Foundation Beyond Belief is grateful for receipt of a grant from the James Hervey Johnson Charitable and Educational Trust to support the operation of the Foundation itself.

This experiment in humanist philanthropy is not without costs, especially in its first year. Bookkeeping, grant writing, web design and maintenance, web hosting, marketing, publicity, and bank fees are just a few of our ongoing needs. And since we are committed to 100 percent pass-through of donations to our beneficiaries and have now made membership free, we rely entirely on separate donations from grantors and individuals to keep us on course.

Many thanks to the JHJ Trust and to all donors large and small who've found this effort worth supporting!

Make a direct donation to support the Foundation

by Dale McGowan

Executive Director, Foundation Beyond Belief

Sure, it's just a number. But this morning, when our member contributions rolled over $50,000 for the year, I allowed myself a private little woohoo!

It's been so gratifying to watch this experiment in humanist philanthropy come together. Members write in to tell me how good it feels to finally link their compassionate actions to their worldview. We know how fortunate we are to be in a position to give. And without a supernatural caretaker, we know that any progress -- in social justice, human rights, the quality of human and other animal life, and the health of our one and only world -- is up to us.

I've heard from many members that the Foundation's giving model and humanistic focus have increased the level of their charitable giving this year. Others have been drawn into a closer connection with charitable efforts around the world by learning about our featured beneficiaries each quarter.

You can see in the reports from our beneficiaries how our contributions are making a difference. But I'm also interested in how Foundation membership has made a difference for you, the members.

So click here and tell me: Why is membership in Foundation Beyond Belief important to you? Has it made you think differently about what it is to be a humanist? Raised your awareness of a particular issue? We'll include some of your responses on the home page.

Thanks as always for being a vital part of this adventure in active humanism!

First quarter beneficiary War Child UK reports on how our members' $1,250 contribution is at work in the field.

Dear Foundation Beyond Belief members,

We feel it's important to be held accountable for how your money is being spent, and with this in mind, we would like to let you know what War Child have been up to so far in 2010.

We’ve continued on the progress made during 2009 and introduced several new projects in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Iraq, and Uganda.

These countries are host to some of the world’s most dangerous conflicts – the very reason War Child has a presence there. In the DRC alone, more than 2.5 million children under 5 have died since 1998 due to the effects of conflict. However, children lucky enough to escape the most direct and violent consequences of war are still not free from suffering. They face considerable risks to their survival from acute poverty and insecurity. War Child’s programmes are designed to directly confront these risks by focusing on three crucial areas: creating access to education; protecting children; and improving family livelihoods.

EDUCATION

Thanks to supporters like Foundation Beyond Belief, War Child has established 20 Early Child Development Centres this year in 10 communities in villages in Afghanistan where access to formal education is limited. These centres are designed to get children back into education, help them develop personal skills and give them the opportunity to play.

The Mountain Fund, our Poverty beneficiary for the current quarter, supports projects in mountain regions around the world. Our August 14 email poll of members asked which of the following Mountain Fund projects should receive our support:  

1. Ward 9 Pokhara, Nepal (improving a daycare center for homeless children); 
2. Aynikuy Microfinance, Peru (providing small loans to businesses run by Peruvian families in need); 
3. Benefit El Salvador (providing equipment and supplies for rural health care clinics serving 40,000 Salvadorans); 
4. Mount Everest Foundation (funding vocational training, school supplies, and health clinic supplies in the Okhaldhunga District of Nepal). 

After one week of voting, the results are in: 35 percent of the 146 poll respondents chose the Mount Everest Foundation project, with each of the other worthy projects netting 20-23 percent of the vote.

Our estimated contribution will provide a year of school supplies for 20 children, vocational training for 10 adults, and medical supplies for the local health clinic for five full years.

A few members emailed in response to the poll, including one who was incredulous at the distance our donation (currently projected at $2200-2500) will go in the Nepalese economy.

"Even if it funded the clinic for a year or so I would have been astonished," she said. "But five years?? I hope we'll continue to fund these projects where a little goes a long way. Better than pouring our money into one of the big buckets."

Watch for more member polls in the coming weeks.

Learn more about the Mount Everest Foundation