About
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is the official trade association of America’s firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry. It claims more than 9,000 members that include “manufacturers, distributors, retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations, and publishers across the country.”
NSSF’s Board of Governors is composed of executives from the country’s largest gun companies, including Smith & Wesson, Glock, and Daniel Defense.
Darren LaSorte, NSSF’s director of government relations, was among the panelists presenting on “ESG Solutions: Anti-discriminatory Legislation & Other Examples” at the State Financial Officers Foundation’s 2022 National Meeting,
NSSF backs and lobbies for passage of the Firearm Industry Nondiscrimination (FIND) Act, which is “intended to discourage corporate discrimination against the firearm industry by prohibiting taxpayer monies from going to companies intent on maliciously starving our industry of essential services like banking, insurance, software, and payment processing.”
NSSF maintains a “state anti-ESG bills” tracker on its website and sends out action alerts to its members to support the FIND Act or bills with similar language. In January 2023, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) and Montana Governor Greg Gianforte (R) promoted their efforts against “woke” banking and investing at the 2nd Annual Governors’ Forum at NSSF’s SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. In February 2023, NSSF endorsed a Republican-led resolution to reverse the Biden administration’s ESG-aligned retirement investments rule.
In February 2023, NSSF Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs Lawrence G. Keane signed an Advancing American Freedom coalition letter to Congress asking it to “overturn the Biden administration’s dangerous ESG rule through the Congressional Review Act.”
Two related organizations affiliated with NSSF are: the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI), which was established in 1926 to develop voluntary industry standards for the quality of firearms, ammunition, and accessories, and Project ChildSafe, established “to promote firearms safety and education.”
Operatives
- Director of Government Relations-State Affairs Nephi Cole
- Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs Lawrence G. Keane
- Director of Government Relations Darren LaSorte
Top Funders
- U.S. Government: The Justice and Interior departments have both given large grants to NSSF–a combined amount of more than $1.1 million since 2018. Additionally, in 2014, DOJ awarded NSSF a $2.4 million grant for firearm safety training.
- Georgia Corporation for Economic Development: $100,000 (2017–19)
- National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers: $75,000 (2017–18)
- General Dynamics: $50,000 (2019)
- Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States: $10,000 (2019)
Note: The National Shooting Sports Foundation is not required by law to disclose its donors. The Center for Media and Democracy identified its top funders through an examination of IRS, corporate, and government filings.
Core Financials
- Total revenue: $51,692,186
- Total expenses: $36,101,896
- Net assets: $49,998,732
Source: 2021 IRS 990 Filing