Pew Poll Shows 3X Actual NRA Member Numbers

[Ben]

This was an interesting link in an NRA email. Pew polls apparently show there are three times the NRA members than what the NRA has on the books. 14M+ vs 5M. Apparently people like to say they're NRA members even when they're not.

The NRA makes a good point about those individuals and their opinions perhaps not being similar to the opinions of actual NRA members.

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20170707/remarkable-finding-from-pew-survey

[Scout26]

That's always been true.  George Will wrote this in Oct 2004, before Bush v Kerry:

The NRA has "only" 4 million adult members. Thirty states and the District of Columbia have smaller voting-age populations. And whereas slightly more than 50 percent of age-eligible Americans have voted in recent elections (51 percent voted in 2000), about 95 percent of NRA members vote. Liberals who lament voter apathy should be careful what they wish for.

Each of the 4 million pays $35 in annual dues. Polls indicate that another 14 million Americans think that they are NRA members and an additional 28 million think they are affiliated in some way with the NRA because of their membership in one or more of the 35,000 shooting and hunting clubs.

[HeroHog]

Life member. I don't have to worry about my dues lapsing. Got it when they had their $300 special back when I had disposable income.

[Andiron]

Life member. I don't have to worry about my dues lapsing. Got it when they had their $300 special back when I had disposable income.

Did the same thing last year when I had money from selling a gun.  Things were looking dark and I figured I didn't need another gun anyway. $500 for life was pretty reasonable.

[K Frame]

Been a life member since the 1990s when I was working for American Rifleman.

[230RN]

Lifer since mid-1960s.  At the time, at least an annual membership was required for sanctioned competition shooting, and was also required for membership in the Colorado State R&P club.  I went whole hog on it and went Life under an installment thing.

Got my money's worth, that's fer shore.  Contributed additionally to NRA-ILA while I was working, and a little bit after my retirement.  But they just raised my rent a bunch and I had to pull back a little lot on voluntary disbursements.

I don't know if it's still true, but the United Way Fund stuff that goes on in most big offices has an option for you to declare your contribution to go to NRA-ILA*.  You may have to dig a little for the precise NRA-ILA contribution code, but it's in your United Way office coordinator's manual if you can pry the information loose.

* Or maybe it's the NRA's legal fund or something, but it's NRA stuff anyhow.  It's been a while since I retired, so I don't remember perzackly.

I don't know for sure how they determined whether someone was an actual member in that survey, but I'm sure a lot of annual members will not realize it's expired, and will say they're members anyhow, thus boosting the numbers beyond NRA's official count.

Terry

[HankB]

I don't know if it's still true, but the United Way Fund stuff that goes on in most big offices has an option for you to declare your contribution to go to NRA-ILA*.  You may have to dig a little for the precise NRA-ILA contribution code, but it's in your United Way office coordinator's manual if you can pry the information loose.

* Or maybe it's the NRA's legal fund or something, but it's NRA stuff anyhow.  It's been a while since I retired, so I don't remember perzackly.

BEWARE OF UNITED WAY'S DESIGNATED CONTRIBUTION OPTION!

Say you want $10 to go to NRA. United Way will take that $10 (less a buck or two to help pay the high six figure salary for UW's CEO) and send it to NRA. BUT . . . they'll take away an equivalent amount of money that was NOT specifically designated for NRA.

Net gain for NRA (or any other designated UW beneficiary) due to your designated contribution: zero

Much, MUCH better to send your money DIRECTLY to whatever nonprofit you support, rather than using UW as a middleman. Then that organization gets the full amount without any middleman skimming his share off the top, and OTHER funding is not reduced.

[HeroHog]

I also saved the NRA money by going Digital on my magazine option and requesting they stop the SPAM mail.

[Unisaw]

I also became a life member during the $300 "sale."

[Ben]

I did Life on a sale, the upped to endowment and patron when each of them went on sale.

I know it's not the reason to do it, but each of them came with cool gifts. Life came with the leather jacket and endowment came with a rolling duffel. Both are great quality, but the NRA logo is ginormous on both. Patron came with a barn coat (though it's more of a jacket length, but just right for CCW) with a subtle "NRA" embroidered on the chest. It's my favorite of all the jackets I own by far and I wear it even when it's a bit too warm for it because I like it so much. If I could track down that jacket by the manufacturer, I would buy a couple and store them for when this one wears out.

[zxcvbob]

BEWARE OF UNITED WAY'S DESIGNATED CONTRIBUTION OPTION!

Say you want $10 to go to NRA. United Way will take that $10 (less a buck or two to help pay the high six figure salary for UW's CEO) and send it to NRA. BUT . . . they'll take away an equivalent amount of money that was NOT specifically designated for NRA.

Net gain for NRA (or any other designated UW beneficiary) due to your designated contribution: zero

Much, MUCH better to send your money DIRECTLY to whatever nonprofit you support, rather than using UW as a middleman. Then that organization gets the full amount without any middleman skimming his share off the top, and OTHER funding is not reduced.

I agree with what you're saying about the subtracting designated funds from what the org was going to get anyway, but UW would be sending $0 to the NRA, so the designated funds won't be offset by anything.  All of it (except what UW skims off the top) will goto the NRA.  Unless UW just steals it.

It's a pretty good way to do it if you employer strong-arms you into donating.  (Mine used to do that; they've backed off a little in recent years.  When it was still kinda mandatory, after the first year I refused to do it and all the pressure was just a bluff)

[230RN]

I agree with what you're saying about the subtracting designated funds from what the org was going to get anyway, but UW would be sending $0 to the NRA, so the designated funds won't be offset by anything.  All of it (except what UW skims off the top) will goto the NRA.  Unless UW just steals it.

It's a pretty good way to do it if you employer strong-arms you into donating.  (Mine used to do that; they've backed off a little in recent years.  When it was still kinda mandatory, after the first year I refused to do it and all the pressure was just a bluff)

Yeah, that's what I was getting at.  All the pressure about "our group" getting the 100% participation award or the maximum "per capita" contributions...

I figured it was worth $5 - $10 a year to keep 'em off my back, and I was also making a whispered little "statement" about the whole thing.

Terry

[zxcvbob]

Yeah, that's what I was getting at.  All the pressure about "our group" getting the 100% participation award or the maximum "per capita" contributions...

I figured it was worth $5 - $10 a year to keep 'em off my back, and I was also making a whispered little "statement" about the whole thing.

Terry

That's why the first year I gave $5.  But then I felt guilty about it and vowed never again.  If the company was really serious about UW, they would match the employee donations.  No, they just want the PR for giving w/o actually forking over any money.

[HeroHog]

The more my employer pushed me to donate, the more I pushed back. If they didn't take the polite "no thank you" then things got progressively less civil.

[Perd Hapley]

Does anyone know how many people are employed by the firearms and firearms accessories industry? Wouldn't that be the true measure of NRA membership? I mean, it's nothing more than a gun industry special interest lobby, right?

[zxcvbob]

Does anyone know how many people are employed by the firearms and firearms accessories industry? Wouldn't that be the true measure of NRA membership? I mean, it's nothing more than a gun industry special interest lobby, right?

No, that's the NSSF.

[Firethorn]

Does anyone know how many people are employed by the firearms and firearms accessories industry? Wouldn't that be the true measure of NRA membership? I mean, it's nothing more than a gun industry special interest lobby, right?

Measuring the size of the NRA membership is easy:  You actually have to sign up to be a member.  That's actually the problem, you have a lot of people who might of signed up 5 years ago with a 1 year membership, but they totally still believe that they're an NRA member, and will answer affirmatively when asked.

No, that's the NSSF.

He was being sarcastic.  My other main forum I have to constantly smack down the idea that the NRA is a manufacturer stooge.

[MechAg94]

I am not a life member but my membership expiration is 10 years or more in the future.  Occasionally I add to it getting into a gun show.

[Andiron]

I have nothing polite to say about United Way.   

That should say enough here.