American amateur radio has been served by national organizations for more than a century, and for most of that time by essentially one. NARA was formed on the belief that a service this large benefits from more than one voice speaking for it, and that a modern organization should be built around what operators and clubs actually need today: current information, working tools, real representation and a low barrier to taking part.
The record so far
- Chartered as a Tennessee nonprofit corporation on July 4, 2025.
- Recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity, charity ID 39-2868923.
- Governed by a volunteer board, headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, with representatives across all fifty states.
- Founding members joined in the first year and are recorded permanently as such.
The ARRL exchange
The ARRL sent NARA a legal request, and NARA replied. Both letters are published in full on our public documents page, because we would rather you read the primary documents than take anyone's summary of them, including ours.
What we are not
We are not a rival club, and we do not ask anyone to choose. Most of our members and many of our volunteers belong to other national organizations too, and to a local club we would encourage them to support first. Amateur radio does not need less organization; it needs more people doing the work.
This lesson is a draft written from our public record. The founding story in our own words is still being written and will replace it.