The Hidden Public Safety Engine That Doesn’t Cost Taxpayers a Dime |
Across the country, public officials are struggling with the same problem: how to keep communities safe without asking even more of taxpayers. Public safety officer training costs continue to rise. Budgets continue to tighten. The pressure to deliver never seems to ease. Yet the debates happening in Washington, D.C., and in state capitals often miss a major part of the answer, and it is something that has been helping for decades.
That answer is philanthropy.
Although crime and public safety dominate the news, charitable giving is almost never mentioned in those conversations. The reality is that private donors support training, equipment, and education in communities of every size. Their support strengthens safety and preparedness in the places where it matters most: with the people who serve, teach, mentor, and respond when help is needed.
For more than 30 years, The NRA Foundation has been part of this work by providing grants to police departments, volunteer instructors, youth programs, shooting ranges, and local organizations focused on safety and responsible firearms practices. These grants are not political. They do not support lobbying or litigation. They’re intended to give people the practical skills and everyday know-how that keep communities safe.
Most people never see this work, but that........