The National Rifle Association is all about the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. But the organization is also all about using incentives and inducements to raise membership.

Those carrots include the “NRA Win This Truck Sweepstakes,” in which the NRA gave away an “NRA Special Edition Truck,” customized by Richard Childress Racing, earlier this year. The organization offered other vehicles, as well as $50,000 cash.

Fairfax, Va.-based NRA, which has 5 million members, has developed a sophisticated program to provide benefits for members, much like the AARP. On the NRA member benefits page of its website, next to a picture of NRA Executive Vice President and spokesman Wayne LaPierre, the organization proclaims “It pays to be a member,” with five-star member benefits “saving freedom, delivering value.” The NRA offers its own credit card, wine club membership, NRA-endorsed insurance, no-cost gun owner protection plan, two months free round-the-clock security monitoring.

Traveling? NRA members can take advantage of savings on hotels with the Wyndham Hotel Group, vacation rentals with TripBeat or car rental partnership with Hertz, Avis and Budget, among other companies.

And the NRA is all about commerce. At its annual meeting and exhibit in Atlanta held in April, the NRA bragged about “15 acres of guns and gear” at the event. If you couldn’t get to the event, which the NRA hoped to attract 81,000 people, you can visit NRA Store online to buy NRA-branded items such as T-shirts, hats, stainless steel pint glasses, belt buckles, jewelry, cigars, books and DVDs, and of course, anything related to guns.

The VIP experience at the meeting and exhibit in Atlanta with exclusive co-chair packages featured benefits such as VIP reserved seating, private events and access to the NRA Ring of Freedom Hospitality Suite.

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