Should I keep paying on my NRA EPL membership?

[ehull20000]

While at the NRA annual meeting I noticed life memberships were discounted to 500.00. I've paid 525.00 towards the 1000.00 and I'm thinking about pressing the NRA about calling it even. I could then give money to another organization, what do you think?

[Oh Shoot]

I think one should honor one's contracts.

 

However, like house or car payments, perhaps NFA would refi if you contact them.

 

- OS

[wileecoyote]

I've always only paid $300 to upgrade from regular to life, then to each of the next highest life levels. I'm at Benefactor now, their highest, but of course they keep asking for more money to join special clubs, groups, or whatever. I send them money often, and donate to the NRA events often, and I sign up new members at my expense. I prefer doing that than to pay the NRA more for base level upgrades. They typically have the sales once or twice a year.

[runco]

The way I see it, NRA survives on donations, and they are the best at protecting gun owners rights due to their size and influence.  I don't agree with everything the NRA does, and I am sure there are some fat cats with healthy salaries inside the NRA, but it is what it is. 

 

Now with that said, do I provide money to them or not?  Its not the status, perks, hats, decals, or the magazine subscriptions, its a simple decision and math.  Do I support, Yes or No, and then how much do I support.  The gimmicks and marketing strategy should have nothing to do with "my" model.  Later in life if I make a decision to stop supporting, I guess then I ready to throw in the towel to the left and say come and get them.  Until there is another real bonafide NRA competitor, then the NRA will be my bed buddy for years to come.

 

Finally, what is funny to me, is these lifers that feel cheated on their financial amount to support, one agreed to $1000, one agreed to $500, and some even got a "better" deal than that.  How can one feel cheated supporting a non-profit?  If you made the conscious decision to support to a $X amount, how was you cheated?  This is not like buying a car or a life insurance.  Its simple financial support of a cause.  I remember just 2 years ago, wasn't some life time member ships in the $350 range, wasn't this the Ted Nugent led campaign?  Was that a bargain, or another marketing campaign to get people to donate more?  Again, its all about donations, some come with brighter lip stick then others.

 

If you donate just do so without the drama or wearing it on your shoulder!

[hipower]

I've always only paid $300 to upgrade from regular to life, then to each of the next highest life levels. I'm at Benefactor now, their highest, but of course they keep asking for more money to join special clubs, groups, or whatever. I send them money often, and donate to the NRA events often, and I sign up new members at my expense. I prefer doing that than to pay the NRA more for base level upgrades. They typically have the sales once or twice a year.

 
 

The way I see it, NRA survives on donations, and they are the best at protecting gun owners rights due to their size and influence.  I don't agree with everything the NRA does, and I am sure there are some fat cats with healthy salaries inside the NRA, but it is what it is. 
 
Now with that said, do I provide money to them or not?  Its not the status, perks, hats, decals, or the magazine subscriptions, its a simple decision and math.  Do I support, Yes or No, and then how much do I support.  The gimmicks and marketing strategy should have nothing to do with "my" model.  Later in life if I make a decision to stop supporting, I guess then I ready to throw in the towel to the left and say come and get them.  Until there is another real bonafide NRA competitor, then the NRA will be my bed buddy for years to come.
 
Finally, what is funny to me, is these lifers that feel cheated on their financial amount to support, one agreed to $1000, one agreed to $500, and some even got a "better" deal than that.  How can one feel cheated supporting a non-profit?  If you made the conscious decision to support to a $X amount, how was you cheated?  This is not like buying a car or a life insurance.  Its simple financial support of a cause.  I remember just 2 years ago, wasn't some life time member ships in the $350 range, wasn't this the Ted Nugent led campaign?  Was that a bargain, or another marketing campaign to get people to donate more?  Again, its all about donations, some come with brighter lip stick then others.
 
If you donate just do so without the drama or wearing it on your shoulder!

Simply excellent comments from both wileecoyote and Runco.

Well said guys. Edited April 19, 2015 by hipower

[Pete123]

To me, most people would have an issue with paying a certain price, only to have the provider have a half price sale.

 

In the same spot, I would call the NRA, ask for the Lifetime upgrade based on $500. 

 

Regarding the rest of the $500 in question, I would either set it aside and buy the next upgrade when they have a special or agree to send monthly contributions with the understanding that further monies apply to the next level when it is on sale.

[Garufa]

To me, most people would have an issue with paying a certain price, only to have the provider have a half price sale.

 

It happens everyday, everywhere.  I really don't see what the problem is.

 

If I go buy two quarter pounders at McDonald's today then get a coupon tomorrow for buy one get one free should I go back and ask for a refund? No.

 

If I buy anything today and it goes on sale tomorrow, why should I or anyone else, expect to be compensated?

[wileecoyote]

I have been an NRA member for over 30 years. As a young child I actually saved up my allowance earned doing odd jobs and joined, mainly to get the hat which I noticed was being worn by most hunters and shooters which I respected. Then I started getting and reading the magazines, and I learned more about the NRA, so I kept renewing to support our freedoms. It quickly became obvious that they would run several special campaigns each year, usually via mail or inserts in the magazine, and I always waited for those because my budget was really limited and I liked to get the extra shooting hat, range bag, or whatever.

 

Once I started making more money, I wanted to upgrade to Life but their regular price of $1000 was pretty crazy, and was too big of a step up for a young kid that had only been paying $15-$25 per year. So it was like they were asking me to pre-pay for 40 years of membership, and the only extra benefit was an inexpensive jacket or some other trinket that didn't come close to justifying the huge expense. So I just waited and eventually they offered a discounted upgrade to Life for only $300 and I jumped on it, and I got a nice windbreaker which while thin was actually decent quality and I still wear it today.

 

After hitting Life, the other levels were more about vanity because they didn't really offer you any tangible benefits beyond supporting the cause, which is certainly the main purpose and highly valuable in itself, but most of the incentive items have become pretty lame since then. Who the heck needs or wants a cheap $10 steel replica knife mounted in the talons of a cheap plastic eagle that was made in China?

 

Now I was still all for supporting the NRA, but it wasn't realistic for them to expect me (or the average joe) to shell out another $1000 every year just for a vanity title. So I continued to donate in various ways as often as my budget allowed, but I was patient and would only upgrade my levels when they ran the $300 specials which I noticed almost always come via mail, and very strategically around tax refund season - a smart move by the NRA as most of my big donations were funded by my tax refunds.

 

Now that I am a Benefactor, I don't plan to buy any more vanity titles or join those silly special groups like Golden Eagles or whatever. Not only do those levels offer no new benefits or distinctions, but they don't even come with nice incentive gifts and they are quickly forgotten as soon as the marketing group comes up with some other new group name. Plus those group titles are ridiculously expensive, often $1,500 to $5,000 or more. No thanks.

 

Now I am not opposed to making large donations, and I have given the NRA much more as I have been blessed by God, but I believe the most efficient way to help the NRA and further our cause is to recruit more members. So I just sign up family, friends, and in particular new shooters and kids whenever I get the chance. Then when they get their hats or range bags in the mail they will be pleased, and they will start reading the magazines just like I did, and before you know it they will be more educated and actively supporting our freedoms just like the rest of us members.

 

I also attend the Friends of the NRA events, roughly 5-6 of them each year, where I spend quite a bit and take great pleasure in knowing that every cent of the proceeds from those events is donated back to the local gun clubs, schools, and education programs. So my advice is to just watch your junk mail for the annual solicitations from the NRA, upgrade to Life or higher when they run the cheaper and more reasonable specials, and spend any additional money to sign up more members and attend NRA events. Or better yet, take some of those new members out to shoot, and spend the money on ammo and targets.

[ehull20000]

Thank you for the insights and opinions. I will keep plugging away at my EPL.

[terrondt]

Some years ago the NRA offered me a $750.00 easy payment life deal.  I pay $25.00 per month.  I owe $250.00 of the deal.  Once that is done im done with recurring payments.  I will make donations here and there but not like i been doing for the last 5 years.

[JeffL]

[NoBanStan]

8 years!!

I was thinking, wow.... people are still super loyal to the NRA even now! Talk about a topic that aged like milk (for me at least). The convention was close last year, so I gave them the minimum to get in the door. My money went to FPC last go around.

[TripleGGG]

Talk about a post rising from the dead! 

I'm a lifetime member of the NRA. I will not give any additional funds until the cronies are gone. 

I do give to the legal funds which operate under different rules on how the monies can be used. Well at least it's supposed to be. I contribute a lot to FPC, TFA and GOA and various local causes. 

I would finish paying for your lifetime you are to close to stop and even with all the bad they are still in the game. 

[BigK]

I hate the way Wayne and his cronies are running the NRA, so I resented every penny I sent to pay for my Lifetime membership. I still paid it, but I didn't like it, LOL. I look at it like this, I'll never send them another dime, but I am a member for life. Like @NoBanStan said, all my money go to other more honest and trustworthy outfits from here out, like FPC and TFA.

[JeffL]

24 minutes ago, NoBanStan said:

8 years!!

I was thinking, wow.... people are still super loyal to the NRA even now! Talk about a topic that aged like milk (for me at least). The convention was close last year, so I gave them the minimum to get in the door. My money went to FPC last go around.

You do gotta wonder what a guy (or gal idk) from Connecticut is doing on our little Tennessee forum resurrecting 8 year old threads.

[NoBanStan]

1 hour ago, JeffL said:

You do gotta wonder what a guy (or gal idk) from Connecticut is doing on our little Tennessee forum resurrecting 8 year old threads.

Takes all kinds I suppose. It got us talking though, right? Hah.