Announcing the Foundation Beyond Belief spring interns! These interns were selected out of an impressive quantity and quality of applicants, and we are very excited to have them on board.

Bridget Gaudette has worked in the nonprofit sector since receiving her graduate degree in public administration/nonprofit management. Bridget has had the privilege of creating strategic plans and best practices models and has completed program evaluations for small, local nonprofits as well as national ones. She hopes to continue using her skills assisting secular, humanist, and/or nontheist organizations in the future. Bridget has served as the deputy VP of outreach for the National Atheist Party.

Bridget's focus area will be the Foundation's Members and Partners programs. 

Mike Mei is a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Chicago, where he studies mathematics and economics. Mike and his friends started the Secular Student Alliance chapter at his university, and he currently serves as public relations director. Mike is very interested in secular activism, blogging, and debate. He likes to give our free hugs and volunteer his time teaching in the local community. In his spare time, he enjoys reading a Carl Sagan book and solving a good mathematics or logic puzzle; however, he often chooses to play basketball or watch Star Wars instead. At night, he is a fanatical chess player who never turns down an opportunity to tactically destroy anyone who dares to challenge him on the board.

Mike will be working on a special Foundation Beyond Belief event, to be announced soon! 

Suzanne Nobles is a scientist-in-training currently doing research at her alma mater, the University of Virginia; she will be gobbled up by the bottomless pit of The Ph.D. beginning this fall (location pending).  Her research interests include astrocytes, molecular mechanisms of neurological disease, and the perfect brownie recipe.  In addition to being a freethinker and a shameless nerd, Suzanne is also interested in minimalism, dancesport, learning everything (otherwise known as reading), pictures of otters, and electronic music.  Occasionally she'll admit to her latent Tolkien affinity.  Looking ahead, she would like to continue to work on advancing freethought, skepticism, and science literacy in the public sphere, and is excited for the opportunity to do a bit of that during her tenure as Foundation intern.

Suzanne's focus area will be the Volunteers Beyond Belief program.

Lindsey Needham recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied political science and philosophy. With a deep passion for social justice, Lindsey spends much of her time blogging for civil liberties and volunteering with domestic violence prevention agencies. She currently resides in Washington, DC, and works for an electoral reform nonprofit.

Lindsey will be working with the Foundation's Charitable Giving program.

Fourth-quarter 2011 poverty beneficiary ActionAid USA gave us this report about how they are using the funds contributed by members of Foundation Beyond Belief. Members donated $3,905 to ActionAid last quarter.

ActionAid USA is grateful to Foundation Beyond Belief and its donors for their continued support.  Using funds received from FBB, ActionAid will take a rights-based approach to fighting poverty in developing countries on a variety of fronts, from gender-based violence to climate change.  In the United States, ActionAid conducts research, advocacy campaigns, and targeted outreach, both to inform the U.S. public and to build solidarity with the poor internationally.

In all our work, ActionAid takes sides with poor people to help them understand their rights and confront the injustices that hold them back. We campaign with governments to ensure that their decisions on aid, lending, and trade agreements respect the rights of poor people. Below is a sample of our programs:

The Freethought Film Festival Foundation is hosting the first annual Freethought Celebrity Charity Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament and Casino Night August 1, 2012, at The Church nightclub in Denver, Colorado. Proceeds from this event will go to Foundation Beyond Belief.

"This is going to be an amazing event," said Dale McGowan, executive director of Foundation Beyond Belief. "We're thrilled to be involved and grateful to FFFF for naming the Foundation as the event beneficiary."

Tournament seating is limited to 135 players. Check the Freethought Film Festival Foundation website for information about reserving your space or sponsoring the event.