named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Defending Freedom Timeline
Tracks legislative victories and defeats, documenting the organization's role in blocking gun control bills in Albany since 2018
General Election Programs
Exposes anti-gun Democrats in vulnerable districts using mailers, radio and TV ads, text alerts, and social media campaigns to influence general election results
Grassroots Mobilization
Organizes gun owners through email campaigns, text alerts, digital ads, and live video updates to generate pressure on legislators during session
Primary Election Programs
Targets Republican incumbents who betray gun owners (RINOs) through radio ads, direct mail, door-to-door literature drops, and videos to influence primary election outcomes
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Gun Violence Prevention & Intervention 3 activities
- Advancing pro-Second Amendment legislation in New York and other statesFiles and promotes legislation to strengthen gun rights, including introducing Stand-Your-Ground bills in New York (S.7915/A.10114) and supporting broader initiatives such as Constitutional Carry, Second Amendment Preservation Acts, and bans on Red Flag laws across multiple states.
- Blocking specific gun control legislation in New YorkSuccessfully prevented the passage of multiple gun control bills in New York State, including those imposing waiting periods, civil liability insurance mandates, mental health exams for gun buyers, ammunition purchase limits, and taxes on firearms and ammunition, through direct lobbying and grassroots mobilization.
- Providing tools and resources for member advocacyEquips members with tools to contact elected officials, stay informed about legislative developments, and participate in advocacy efforts related to Second Amendment rights at both state and federal levels.
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Policy Advocacy & Research 2 activities
- Advocacy for Second Amendment rights in New York StateEngages in sustained legislative and legal advocacy to protect and expand Second Amendment rights for law-abiding citizens in New York, including opposing gun control legislation in Albany and challenging unconstitutional laws in federal court.
- Mobilizing grassroots campaigns against federal and state gun control proposalsOrganizes large-scale grassroots advocacy efforts, including email campaigns that generated over 471,917 messages to state legislators, digital advertising, social media outreach, and public alerts to oppose bills like H.R. 18 and various New York State gun control measures.
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Labor-Backed Candidate Endorsements & Electoral Support 1 activity
- Electoral campaigning to influence state legislative outcomesConducts targeted electoral campaigns—both primary challenges against pro-gun-control Republicans and general election efforts against anti-gun Democrats—using mailers, radio/TV ads, door-to-door literature drops, text alerts, and billboards, contributing to the loss of the Democratic supermajority in the New York State Senate in 2024.
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Constitutional and Government Accountability Litigation 1 activity
- Filing lawsuits and amicus briefs to challenge unconstitutional gun lawsLeads legal strategies by filing federal lawsuits and amicus briefs against unconstitutional firearm regulations, including challenges to New York’s Concealed Carry Improvement Act, ammunition registration under the SAFE Act (NYSFA v. Nigrelli), and similar laws in other states such as Hawaii (Wolford v Lopez) and Wyoming (Wyoming Gun Owners v. Gray).
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$462K
Contributions & grants$447K97%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$15K3%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$410K
Program expenses87%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$65K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$602K
Cash$555K
Investments$0
Liabilities$2K
Net assets$601K
Liquid reserves16.2 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -25.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AARON DORR | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 35 | $60K |
board members · 3
- CAL HENDERSON — SECRETARY
- PHIL ROE — TREASURER
- THOMAS GOWEN — CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
relationships · 17
Who they work with
- Aaron Dorr Partner — Executive Director of the New York State Firearms Association
- Albany Government — Engages with state legislators and leadership in Albany on Second Amendment legislation and political accountability.
- Albany Government — Monitors and responds to legislative activity in the New York State government.
- Albany Government — Primary legislative battleground for gun rights advocacy and opposition to gun control legislation.
- Assemblyman David DiPietro Partner — Legislative sponsor of the Stand-Your-Ground bill (A.10114) in the Assembly, filed in partnership with NYSFA in 2020 and reintroduced in 2022.
- Brian Fitzpatrick Government — Identified as a Republican cosponsor of H.R. 18, which the organization opposes.
- Kathy Hochul Government — Opposes gun control initiatives promoted by the Governor of New York.
- Kathy Hochul Government — Opposes legislative actions supported by Governor Kathy Hochul that restrict access to BB guns.
- Mike Lawler Government — Identified as a Republican cosponsor of H.R. 18, which the organization opposes.
- Senator George Borrello Partner — Sponsored the reintroduction of NYSFA's Stand-Your-Ground legislation (S.3718) in the New York State Senate in 2022.
- Senator May Government — Opposes legislation sponsored by Senator May that imposes restrictions on BB gun ownership.
- Senator Rob Ortt Partner — Legislative sponsor of the Stand-Your-Ground bill (S.7915) filed by NYSFA in 2020.
- Southern Poverty Law Center Partner — Identified as an organization that attacked the New York State Firearms Association, which the association reports has now been indicted.
- United States Supreme Court Government — Monitored and responded to Supreme Court decisions affecting Second Amendment rights, including Wolford v Lopez.
- Wyoming Gun Owners Partner — Collaborated on the legal case challenging unconstitutional First Amendment laws, Wyoming Gun Owners v. Gray.
- affiliate entities Partner — Collaborates with affiliated organizations to send Second Amendment alerts and communications.
- select third party vendors Partner — Partners with third-party vendors to manage customer databases and conduct promotional and marketing activities.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Data-Driven Grassroots Expansion and Engagementmethodology: data-driven-outreachBy using donor and engagement data to personalize outreach and target like-minded gun owners, the organization increases message resonance and network growth, because tailored communication based on behavioral patterns improves conversion, retention, and shareability among potential supporters.
- Grassroots Mobilization for Political Pressuremethodology: grassroots-mobilizationBy organizing a broad base of gun owners through multi-channel digital and traditional outreach, the organization generates rapid, visible political pressure on lawmakers to oppose gun control legislation, because elected officials are more likely to resist policies when facing immediate electoral consequences from an active constituency.
- Multi-Venue Legal and Legislative Defense of the Second Amendmentmethodology: multi-venue advocacyBy simultaneously engaging in litigation, legislative surveillance, direct advocacy, and youth outreach, the organization creates overlapping pressure points that increase the cost of enacting gun control, because sustained resistance across multiple institutional arenas reduces the likelihood of successful policy implementation.
- Nonpartisan Electoral Accountabilitymethodology: electoral-accountabilityBy threatening electoral consequences regardless of party affiliation, the organization increases its credibility and effectiveness in deterring support for gun control, because politicians are deterred not by ideology but by the risk of losing their seats due to organized voter backlash.