ORIGINAL: gzkpez
Hoss,
If the NRA was a 501(c) (3) it would not be able to make political statments even to its members. While some 501(c)(3) entities do some political stuff under the radar I do not think the NRA would even be able to doodle political stuff with out loosing its status as a 501(c)(3) and incuring fines etc.; if it was.
Thank You. gzkpez. I suppose my statement, "In addition NRA does NOT hide behind IRC 501 (c) (3) nor does the business end of your beloved EAA." could be construed as to the effect that NRA is not 501(c)(3) for some reason other than NRA is definitely a political action entity dedicated to preserving the individual personal freedoms of the citizens of this country.
I am well familiar with NRA organization even to the inside political battles within the organization itself. Yes, there are "some".
I donate to the NRA each year. Those donations are
not deductible to gross taxable income. If they were you can bet I would find a way to do so.
As KE stated there are some among us here in this forum that will drag up whatever they can if they think they can twist or construe some advantage for their own uninformed self-serving interests. Happens in all walks of life -- so sadly.
I think the "NRA Foundation" is. Also "political" meaning is not as broad a term as what most of us would normaly think. It is different from issue advocacy and lobbying.
NRA Foundation is 501 (c) (3)
Advocacy is OK as a supporting educational option. Lobbying is susceptible to degree and amounts.
The AMA does not need the full political and lobbying effort of the NRA or has or should have the business end of the EAA (just think of how our hobby vendors feel now from what it does now).
Sorry but here we disagree. If part of AMA, as both NRA and EAA have, was not incorporated NFP, then AMA could lobby for governmental recognition and support of a number of things like Flying Facilities in National Parks, and other forms of recognition.
A foundation could then carry on with the sporting portion of aeromodeling. Dave Brown brought this up some years ago, and at that time, being a bit ignorant of the various organizations, I was opposed to it all. Upon further investigation I changed my mind as the advantages are there. Even if the advantages are not used, IMO, as many other items,
it is better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. I do not support EAA in having a family run the entire NFP unit.