Annual Report: 2016 Year in Review

Below please find our 2016 Annual Report which provides a summary 2016’s highlights.  Thanks for your support!

30 December 2016

Christopher Seidler
President, Revere’s Riders
PO Box 9571
Las Vegas, NV  89191

Dear Members and Friends of Revere’s Riders,

Thank you for your generous support of Revere’s Riders over the past year.  Your generous efforts have truly furthered our vision of “Every American Choosing Liberty, Every Day.”  As we spend time with friends and family over the holidays, I wanted to briefly reflect on what Revere’s Riders has accomplished over 2016 and share where we are going for 2017.

Here’s some numbers recapping 2016’s achievements:

• 43 events hosted for the public in four states (up from 16 events in 2015)
• 279 pre-registered students plus several dozen “walk-on” students instructed (up from 84 in 2015)
• Support for NRA Youth Day and Boy Scouts of America events reaching over 380 children
• Hundreds of citizens educated on state and local ballot initiatives and other non-partisan issues in the 2016 election cycle in partnership with other civic organizations by members of Revere’s Riders
• Nearly $16K in revenue with about $10K in expenses, which leaves a reserve; the treasurer is running final numbers and will post the detailed information on our website along with the IRS Form 990.

2016 was also a year of a number of “firsts:”

• Introduction of a safe, popular and well received pistol program to include instructor certification
• Rollout of our carbine program in partnership with NRA America’s Rifle Challenge in two states
• Field rifle shoot to the “Rifleman’s Quartermile” at Camp Atterbury– the new home of NRA High Power Rifle!
• Successful elections, to include selection of a new treasurer, showing our commitment to accountability, transparency, and volunteer-driven governance in line with non-profit best practices
• Initiation of targeted social media promotions; 26,887 prospective students contacted via Facebook resulting in 339 interested participants, and 196,439 prospective students reached via Google with 382 potential leads—net result was one or two more students per event with no extra volunteer effort
• Development of new website, which reduces costs, gives Event Directors control over their event listings, and automates email reminders and promotions to current and past students
• Successful application and usage of NRA Foundation Grants to support operations
• Rollout of sustaining membership program to provide financial support for operations and maintain relationship with existing student base

It is hard to quantify some of the things that we all value as volunteers the most:  the joy of passing on the art of traditional marksmanship, the slow head nod from a student that understands something new about our shared history, or the importance of promoting engagement in our communities.  Moreover, the chance to continually learn new skills and work alongside fine Americans in a worthy Cause is a true pleasure.

Now that we’ve reviewed where we have been, I want to briefly look ahead to where we are going in 2017.

• Invest in Instructor Cadre. In 2017 instructor development is a priority.  To accomplish this, we have updated our standard operating procedures by reorganizing them into manageable chunks, and we are providing limited reimbursement for instructors who want to expand their certifications.  We need help from Event Directors to help conduct upgrades and send information to the secretary when volunteers meet the requirements for a new certification.
• New Events. We will continue our careful expansion into new disciplines to include pistol, NRA America’s Rifle Challenge (Carbine), NRA Refuse to be a Victim, and others.  This allows us to reach new audiences that might not be interested in a basic rifle class but are interested in something different with our history and civic engagement message.  It also is a way to keep existing students and volunteers engaged learning new skills.  We will move deliberately but steadily forward, insuring that we maintain the highest standards for safety, courseware and instructor credibility.  We will provide appropriate awards to event directors for these new disciplines to recognize superior student performance.
• New Teams. We are happy to welcome a new team on board from Audubon, Pennsylvania.  Led by Frank, this crew is highly experienced in a number of disciplines and we’re looking forward to finding how we can support their pursuit of our common mission.  Additionally, event directors are encouraged to recruit new volunteers who are interested in learning our craft.

Revere’s Riders greatly appreciates traditional volunteer service with students in the field, and skilled experts passing on a legacy of marksmanship and heritage are central to our mission.  However, other forms of service are also vital.  Whether its fulfilling supply requests, continuously improving the new website, managing the Facebook page, updating lesson plans, or doing any other number of important tasks – THANKS!

We also recognize that many supporters have not been able to volunteer in 2016.  We still appreciate your support and enthusiasm for our shared vision.  Please consider getting involved in 2017 as we roll out new disciplines.  Additionally, you can donate and become a sustaining member.

Your one stop shop to stay in touch is the Revere’s Riders website.  Volunteer members can access “Rider’s Resources” which has been updated with many useful resources for download, as well as our forums.  Sustaining members can access a number of useful materials there as well.

Again, thank you for your support this year.  Together we have preserved a tradition of American marksmanship, promoted awareness of our shared history, and encouraged our fellow citizens to become involved in their communities in ways both large and small.

 

Regards,

Chris

Christopher Seidler

President, Revere’s Riders