Freethought and Atheist Charity

[Whitney]

If you know of a group acting charitably under the freethought/atheist banner, post it here!  I'll try to keep the OP updated with new listings (you might have to remind me if I overlook one).

Foundation Beyond Belief:  http://foundationbeyondbelief.org/

Fellowship of Freethought:  http://fellowshipoffreethought.org/ and http://www.meetup.com/FoFDallas/

Camp Quest: http://www.camp-quest.org/

Atheists Helping the Homeless:  http://www.atheistvolunteers.org/Austin

Kiva:  http://www.kiva.org/team/atheists

Secular Center: http://www.secularcenterusa.org/

AOK-Oklahoma Atheists:  http://meetup.oklahomaatheists.com/

S.H.A.R.E. Skeptics and Humanists Aid and Relief Effort: http://www.centerforinquiry.net/news/sh ... ake_relief

The Fred Hollows Foundation: http://www.hollows.org.au/

[Tom62]

My favourite secular charity is Kiva. I'm a member of the Atheist team there, that has already raised more than a million dollars to help people in need

What is Kiva
Kiva's mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Kiva empowers individuals to lend to an entrepreneur across the globe. By combining microfinance with the internet, Kiva is creating a global community of people connected through lending.

Kiva was born of the following beliefs:

    * People are by nature generous, and will help others if given the opportunity to do so in a transparent, accountable way.

    * The poor are highly motivated and can be very successful when given an opportunity.

    * By connecting people we can create relationships beyond financial transactions, and build a global community expressing support and encouragement of one another.

http://www.kiva.org/team/atheists

[Anthemyst]

I'm also a member of Kiva! I love that the Atheist lending team is the largest one on the site.

[Whitney]

Secular Center: http://www.secularcenterusa.org/

AOK-Oklahoma Atheists:  http://meetup.oklahomaatheists.com/

S.H.A.R.E. Skeptics and Humanists Aid and Relief Effort: http://www.centerforinquiry.net/news/sh ... ake_relief

[Martin TK]

The Freedom from Religion Foundation assists people with First Ammendment Issues, mostly church and state issues, but they do it pro bono, they are a non-profit organization and they put out a really cool monthly newsletter and their website has some cool stuff on it.  Not sure if this fits what you are asking, but they are a good group of folks who are willing to help.

[The Magic Pudding]

I love the Fred Hollows story, he could save the sight of someone for just a few dollars, he developed a public profile and used this to help many thousands.  http://www.hollows.org.au/

[Whitney]

I love the Fred Hollows story, he could save the sight of someone for just a few dollars, he developed a public profile and used this to help many thousands.  http://www.hollows.org.au/

That sounds like a wonderful charity.  But for the purpose of the OP I was trying to get a list of only those that are flying the atheist/freethought banner so that it is obvious that such people are out there doing good.  Do you happen to know if he is openly nontheistic?  Perhaps we should start a separate thread that covers all secular charities (or did someone start one a while back...sometimes i forget)?

[The Magic Pudding]

Do you happen to know if he is openly nontheistic?  Perhaps we should start a separate thread that covers all secular charities (or did someone start one a while back...sometimes i forget)?

THE glorious hymn Amazing Grace declares: "Was blind but now I see." Fred Hollows put it another way: "Sight is life."

And like the divine grace of the song, Hollows brought sight to, ultimately, millions of people in Australia and across the world.

And accordingly he has been almost deified since his death 15 years ago yesterday. Indeed, his name is substituted for God's in his own foundation's slogan "For Fred's sake".

It's the sort of joke he would appreciate. Fred Hollows, who once studied for the priesthood, died an atheist. In the end he cared too much about humans to devote his life to God.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw-act/a-vision-well-remembered/story-e6freuzi-1111115519873

[Whitney]

somehow I missed your reply, op list is updated.

[fishyfish]

My wife and I have been very active participants with SHARE.  We give money when we have something left over and we volunteer our time for some of their projects.

[DropLogic]

I'm not sure if there is a way to quantify it, but I was just wondering what the charity ratio is of secular organizations versus the Catholic church?  Specifically, what is the dollar amount donated by secular organizations when equally compared with the donations by religious organizations, specifically the catholic church?

[notself]

Secular charities help people because people need help and it is the right thing to do.  Catholic charities help people in order to convince them to become Catholic.  Catholic and for that matter Christian charities are really a cover for proselytizing.  True charity would be helping people anonymously.

[Whitney]

I'm not sure if there is a way to quantify it, but I was just wondering what the charity ratio is of secular organizations versus the Catholic church?  Specifically, what is the dollar amount donated by secular organizations when equally compared with the donations by religious organizations, specifically the catholic church?

Considering that churches do not have to disclose how much money they take in nor what they do with it there is no way to come close to getting an accurate number.  

But, especially considering that the Red Cross is a secular charity, I would not be hesitant to say that the amount of actual charity being given by secular organizations exceeds that of religious organizations (passing out bibles and anti-condom 'education' isn't charity).

[DropLogic]

http://www.freethoughtpedia.com/wiki/Charities
Found this link.  Yeah I'd venture a guess that god does not hold the moral high ground on charity.

[Bubblepot]

Screw that- start posting charitable organizations under the name of Satanism!