NEWTOWN, Conn. — Boy Scouts of America Councils that take up the challenge to develop or expand their activities in target shooting and marksmanship can receive a portion of $50,000 in grant funds provided by the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
For the fourth year, NSSF is making challenge grants available to qualifying BSA Councils. NSSF is the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry.
Target-shooting programs, which rank among Scouting’s most popular activities, teach marksmanship skills, firearm and range safety, teamwork and fundraising.
BSA Councils applying for a grant must specifically use the funds for shooting sports programs and provide matching funds at least equal to the grant request. NSSF will provide funding to the first 25 qualifying applicants up to a maximum of $2,000 in matching support.
“From our longstanding relationship with Boy Scouts of America, we know that Scouts and their leaders are always up for a challenge,” said Melissa Schilling, NSSF’s Director of Recruitment and Retention. “These challenge grant funds encourage cooperative efforts by Councils that help educate Scouts about the shooting sports and safe and responsible handling of firearms.”
Councils must use awarded funds toward the purchase of equipment and supplies for their shooting sports activities from an NSSF member retailer, a list of which is available at nssf.org/retailers/find. Examples of qualifying purchases are ammunition, eye and ear protection, firearms, targets and shooting vests.
Applicants may view NSSF BSA Council Challenge Grant guidelines and application procedures at nssf.org/bsagrant. For information contact Melissa Schilling at NSSF at mschilling@nssf.org. About NSSF The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 10,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.
