One of the toughest quandaries facing new gun owners who are interested in learning how to hunt is finding someone to teach them. The NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum has awarded a $50,000 challenge grant to the First Hunt Foundation to help establish the Hunting Heritage Endowment and provide for on-the-ground mentoring work. The Endowment helps bring funding certainty to programs and organizations whose mission is focused on keeping America’s hunting heritage alive forever.
“We are excited to be a recipient of these challenge grant dollars and even more excited we get to put them to work by establishing an Endowment ” said Rick Brazell, President of the First Hunt Foundation. “As an organization we are looking to the future and the new Hunting Heritage Endowment will allow others to partner with us in implementing our mission for generations to come.”
By working together, the Hunter’s Leadership Forum and the First Hunt Foundation are focused on providing the opportunity to learn hunting and develop a passion for the outdoors for individuals and families through long term mentored-based relationships.
“The NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum is happy to support the First Hunt Foundation,” said Peter Churchbourne, Director of the NRA Hunter’s Leadership Fourm. “Our missions align, and it is only natural that we partner to provide opportunities for new hunters to experience the empowerment and personal fulfilment of hunting. I want to thank the generous Hunters’ Leadership Forum donors for providing the funds that made this grant possible.”
The First Hunt Foundation is the largest boots-on-the-ground volunteer based organization in the US providing one-on-one mentoring and hunter recruitment education programs to people, particularly women and youth, who otherwise may not get the opportunity to learn to hunt. The Foundation has rapidly grown to have a presence in 35 states and nearly 800 mentors introducing over 2000 people to hunting annually.
"We have experienced a recent growth in business with over 500 mentors joining our cause," reports the First Hunt Foundation. "They are all thorough professionals. They are also background checked. Every one of our prospective mentors needs to pass a criminal background check and should agree to a ‘Mentor’s Creed’, to participate in our programs."
Would you like to contribute to this important cause with your time as a mentor, or with a donation? Do you know someone who may be interested in being mentored for a first hunt? For more information on the First Hunt Foundation visit: https://firsthuntfoundation.org or contact Rick Brazell at [email protected] or (208) 917-9700.
