals conducting the event- John's targets, guns and expertise, Thomas's guns, targets, expertise, Jeremy's own firearms, ammo, safety gear, course material, and animal cracker  Toby's personal stash/ products and knowledge, Chris's course material, Brian and Dick and Co. and all the info and knowledge and experience, (Am I missing someone?) This stuff don't come free folks. (I know, I sent off for a new credit card,and maxed it out getting ready and getting to GI plus room and board)  Many may not understand, but most of the courses given, many of those folks do this for a living, or at least a side business, and ya'll got it all and some good BBQ for $10?
(Not to mention those that camped over the night before, or were up, packed, and on the road at an ungodly hour in order to be at the park at the butt-crack of dawn  :o to get everything set-up and ready.)

Ok, I'll stop ranting for now, I have a Boy Scout Shooting event to finish planning and Lord willing, find Volunteers to help with.  Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?

« Last Edit: September 24, 2013, 06:07:32 PM by NE Bull »
“It is not an issue of being afraid, It's an issue of not being afraid to protect myself.”
 Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert
 "A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that."  Shane

Offline Mudinyeri

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Re: I want...
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2013, 07:53:08 AM »
Two words: War Chest

Like Jeremy said, we don't have an immediate, planned use for the funds.  You never know, though, when you'll need to fight a battle ... or a war.  $24,000 is a drop in the bucket if/when the time comes to fight a real war for our rights here in Nebraska.

Offline NE Bull

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Re: I want...
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2013, 08:32:38 AM »
Ok, Fine you said it in two words, but......
“It is not an issue of being afraid, It's an issue of not being afraid to protect myself.”
 Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert
 "A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that."  Shane

Offline NENick

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Re: I want...
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2013, 08:59:40 AM »
Perhaps we might consider a fee similar to the NRA to join? $35 a year or something like that. Sure, we'll have a much smaller membership, but I don't feel like we'll have less activity.


Also, most people only want to join the group (like the NRA) for a small fee and call it good.

Offline Mudinyeri

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Re: I want...
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2013, 10:27:07 AM »
Perhaps we might consider a fee similar to the NRA to join? $35 a year or something like that. Sure, we'll have a much smaller membership, but I don't feel like we'll have less activity.


Also, most people only want to join the group (like the NRA) for a small fee and call it good.

We have discussed this, as a board, and have something of a "divided house".  There are positives and negatives to our current model as well as the model that you described, Nick.

Offline NENick

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Re: I want...
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2013, 10:34:13 AM »
How about polling the membership here on the forum?

Offline AAllen

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Re: I want...
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2013, 11:52:02 AM »
OK sounds like I need to make a note about what funds can be used for what again.  I know not everyone here is involved in this and without that involvement these things don't mean a lot.

Donations, these are the funds that Fly is soliciting: The NFOA can use for whatever purpose we decide, including lobbying (wining and dining that we do not do, as well as grass roots measures like issue advertising).

Funds from Raffles or Gaming: must be used for our members benefit, it can not be used for issue advertising or lobbying.  It is from this area that we fund things like our email system, website, any organizational operations expenses, and yes because over that last several years we have raised lots of money in this category we invested in trying to create "FREE" shooting opportunities for our members.  Does this help us in other ways, we certainly hope so as NE Bull has stated.

Adding a "Membership Fee:"  Funds raised from such a fee by law would count the same as what raffle funds do, and I personally find the raffles to be a bit of fun to go with raising those funds. 

There is a trick that could be employed where we would send out the $35 bill and that would get divided as $15 fee and $20 donation as unions do, but to do that we would need to put that directly on the billing statement giving the opportunity to opt out of the "donation" portion.  How many members would pay the fee?  How many would opt out of the "donation?"  How many would be upset because we gave them a "free" lifetime membership and are now coming around charging for it?  How much would it cost the NFOA to send out those statements requesting payment?

Folks like that they can be an NRA member for $35 a year, and even cheaper at times.  What they don't seem to understand is that the NRA spends on average $47 per year to recruit and retain each member.  That is the cost for the statements, magazines, insurance and swag that each member gets for their membership.  The reason they spend more to recruit members than it takes to keep or recruit them, the donations.  They make up for it with having your name, address, phone number, and email and having the ability to solicit more funds from you via donations or the purchasing of merchandise.  Who likes getting all those donate now letters and join our wine club pieces of junk mail. 

The NFOA did not want to be doing that when we formed, so to keep from needing to constantly beat on you (OK Fly is an exception, but I think we all already knew that) to give us more money we decided not to have those expenses, which means we do not charge for membership.

As a counter there has been a couple of other organizations that have started around the country that are following our model.  Yes we set the bar that others are trying to replicate.  Why, because we have had the fastest growth of any similar organization in the country.  Also they all realize that you do not make your operational costs by charging "Membership Fee's" but that they come from those donations that are the funds you can use for lobbying, because that is what we do.

Do I like supporting projects that benefit our members, yes I do, but I can think of a lot more fun ways to raise funds for those projects than trying to charge you to come around and visit.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2013, 11:56:15 AM by AAllen »

Offline OnTheFly

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Re: I want...
« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2013, 12:08:07 PM »
Perhaps we might consider a fee similar to the NRA to join? $35 a year or something like that. Sure, we'll have a much smaller membership, but I don't feel like we'll have less activity.

The NRA gets a lot of membership simply because of name recognition.  The NFOA doesn't have that, BUT what we do have (due to membership being free) is the ability to go to our government and say we have X,XXXX members.  With a pay for membership organization, these numbers will be much less impressive.

Fly
Si vis pacem, para bellum

Offline NE Bull

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Re: I want...
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2013, 12:30:48 PM »
Ok, so my intel was a little off on funds usage. but the jist is the same.  :-[
“It is not an issue of being afraid, It's an issue of not being afraid to protect myself.”
 Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert
 "A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that."  Shane

Offline AAllen

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Re: I want...
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2013, 12:43:40 PM »
Ok, so my intel was a little off on funds usage. but the jist is the same.  :-[

You were close enough for that game of "Warheads and Hand Grenades" you got planned for later.  You had a basic understanding of the issues, that doing good.  ;)

Offline AAllen

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Re: I want...
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2013, 03:45:28 PM »
Just thought of another income source or possible income source we have talked about:

Sales of swag/paraphernalia/fun stuff: This actually becomes another whole area of questions and conundrums.  First the funds raised are subject to the same restrictions as Raffles/Gaming/Member Fees so they would not be able to be used for lobbying, including grass roots efforts to get people involved in legislative discussions.  But they would also need to have sales tax applied, so the NFOA would need to have a state tax ID and make quarterly payments to the state.  So now we would need to higher an accountant to keep track of these sales, tax collections and make the appropriate reports and payments.  But it does not end there, we would also need to pay corporate income tax on these sales, because this is not a tax exempt issue (sales of things).  So by the time we pay the accountant, the tax, and even more taxes we would need to sell large amounts of swag with a high mark up to cover costs.

For that reason swag or NFOA related items have been made available at times through various others that already go through all this tax issues stuff, ie people with retail operations.  The NFOA board is very willing to approve the use of the NFOA logo for merchandise made available to our members for retail purchase (we like buying the swag as well) with a portion of the purchase price being donated back to the NFOA for the use of our logo.

The Board does and will take the protection of our brand, including our logo seriously.  But we try to get merchandise available to you the members of the NFOA.

With that note I will just add: watch for an new interesting limited edition NFOA logo'ed item to hopefully be available in the near future.  We have a committee of members working on a special project that we all, or at least most of us, will be very happy with.

Offline Mudinyeri

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Re: I want...
« Reply #13 on: September 26, 2013, 08:14:24 AM »
How about polling the membership here on the forum?

Not a bad idea, but it's difficult to lay out all the various legal, financial and tax implications.  I think that's a part of why the board isn't of one mind.  As you can probably imagine, working our way through the complexity is like trying to find both ends of the same spaghetti strand in a pile the size of a small haystack.