Skip to content
Nonprofiteer
← KNIFE RIGHTS INC

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by KNIFE RIGHTS INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$296,945
Total expenses
$330,749
Contributions and grants received
$279,775
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$17,170
Investment income
$0
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$310,242
Total liabilities, end of year
$0
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$310,242
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$304,973
Management and general expenses
$25,776
Fundraising expenses
$0
Program service expenses (Part III)
$304,973

Program services were 92.2% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1b · Membership dues

    $110,075

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $169,700

  • 2a · Program service revenue: LAW SHIELD REVENUE

    total $17,170 · related or exempt $17,170

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $60,198 · program services $60,198

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $15,407 · program services $15,407

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $13,727 · program services $1,373 · management and general $12,354

  • 11d · Fees: lobbying

    total $114,490 · program services $114,490

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $3,864 · program services $3,864

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $2,948 · program services $2,358 · management and general $590

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $10,686 · program services $10,152 · management and general $534

  • 17 · Travel

    total $96,623 · program services $86,961 · management and general $9,662

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $1,718 · management and general $1,718

  • 24a · Other expenses: MERCHANT ACCOUNT FEES

    total $6,494 · program services $6,494

  • 24b · Other expenses: OTHER EXPENSES

    total $4,594 · program services $3,676 · management and general $918

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $344,046 · end of year $310,242

  • 29 · Capital stock, trust principal or current funds

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 30 · Paid-in or capital surplus, or land, building or equipment fund

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 31 · Retained earnings, endowment or other funds

    beginning of year $344,046 · end of year $310,242

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

KNIFE RIGHTS IS DEDICATED TO: 1. PROVIDING KNIFE AND EDGED TOOL OWNERS AN EFFECTIVE VOICE TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICY AND TO OPPOSE EFFORTS TO RESTRICT THE RIGHT TO OWN, USE AND CARRY KNIVES AND EDGED TOOLS; 2. ENCOURAGING SAFE, RESPONSIBLE AND LAWFUL USE OF KNIVES AND EDGED TOOLS THROUGH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, ENHANCING POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS OF KNIVES AND EDGED TOOLS AND THEIR OWNERS AND USERS; 3. ENCOURAGING THE MARKETING OF KNIVES AND EDGED TOOLS IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER CONDUCIVE TO THE ORGANIZATION'S GOALS; 4. COOPERATING WITH ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS HAVING COMPLEMENTARY INTERESTS AND GOALS; 5. PROVIDING KNIFE AND EDGED TOOL OWNERS WITH SERVICES THAT THEY WILL FIND VALUABLE IN ORDER TO BUILD MEMBERSHIP TO ENABLE SUCCESS IN OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVES.

Activities or mission (Part I)

LOBBYING FOR KNIFE AND EDGED TOOLED USERS ACROSS THE US THROUGH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.

  • KNIFE LAW PREEMPTION PROTECTS KNIFE OWNERS' CIVIL RIGHTS BY REMOVING CONFUSING AND DISCRIMINATORY PATCHWORKS OF LOCAL KNIFE RESTRICTIONS SO THAT KNIFE OWNERS ARE TREATED THE SAME WHEREVER THEY TRAVEL WITHIN A STATE'S BORDERS. THE ORGANIZATION'S WORK CONTINUED THIS YEAR AND SAW GREAT SUCCESS -IN NEW JERSEY, KNIFE RIGHTS SUCCESSFULLY WORKED TO GET A SENATE COMMITTEE TO AMEND A BILL THAT TARGETED KNIFE OWNERS WITH FELONIES.IN PENNSYLVANIA KNIFE RIGHTS SUCCESSFULLY REPEALED THE STATE'S IRRATIONAL, OUTDATED AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL AUTOMATIC KNIFE RESTRICTIONS.IN VIRGINIA KNIFE RIGHTS SUCCESSFULLY REPEALED THE STATE'S IRRATIONAL, OUTDATED AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL BAN ON CONCEALED CARRY OF AUTOMATIC KNIVES.KNIFE RIGHTS IS A PLAINTIFF IN A KNIFE RIGHTS FOUNDATION, INC. LAWSUIT SEEKING TO END CALIFORNIA'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL "SWITCHBLADE" BAN.KNIFE RIGHTS SUPPORTED FLORIDA PERMITLESS CARRY BILL (INCLUDING KNIVES) IS SIGNED INTO LAW.KNIFE RIGHTS SUPPORTED BILL REPEALS BAN ON KNIFE CARRY AT POLLS.KNIFE RIGHTS SUPPORTED NEBRASKA PERMITLESS CARRY BILL (INCLUDING KNIVES) IS SIGNED INTO LAW.KNIFE RIGHTS WAS A PLAINTIFF IN A KNIFE RIGHTS FOUNDATION, INC. LAWSUIT THAT SUCCEEDED IN ENDING PHILADELPHIA'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL BAN ON ANY KNIFE CARRY IN PUBLIC.KNIFE RIGHTS WAS A PLAINTIFF IN A KNIFE RIGHTS FOUNDATION, INC. LAWSUIT CHALLENGING CERTAIN PORTIONS OF THE FEDERAL SWITCHBLADE ACT AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

    Expenses $304,973 · Revenue $17,170

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Douglas S Ritter

    CHAIRMAN/CEO

    Total calculated
    $15,050
    From this org
    $15,050
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    35 + 15 related
  • Alan Romania

    SECRETARY/TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ethan Becker

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1 + 1 related
  • Peter Brownell

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1 + 1 related

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2023
Filed
14 August 2025
IRS schema version
2023v6.0
Source object
202512279349300141

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.