The Shit Storm that is the NRA Today & How We Got Here

[joshs]

I don't find that a compelling argument, particularly as there's nothing prohibiting talent and donors from migrating to a new organization. Businesses, even empires, have collapsed with more of a legacy then that and their replacements don't have the legacy but also don't have the baggage. Kodak didn't fail because it didn't see the value in digital photography, they patented the first digital camera. They failed because their entire business was built around film and they couldn't dump the once-good-but-now-a-burden aspects of their organization quick enough to pivot to the new reality. The NRA is accumulating a lot of baggage. Branching out into social issues that it should have probably stayed out of, corruption, etc. I've been an NRA defender until pretty recently but I am now pretty agnostic reference if they can pivot fast enough to face the new realities. It seems to me as an outsider that they are clinging to much of the baggage that's dragging the organization down, and WLP's pay raise is just more of the same.

As I mentioned above, the 150 year comment was about the importance of name recognition in nonprofit fundraising. It's very difficult to build a viable political, legislative, and legal operation without a substantial funding stream. Everytown is able to be effective because the have a billionaire financier. Without a similar pro-gun financier, I don't see how an alternative operation could be successful.

We're also not stagnating. In fact, we're running a survey right now to evaluate how well our various messaging tools worked or didn't work during the Virginia election. We try not to be tied to our ideas, and let the actual results and research guide decision making.

[joshs]

Here are some articles that may be of interest:

Reasonableness of executive compensation in nonprofits:

https://www.501c3.org/nonprofit-executive-compensation/

Limitation of deductibility of executive compensation for publicly traded companies:

https://www.inc.com/barbara-weltman/...tax-guide.html

While the information about publicly traded companies is not directly applicable to the NRA, the $1 million limit for deductible compensation within a publicly traded for profit company is certainly indicative of what would be considered reasonable for a nonprofit.

Here is a link to the ECFA standards I have repeatedly referenced.

https://www.ecfa.org/Standards.aspx

Adhering to those standards would answer almost everyone's concerns, from the members to at least some of the government bodies currently investigating the NRA. I would predict that adhering to those standards would increase donations even if WLP stays.

What specifically is objectionable within those standards?

Many nonprofits pay their CEOs more than $1M, so I don't see how that could be the standard for reasonableness, especially when performance based pay was tax deductible above $1M when most current CEOs likely negotiated their contracts.

Other than the first standard that would require us to take a position on something not gun related, I don't see anything objectionable, but it looks like most of the others are effectively required by law already.

[Totem Polar]

And, since ILA has separate accounting, you can give directly to ILA and that money will be spent directly on lobbying, campaigns, and litigation.

This probably bears repeating.

How transparent is the accounting?

Only asking, because it’s clear that who gets to lead the ILA is directly tied to WLP & Co.

[joshs]

How transparent is the accounting?

Only asking, because it’s clear that who gets to lead the ILA is directly tied to WLP & Co.

As transparent as required by law (I'm a lawyer, so you had to figure that would be the answer).

I'm not sure what your second statement means. Our bylaws are clear that the EVP gets to select the Executive Director of ILA, so that person will always be "tied to" the EVP.

If you were trying to insinuate that there was some kind of independence that existed before this year that doesn't now, I don't think that's true. If you ask most staff, I think that they'd agree that we all thought that Jason would eventually succeed Cox. Jason, like the vast majority of current ILA staff, was hired by Chris. He also worked closely with him for more than a decade.

As a director in ILA, I personally haven't noticed any additional influence.

[Totem Polar]

As transparent as required by law (I'm a lawyer, so you had to figure that would be the answer).

Fair enough.

I'm not sure what your second statement means. Our bylaws are clear that the EVP gets to select the Executive Director of ILA, so that person will always be "tied to" the EVP.

One more reason to be concerned with the character and judgement of the EVP.

If you were trying to insinuate that there was some kind of independence that existed before this year that doesn't now...

Not at all.

If you ask most staff, I think that they'd agree that we all thought that Jason would eventually succeed Cox.

What I’d actually ask most staff, if I were in a position to, is what they think about how the transition went down, and why it went down.

As a director in ILA, I personally haven't noticed any additional influence.

Good to know. And I appreciate your input, since I’m not there. I still remain unconvinced that WLP is so good for the NRA, and American gun owners, that he needs to stay no matter what; that he IS the NRA, and we’re screwed without him. Convince me.

[joshs]

I still remain unconvinced that WLP is so good for the NRA, and American gun owners, that he needs to stay no matter what; that he IS the NRA, and we’re screwed without him. Convince me.

He's currently the only person with sufficient recognition to do the job. Many have complained about the "cult of personality" that NRA created around Wayne (and Cox), but that's necessary for the scale of fundraising required to sustain our current operations or to continue to grow. Without time to build a successor's brand sufficiently, I don't see how we would sustain current fundraising levels or grow if Wayne were to retire today.

The EVP's primary job is to ensure that the organization is adequately funded so that we (the staff) can all do our jobs. At our current size, that requires that we bring in more than $1M every day. It's not a simple task.

[Totem Polar]

Again, I appreciate the input, @joshs

[BehindBlueI's]

He's currently the only person with sufficient recognition to do the job. Many have complained about the "cult of personality" that NRA created around Wayne (and Cox), but that's necessary for the scale of fundraising required to sustain our current operations or to continue to grow.

If the NRA's fund raising survival is tied to one 70 year old man, that doesn't bode well for it's future. Surely there are fund raising methods that work and aren't tied to a given individual but to the organization as a whole. World Wildlife Federation raised 335.6 million last year. The American Red Cross raised 615 million (with a CEO who makes $500k a year) and I doubt the general public knows the name of their CEOs. I'm sure you know more than I on the matter, but media reports indicate in 2017 the NRA generated 378.1 million, which was a decline over the prior year. I get that pandas and blood for disaster victims aren't gun rights and training, but it does demonstrate that a cult of personality isn't a necessity, and may not be desirable. Especially if the supposed linchpin of the organization goes off the reservation in the eyes of many donors and potential donors.

[BillSWPA]

As transparent as required by law (I'm a lawyer, so you had to figure that would be the answer).

I'm not sure what your second statement means. Our bylaws are clear that the EVP gets to select the Executive Director of ILA, so that person will always be "tied to" the EVP.

If you were trying to insinuate that there was some kind of independence that existed before this year that doesn't now, I don't think that's true. If you ask most staff, I think that they'd agree that we all thought that Jason would eventually succeed Cox. Jason, like the vast majority of current ILA staff, was hired by Chris. He also worked closely with him for more than a decade.

As a director in ILA, I personally haven't noticed any additional influence.

I know this has to be a tough thread for you and I appreciate the way you are handling it.

I agree on the first ECFA standard - it would have to be modified to reflect the mission of the NRA, which I think many here correctly believe should be a singular focus on gun education and gun rights.

Regarding the others, how does the wardrobe expenses, travel expenses, super-expensive home for a young female intern, house in Dallas, 6 figure per day bills from a law firm with ties to the Democratic party, 75 member board which mostly doesn't show up for meetings, board members kicked off committees for seeking answers, etc. meet some rough equivalent of the ECFA standards?

[scjbash]

I've never heard a single person say that they donated money to the NRA because of WLP. I have heard plenty say not another dime while he's there.