Greetings,
I have thought long and hard about the single most important thing I have learned about our wonderful Friends of NRA volunteers in Colorado. There are so many attributes to highlight, and each is as impressive as the last in it's own way.
Generosity is the word that comes to the front of my mind. Our volunteers are some of the most generous people I have ever met. They unrestrictedly give their time, they willingly give their talents, they freely give their resources, they unabashedly give their passion, and they generously give their hard-earned money.
Each of the committee members, which constitutes over 400 people in Colorado alone, serves their committee much longer than just the weekend of the actual event. They begin showing up for committee meetings anywhere from 3 to 6 months before their banquet. Toward the end, most committees meet at least once every two weeks, and then every week for the last month or so. These dedicated volunteers leave work early, miss dinner, and spend time together planning and discussing how to make this year's event better than last year's.
They get WAY outside their comfort zone and ask people and local businesses for donations of products, gift certificates, cash, and sponsorships. The majority of the Friends of NRA events are held in rural communities where the committee members know 'everyone in town', which sometimes makes it much more difficult. Walking into an unknown business and asking a stranger behind the counter can be significantly easier than asking a friend to give you money, whether it is for a good cause or not. These people believe so strongly in what they are doing that they spend months asking friends, family, and strangers for donations.
The day of the banquet, they show up early in the morning and spend the entire day setting up the venue, unpacking and displaying the merchandise, decorating, getting paperwork ready for the evening, making the event run smoothly, cleaning up afterward, taking down tables and chairs, sweeping the floor, and finishing all the paperwork. A typical banquet day starts at about 9am and ends at about midnight for the volunteers. Rarely do I hear any of them complain. They are tremendously generous with their time.
Our volunteers are extremely talented and creative. Some of the game ideas, the layout plans, the flyers and posters, and the decorations have just blown me away. They will go to the craft store and purchase supplies with their own funds, then spend months making centerpieces, door prizes, game boards, and posters. The gift of their talents is appreciated by all the attendees. They get nothing in return except maybe a few 'thank you's, yet they do it year after year because they know it makes our banquets better.
There is a good number of our volunteers who are so passionate about the 2nd Amendment and shooting sports that they coach 4-H shooting teams, lead trap leagues, counsel Boy Scouts in the shooting sports, and run YHEC programs. They are so committed to keeping the shooting sports alive in the next generation, that they spend countless hours every week working with children to teach them how to be responsible with firearms. These kids learn to love shooting, hunting, and our great country. The majority of these volunteers don't even have children or grand-children in the programs. The generosity of their hearts leads them to allow their passion an outlet as a teacher or coach.
I LOVE to see the volunteers win games, guns, raffles, and prizes at the banquets. There is a common misconception that they are along on a 'free ride'. It simply is not true. They purchase their own dinner tickets. They purchase raffle tickets. They pay to play the games. They purchase their own hats and shirts. They do not get reimbursed for mileage. They pay full price in the live and silent auction. They win simply because they spend money. If they win more than the average attendee, it's because they spend more money. They do not get a free-ride in any way shape or form.
Each one of them knows that we are there to raise money for the NRA Foundation, and have been entrusted with that mission. The banquet attendees give their money in good-faith, expecting it to be used for grants, and so it is. Charity Navigator, the folks who keep tabs on charities world-wide, has given us a FOUR STAR rating, which is the highest rating a non-profit can get. Less than five cents of each dollar given goes for administrative costs. That means 95% of all the money is given away directly in grants. That is a tremendous number. Compare that to some of your other favorite charities and you'll be impressed with the efficiency of our program. I am very proud to be a part of it.
So, generosity takes top honors amongs the qualities the Friends of NRA volunteers possess. I am honored to work with them every day. I am honored to have been a volunteer for so many years, and now it is a joy to work for such a great organization. I love my job.
Blessings,
~Gwen
http://www.friendsofnra.org/
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