Buckeye Firearms Foundation

What Buckeye Firearms Foundation does

Buckeye Firearms Foundation is the tax-deductible charitable arm of Buckeye Firearms Association, an Ohio grassroots group dedicated to defending and advancing the right of citizens to own and use firearms for all legal activities. The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) with a 2008 IRS ruling year, funds youth shooting programs, grants to organizations, young competitors and sporting and hunting programs, and legal defense for gun owners, including litigation against local governments.

Its best-known program is FASTER Saves Lives (Faculty/Administrator Safety Training & Emergency Response), started after the Sandy Hook shooting to help schools prepare to stop an armed attacker. The curriculum, developed by John Benner of the Tactical Defense Institute, combines firearms training, crisis and emergency management, and trauma medical care. The Foundation says the program has spent well over a million dollars training teachers and staff, and it pays much of the class tuition and lodging for K-12 staff while grant funds are available.

For donors, the key question is which entity you're giving to: gifts to Buckeye Firearms Association, a 501(c)(4), are not tax-deductible, while gifts to the Foundation are. Charity Navigator rates the Foundation three of four stars.

Key facts

• FASTER Saves Lives has spent well over $1 million training teachers and school staff to stop lethal threats at school and provide life-saving trauma care (Buckeye Firearms Foundation)
• FASTER training combines firearms instruction, crisis and emergency management, and trauma medicine such as tourniquets, chest seals and wound packing (fastersaveslives.org)
• The Foundation pays much of the FASTER tuition and lodging for K-12 staff while grant funds are available (fastersaveslives.org)
• Recognized by the IRS with a 2008 ruling year, EIN 26-1239294 (Candid)

Before you give

• Two entities, two tax treatments: Buckeye Firearms Association is a 501(c)(4), and its own giving page says donations to the Association are not tax-deductible. Buckeye Firearms Foundation (EIN 26-1239294) is the 501(c)(3), and donations to it are tax-deductible. Check which one a form names before you give.
• The Donate button uses the Foundation's PayPal link published on fastersaveslives.org. The Foundation also accepts mailed gifts (a mail-in donation form is on the FASTER site) and planned gifts such as bequests.