Welp: NRA is Suing the NRA Foundation Over Use of its Intellectual Property

Today, the National Rifle Association (NRA) filed a lawsuit against the NRA Foundation, asserting the NRA’s ownership of the intellectual property used by the foundation. The case, known as NRA v. the NRA Foundation, seeks to hold The NRA Foundation’s leadership accountable for operating in bad faith and withholding funds meant to support the NRA’s charitable activities.

The complaint alleges that current NRA Foundation leadership is misleading donors who believe they are donating to support the National Rifle Association’s mission, when in fact, these funds are not being provided to the organization.

“This is a disappointing day, and it should not have come to this,” said Doug Hamlin, NRA CEO and Executive Vice President. “A foundation established to support the National Rifle Association of America has taken actions that are adversarial at a time when the NRA is rebuilding and focused on its long-term mission. I am deeply disappointed that these steps were taken, leaving no reasonable alternative. This action represents a last resort. The NRA’s brand and intellectual property exist solely to benefit the National Rifle Association of America, its members, all law-abiding gun owners, and its programs and services. For generations, donors across the United States contributed funds with the clear expectation that those resources would support NRA educational and public-interest programs. It is unacceptable that those programs are now being placed at risk by actions that conflict with donor intent and the responsibilities of the foundation’s board of trustees.”

Since the NRA established the NRA Foundation in 1990, the foundation has funded the NRA’s educational and charitable programs, such as the NRA National Firearms Museum and Eddie Eagle GunSafe program. Funding for those programs and other has been thrown into jeopardy by the foundation’s current leaders, mostly former NRA directors who were allied with prior leadership and who presided over the scandals and financial improprieties.

When NRA members voted to elect a new leadership committed to reform, transparency, and member accountability, the foundation’s hold-over leaders sought to end the foundation’s affiliate relationship with the NRA and now seek to substantially curtail its support of the NRA—notwithstanding that its assets were raised by the NRA, using the NRA name and trademarks, for the benefit of the NRA’s charitable programs.

The NRA’s lawsuit seeks rulings preventing the Foundation from infringing the NRA’s trademarks, misappropriating funds contributed to support the NRA’s charitable programs, and blocking the foundation’s attempt to break away from the NRA.

BACKGROUND:

• In 1990, the NRA established the NRA Foundation to ensure that financial support for firearms-related activities would be available now and for future generations.
• Establishing the NRA Foundation, a 501(c)-(3) tax-exempt organization, provided a means to raise millions of dollars to fund the NRA’s gun safety and educational projects of benefit to the general public. Contributions to the foundation are tax- deductible and support NRA programs for a variety of American constituencies, including youth, women, hunters, competitive shooters, gun collectors, law enforcement officers, and persons with physical disabilities.
• Funds are raised primarily through the NRA’s “Friends of NRA” events held by the
• NRA, where NRA members and supporters donate money on the understanding that it will be used to support the NRA’s charitable programs.
• The foundation has historically approved requests to fund NRA charitable programs at the end of each year but has so far declined to approve any 2026 grant funding for the NRA. This harms the NRA, our members, and the public.