Atheist Organizations And Fundraising

From Conservapedia
Richard Dawkins
The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science had a scandal related to an embezzlement allegation.[1][2][3] See: Atheist organizations and scandals

The American atheist activist and author Hemant Mehta wrote: "The idea that atheists ought to create a liberal version of the Federalist Society is almost comical because: We don’t have the money...".[4]

In 2017, the atheist activist Lee Moore declared about American atheist organizations:

“ If you look at the major atheist groups right now, like the national groups, the ones that are doing the real activist work... They are not bringing in the kind of donations they used to. Most of them are starved for cash. They're downsizing left and right. Because people aren't just giving like they used to. And I talked to a lot of the major donors out there and they said, "Well, we're kind of tired of seeing the atheist community just fight amongst itself and not really get anything done. We'd rather not give money if we don't think it's going to go somewhere."[5] ”

The 2017 IRS tax exempt form of the American Atheists organization shows that in 2016 the contributions and grants to the American Atheists organization was $1,160,208 and in 2017 contributions and grants to the American Atheists organization dropped to $408,922 (see: 2017 contributions and grants to American Atheists).[6][7]

See also:

Contents

Canadian atheist activist Pat O'Brien on the difficulty of atheist fundraising[edit]

See also: Canada and irreligion

The Canadian atheist activist Pat O'Brien is a Canadian atheist, an activist, and ex-president of Humanist Canada and British Columbia Humanist Association (Secular humanism is a form of atheism).

O'Brien said about the willingness atheists/humanists to support national and provincial atheist organizations: "The biggest problem is fundraising. It is difficult to get Humanists to part with their money."[8]

Atheist organizations: Focus on church-state/creationism issues - poor largely ignored[edit]

See also: White atheist outreach is not competitive to the black church and Atheism and charity and Atheism, social justice and hypocrisy

Atheist Sikivu Hutchinson says that atheist organizations generally focus on church/state separation and creationism issues and not on the concerns the less affluent African-American population faces.[9] See also: Atheism and uncharitablenss

In June 2014, Sikivu Hutchinson wrote in the Washington Post that atheist organizations generally focus on church/state separation and creationism issues and not the concerns the less affluent African-American population faces.[10] Hutchinson also mentioned that church organizations do offer significant help to poor African-Americans.[11]

Also, according to a video posted at Freethought Blogs storefront churches provide assistance to local residents including women, and this partly explains the dearth of Hispanic and African-American women atheists in America (Atheists give less to charity than Christians).[12]

In 2014, the atheist Chris Hall wrote in an article which was published by Salon magazine and Alternet:

“ Direct challenges to racism and sexism haven’t traditionally been the domain of the large organizations like American Atheists or the Secular Coalition for America. It’s been far more typical to fight incursions against separation of church and state or educate against pseudoscience like homeopathy.[13] ”

For more information, please see: White atheist outreach is not competitive to the black church

David Gorski's complaint about atheist nonprofits[edit]

See also: Atheist organizations and financial mismanagement

David Gorski at Scienceblogs wrote about atheist/skeptic organizations and financial mismanagement:

“ In any case, this makes me wonder: What is it about rationalist/skeptic groups that make them seemingly have such a hard time running their organizations well from a financial standpoint? After all, just a couple of months ago the Center for Inquiry (CFI) sent out letters desperately begging for more contributions. The reason was that CFI had one large benefactor whose yearly contribution funded approximately 20-25% of the yearly CFI budget. As clueless as I may be about finances, even I know that you don’t use such donations to run the operating expenses of an organization, because you can’t count on them from year to year and it’s too big a chunk. You use this money for special short-term projects and a rainy day fund. Not surprisingly, when this mysterious donor stopped donating earlier this year, suddently CFI was in deep doo-doo from a financial standpoint, prompting the desperate plea for donations and deep budget cuts. I realize that the down economy has played havoc with many nonprofit and charitable organizations, but these issues with skeptical organizations seem to go beyond just that.[14] ”

RationalWiki website and fundraising[edit]

See also: RationalWiki and web traffic

On May 29, 2022, one of the founders of the RationalWiki website indicated "Currently the donations we get are sparse... We have not done a donation drive in a long time and have not been self-supporting for over a year....".[15]

Atheist Todd Stiefel's decision to stop funding atheist organizations that supported the American Humanist Association's decision to strip Richard Dawkins of his 1996 Humanist of the Year award[edit]

Richard Dawkins
The new atheist Richard Dawkins was at the center of the Elevatorgate controversy which caused deep divisions within the atheist movement. [16]

In addition, he has subsequently angered many secular leftists who embrace woke/SJW political positions.

The wealthy atheist Todd Stiefel decided to stop any further contributions to American Humanist Association, The Freethought Equality Fund and the Center for Freethought Equality, subsequent to the American Humanist Association's decision to publicly strip Richard Dawkins of his 1996 Humanist of the Year award.[17]

In response, the atheist PZ Myers wrote: "Wow. He will not support organizations that criticize Richard Dawkins — that is his right, of course, no one is going to compel him to donate to non-Dawkinsite organizations — but it’s still a chilling comment. Is there a loyalty oath or statement of faith attached to any grant from the Stiefel foundation? This is exactly what I never wanted to see happen to atheism, that it become a dogma attached to a figurehead, no matter who it is. The details of that letter are ill-thought out, too."{[18]

Atheist organizations and financial scandals[edit]

See also: Atheism organizations and financial scandals

Atheist YouTube's channel Utah Outcasts on embezzlement within atheist organizations[edit]

See also: Atheism and stealing

In a 2018 YouTube video entitled David Silverman Ousted as President of American Atheists, the atheist YouTube channel Utah Outcasts said in a video about David Silverman and atheist organizations: "Many other people were also like maybe he was embezzling funds because we know people in atheist activist communities where that kind of sh*t happens. Yes, it was kind of common."[19]

Atheist nonprofit scandals which had significant publicity[edit]

Two atheist nonprofit scandals which received some publicity were the organizations Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science and the We Are Atheism organization.[20]

Secular Student Alliance report of fundraising problems[edit]

In October 2015, the Secular Student Alliance tweeted that it "desperately" needed $100,000 by the end of the month. The SSA Executive director August Brunsman reported that fundraising had lagged.[21]

Lack of significant global outreach fundraising campaigns by atheist organizations[edit]

See also: Western atheism and race and Atheism and apathy

The Christian relief organization Feed My Starving Children has a distribution partner in Malawi, Africa. In recent years, Christianity has seen a rapid growth in Africa.[22] In 2005, there were four times as many non-Western World Christians as there were Western World Christians.[23] Western World atheists and East Asian atheists have not engaged in a significant amount of global outreach.

The former Soviet Union had a worldwide expansionist policy as far as spreading atheistic communism.[24] The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to a spike in religious affiliation, both in Russia and in Eastern Europe.[25] See: Central and Eastern Europe and desecularization

The current atheist population mostly resides in East Asia (particularly China) and in secular Europe/Australia primarily among whites.[26] See: Global atheism and Asian atheism

The atheist organizations in the Western World and the atheists in East Asia have not had significant outreaches to spread atheism throughout the world. Historically, Christians have made great evangelism efforts to reach every people group across the earth. In 2005, there were four times as many non-Western World Christians as there were Western World Christians.[23] Doing overseas evangelism/outreaches, often requires significant hardships/persecution and Western atheists and East Asian atheists have been unwilling to endure such hardships in order to spread atheistic ideology (see: Atheism and hedonism and Atheism and apathy).

Atheist organizastions, fundraising difficulties and low morale[edit]

See also: Decline of the atheist movement

In recent times, the number of people attending atheist conferences has grown smaller.[27][28][29] Atheist David Smalley wrote: "And we wonder why we’re losing elections, losing funding, and our conferences are getting smaller."[30]

The atheist movement saw a number of setbacks during the latter portion of the 20th century and beyond in terms of historical events/trends. As a result, it has lost a considerable amount of confidence (see also: Decline of the atheist movement and Atheists and the endurance of religion). Groups/organizations which unsuccessfully meet challenges and/or face future challenges which they believe they cannot successfully overcome, often become dispirited, pessimistic and less effective.

Eric Kaufmann, an agnostic professor whose academic research specialty is how demographic changes affect religion/irreligion and politics, wrote in 2010:

“ Worldwide, the march of religion can probably only be reversed by a renewed, self-aware secularism. Today, it appears exhausted and lacking in confidence... Secularism's greatest triumphs owe less to science than to popular social movements like nationalism, socialism and 1960s anarchist-liberalism. Ironically, secularism's demographic deficit means that it will probably only succeed in the twenty-first century if it can create a secular form of 'religious' enthusiasm.[31] ”
YouTube atheist Thunderf00t

YouTube atheist Thunderfoot said about the atheist movement after the Reason Rally 2016 had a very low turnout:

“ I'm not sure there is anything in this movement worth saving. Hitchens is dead. Dawkins simply doesn't have the energy for this sort of thing anymore. Harris went his own way. And Dennett just kind of blended into the background. So what do you think when the largest gathering of the nonreligious in history pulls in... I don't know. Maybe 2,000 people. Is there anything worth saving?[32] ”

Freedom From Religion Foundation: BBB Wise Giving Alliance - Failure to meet standards for a nonprofit[edit]

See also: Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance review of the Freedom From Religion Foundation

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is an American atheist/humanist organization in Madison, Wisconsin. The FFRF was co-founded in 1976 by Anne Nicol Gaylor and her daughter, Annie Laurie Gaylor. It was incorporated nationally on April 15, 1978.

2022: BBB Wise Giving Alliance - Failure to meet standards for a nonprofit[edit]

In terms of evaluating a nonprofit, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance focuses on nationally-soliciting charities, Better Business Bureaus in the U.S. and Canada report on regionally soliciting charities. In 2022, the Freedom From Religion Foundation failed to meet the standards of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.[33]

In 2022, the Freedom From Religion Foundation failed to meet the BBB Wise Giving Alliance standards for a nonprofit.[34]

2018: Failure to meet the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance standards[edit]

See also: Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance review of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Atheist organizations and scandals and Atheism and leadership

According to the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance's website, the Freedom From Religion Foundation fails to meet the Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance's standards as of May 4, 2018.[35]

The Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance's website indicated on May 4, 2018:

“ Freedom from Religion Foundation does not meet the following 2 Standards for Charity Accountability:

Standard 1 (Oversight of Operations and Staff) Organizations shall have a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity's operations and its staff. Indication of adequate oversight includes, but is not limited to, regularly scheduled appraisals of the CEO's performance, evidence of disbursement controls such as board approval of the budget, fund raising practices, establishment of a conflict of interest policy, and establishment of accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances.

FFRF does not meet this Standard because its board of directors does not:

Review the performance of the chief executive officer at least once every two years.

Standard 7 (Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness) Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

FFRF does not meet this Standard because:

Although it has produced a written effectiveness assessment report in October 2015, the report did not include recommendations for future actions.[36]

”

Atheist organizastions, fundraising difficulties and desecularization[edit]

See also: Desecularization and Global atheism statistics

Fundraising success is partially dependent on the number of followers a movement has and whether or not the base of followers is growing as people often prefer to donate to growing movements rather than stagnant or declining movements. In addition, forecasts about the stagnation, growth or stability of a movement's following can also effect fundraising.

Atheism is in decline worldwide, with the number of atheists falling from 4.5% of the world’s population in 1970 to 2.0% in 2010 and projected to drop to 1.8% by 2020.[37] See: Global atheism

As a percentage of the world's population, atheism peaked in 1970.[38] Global atheism is expected to decline in the 21st century and beyond in terms of its global market share.[39] Presently, there are a number of excellent sources which indicate that atheism is shrinking in global market share (see: Global atheism statistics).

On July 24, 2013, CNS News reported:

“ Atheism is in decline worldwide, with the number of atheists falling from 4.5% of the world’s population in 1970 to 2.0% in 2010 and projected to drop to 1.8% by 2020, according to a new report by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) in South Hamilton, Mass."[40] ”

Eric Kaufmann wrote:

“ I argue that 97% of the world's population growth is taking place in the developing world, where 95% of people are religious.

On the other hand, the secular West and East Asia has very low fertility and a rapidly aging population... In the coming decades, the developed world's demand for workers to pay its pensions and work in its service sector will soar alongside the booming supply of young people in the third world. Ergo, we can expect significant immigration to the secular West which will import religious revival on the back of ethnic change. In addition, those with religious beliefs tend to have higher birth rates than the secular population, with fundamentalists having far larger families. The epicentre of these trends will be in immigration gateway cities like New York (a third white), Amsterdam (half Dutch), Los Angeles (28% white), and London, 45% white British. [41]

”

Desecularization, growth of atheism and various regions[edit]

American atheism[edit]

See also: American atheism

In June 2016, American Interest reported about American atheism:

“ First of all, religious belief is still very powerful and widespread, and there is nothing inevitable about its decline. In fact, the proportion of people who say they believe in God actually ticked modestly upward, from 86 percent to 89 percent, since Gallup last asked the question in 2014.[42] ”

British atheism/nonreligion[edit]

The Guardian published an article in 2017 entitled Nearly 50% are of no religion – but has UK hit ‘peak secular’? which declared:

“ But, Bullivant told the Observer that the “growth of no religion may have stalled”. After consistent decline, in the past few years the proportion of nones appears to have stabilised. “Younger people tend to be more non-religious, so you’d expect it to keep going – but it hasn’t. The steady growth of non-Christian religions is a contributing factor, but I wonder if everyone who is going to give up their Anglican affiliation has done so by now? We’ve seen a vast shedding of nominal Christianity, and perhaps it’s now down to its hardcore.[43] ”

Conatus News reported in 2017:

“ Church of England worshippers increase 0.8 per cent since 2009. The number of non-religious people falls from 50.65% to 48.6%

Rise in Church of England worshippers likely due to resurgence in patriotism and pride in Christianity, a report has found

According to a new report, for every person brought up in a non-religious household who becomes a churchgoer, 26 people raised as Christians now identify as non-believers.

The study, which is based on an analysis of the British Social Attitudes Survey and the European Social Survey, reported that the proportion of non-religious in the UK hit a high of 50.6 per cent in 2009. However, it has been decreasing ever since and hit 48.6 per cent in 2015.

However, the proportion of those who identify as Church of England worshippers has seen a slight increased from 16.3 per cent in 2009 to 17.1 per cent in 2015.[44]

”

France and Protestant Europe[edit]

See also: European desecularization in the 21st century

In April 2010, Eric Kaufmann declared "the rate of secularisation has flattened to zero in most of Protestant Europe and France."[45]

Asia[edit]

According to the global news website Quartz, Asia is going through a process of desecularization:

“ Atheists, agnostics, and other religious non-affiliates are a dying breed in Asia. According to a Pew Research Center study released last week, Asia’s shrinking pool of men and women who don’t identify with any religion are driving a drop in the proportion of “religious nones” in the world.

The percentage of the unaffiliated in Asia Pacific—home to about 76% of the world’s unaffiliated—will fall to 17% in 2050 from 21%, Pew estimates. ...this drop in Asia and the growth of religious communities elsewhere will mean the unaffiliated will make up only 13% of the world’s population in 2050, down from 16% in 2010.[46]

”

Islamic countries[edit]

See also: Atheism vs. Islam

There is some evidence that suggest that atheism is growing in Islamic countries (see: Atheism vs. Islam). However, due to the fact that atheism is either illegal and/or highly disparaged in Muslim countries (Atheists often face violence from Muslim extremist in Islamic countries), data regarding atheist fundraising in Islamic countries is unavailable.

Atheist organizations, politics and fundraising difficulties[edit]

Atheist Dr. Gordon Stein wrote: "Atheism has long ceased to be a rare and oft-ignored philosophical outlook...It has transformed itself into an active political programme with clear objectives which, though they vary from state to state, unequivocally include the elimination of state religion, religious education, and the enshrinement of scientism."[47]

Atheists commonly use the political realm to advance their atheistic ideology (see: Political activities of atheists).

Historically, atheists have screwed towards the left side of the political aisle (see: Atheism and politics and Secular left), but in recent times the secular right has been a growing percentage of the atheist population in the USA/Britain (see: Western atheism, schisms and political polarization).

In the Western World right-wing politics has been growing in adherents and a result of this matter, atheist organizations may be facing competition for fundraising dollars from leftist political organizations (see also: Militant atheism vs. Christianity, Islam and right-wing ideology).

Atheist organizations, fundraising and the apathy of atheists[edit]

See also: Atheism and apathy

Atheist Francois Tremblay wrote: "One last problem that undermines any propagation of atheism is inspiration. Let's be honest here, 'there is no god!' is not a very motivating call for most people."[48]

The ex-atheist Alister McGrath has repeatedly pointed out the uninspiring nature of atheism.[49] According to McGrath, atheism is "stale", "dull" and difficult to believe.[50] Throughout mankind's history, most people have found atheism to be uninspiring (See also: Atheism and inspiration and Atheism and sloth).

The apathy of many atheists concerning atheism, the atheist movement and evangelical atheism (see: Atheism and apathy), poses another barrier to atheist fundraising.

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ Richard Dawkins Drops His Lawsuit Against Former Employee
  2. ↑ Richard Dawkins sues Josh Timonen, Posted by David Gorski on October 24, 2010
  3. ↑ Richard Dawkins Drops His Lawsuit Against Former Employee
  4. ↑ A new kind of atheism’ already exists in America (if you look closely), Hemant Mehta, 2022
  5. ↑ Lee Moore and Steve Shives Talk About the Future of the Atheist Movement, - video quote comes 21 minutes and 13 seconds into the video
  6. ↑ 2017 IRS tax exempt form, American Atheists website
  7. ↑ Fundraising is way down for atheist organizations, Examining Atheism
  8. ↑ Interview – ​Pat O’Brien on Humanism in Canada and British Columbia by Scott Jacobsen, Conatus News, 2016
  9. ↑ Atheism has a big race problem that no one’s talking about by Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Washington Post June 16, 2014
  10. ↑ Atheism has a big race problem that no one’s talking about by Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Washington Post June 16, 2014
  11. ↑ Atheism has a big race problem that no one’s talking about by Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Washington Post June 16, 2014
  12. ↑ Sikivu, Ophelia, and Rebecca — who says atheism lacks women stars?
  13. ↑ Forget Christopher Hitchens: Atheism in America is undergoing a radical change by Chris Hall, Salon magazine, Thursday, Jun 5, 2014 12:25 PM UTC (originally published in Alternet)
  14. ↑ Richard Dawkins sues Josh Timonen, Posted by David Gorski on October 24, 2010
  15. ↑ Difference between revisions of "RationalWiki talk:Site support", Revision as of 17:15, 29 May 2022 (edit) (undo)
  16. ↑
  17. ↑ Idolatry of the atheist kind is just as repellent as any other by PZ Myers
  18. ↑ Idolatry of the atheist kind is just as repellent as any other by PZ Myers
  19. ↑ David Silverman Ousted as President of American Atheists, Utah Atheists, Go to the 3 minute mark in the video
  20. ↑
  21. ↑ Eberhard, JT (30 May 2016). "Secular Student Alliance running a 'desperate' fundraiser". WWJTD.
  22. ↑ The African apostles: How Christianity exploded in 20th-century Africa
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Is Christianity taking over the planet?
  24. ↑ America Coming to Terms: The Vietnam Legacy By Nguyen Anh Tuan, page 82
  25. ↑ [Global Study: Atheists in Decline, Only 1.8% of World Population by 2020] by Michael W. Chapman, CNS News, July 24, 2013 - 2:18 PM
  26. ↑ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live, By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey, Washington Post, May 23, 2013
  27. ↑ Whoever I Don’t Like Is Ruining the Atheist Movement by Jeremiah Traeger
  28. ↑ Reasonably Controversial: How the Regressive Left Is Killing the Atheist Movement by David Smalley
  29. ↑ #ReasonRally Crash n burn. Thanks SJWs! by Thunderf00t
  30. ↑ Reasonably Controversial: How the Regressive Left Is Killing the Atheist Movement by David Smalley
  31. ↑ Shall the religious inherit the earth? - Eric Kaufmann
  32. ↑ Even atheists bash 'Reason Rally'
  33. ↑ 2022: BBB Wise Giving Alliance - Failure to meet standards for a nonprofit
  34. ↑ 2022: BBB Wise Giving Alliance - Failure to meet standards for a nonprofit
  35. ↑ CHARITY REVIEWIssued: June 2016 Expires: September 2018 Freedom from Religion Foundation
  36. ↑ CHARITY REVIEWIssued: June 2016 Expires: September 2018 Freedom from Religion Foundation
  37. ↑ Global Study: Atheists in Decline, Only 1.8% of World Population by 2020
  38. ↑ Atheism Peaks, While Spiritual Groups Move Toward Convergence by Nury Vittachi, July 14, 2015, website Sciene 2.0
  39. ↑
  40. ↑ Global Study: Atheists in Decline, Only 1.8% of World Population by 2020
  41. ↑ 97% of the world's population growth is taking place in the developing world, where 95% of people are religious, Tuesday, April 30, 2013
  42. ↑ Atheism is Rising, But…, American Interest
  43. ↑ Nearly 50% are of no religion – but has UK hit ‘peak secular’?, The Guardian, 2017
  44. ↑ British Patriotism Sees Number of Anglicans Rise and the Non-Religious Fall, Conatus News , 2017
  45. ↑ [http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2013/03/british-academic-eric-kaufmann-says.html British academic Eric Kaufmann says "the rate of secularisation has flattened to zero in most of Protestant Europe and France".
  46. ↑ Across the Asia Pacific, the population of atheists and agnostics is shrinking
  47. ↑ Gordon Stein, Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion, 74.
  48. ↑ Herding Cats: Why atheism will lose by Francois Tremblay
  49. ↑ Clear Voices 2014 - Alister McGrath - C. S. Lewis’s Vision of the Christianity
    • In the Aftermath: Provocations and Laments By David Bentley Hart, page 136
  50. ↑

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