The gun group could be at risk of a “downward spiral,” one expert says.
The 31-page document, distributed to members who attended last week’s annual NRA convention in Houston, shows an organization reining in spending as revenue derived from its members fell 19% between 2020 and 2021.
Brian Mittendorf, an accounting professor at Ohio State University who tracks NRA spending, says the numbers suggest the NRA appears to be at a “real risk of entering a downward spiral.”
“By cutting back on core programs and legislative spending, the risk that the organization runs is that members will suddenly realize that they are paying the same dues for fewer benefits,” Mittendorf said. “If [the NRA] loses some of those members, revenues decline further, they will have to cut even more spending — and the trend continues.”
Mired in a series of lawsuits and scandals, the NRA’s standing as one of America’s most influential lobbying groups has waned in recent years.