A very big day

Submitted by FBB on Tue, 03/16/2010 - 09:48

Yesterday was a big day for the Foundation. Within a 12-hour period, we blew past $10,000 in member contributions for our first quarter and received final approval of our 501(c)(3) status from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

As noted in the FAQ, individual donations to the Foundation have been fully tax-deductible in the U.S. since our incorporation in May 2009. But our finalized status now opens up many new opportunities. If your employer offers a matching donation program, you can now double the impact of your contribution by designating Foundation Beyond Belief as your beneficiary. Several grant programs are now available to us for operating expenses, and we can be listed on such services as GoodSearch and GuideStar.

Several more developments are on the way in the coming weeks, including the launch of our social network and the announcement of our second quarter beneficiaries. In the meantime, click here for a copy of our 501(c)(3) letter to take advantage of your employer's matching donation program!

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Thanks Robert!

Submitted by FBB on Sat, 04/03/2010 - 09:07.

Thanks Robert! To answer your questions:

1. Regarding the proportion of donations that actually gets to the charities: 100%. Operating costs for the Foundation itself are covered by the $9 annual membership fee, grants, and separate donations. Members' monthly donations go dollar-for-dollar to the charities they choose to support.

2. Regarding amount taken in: Total donations are updated daily in the "Current Stats" box in the sidebar.

3. Regarding budget transparency: This is essential. We are still establishing baselines for expenses and income, as is common in the early going. We expect to post a detailed budget projection for 2010 by May 1. Our goal is to exceed the requirements for the highest efficiency ratings on BBB and Charity Navigator, even in the first year of operation.

I hope this answers your questions. If not, please let me know, and thanks for helping us improve!

Dale McGowan

Executive Director

(For more on these and other questions, see our FAQ.)

New York Times

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 04/03/2010 - 08:13.

Congratulations on the positive New York times article! I think this is a good development and my wife and I want to thank you for taking the initiative.

Can I however, make an important point? In our hyper-"Christian" culture there are so many scams and so-called charities where money goes into the pockets of the management and little reaches those in need. We can do without any more of them.

Your cause will be so much more powerful if you can show donors clearly on this website how much you have taken in, what your expenses are and how much actually gets to, say Doctors Without Borders. If you can position yourself as being beyond reproach and more ethical than some other charities it will, aside from anything else, be a big strategic one-up for atheists, who, we are told, have no ethics/souls/morals etc .

My wife and I want to give to you on a regular basis. What do you intend to do to give total credibilty to your project? In Washington D.C we have a wonderful (church- run) charity that finds jobs for the poor and ex-convicts. It is totally open and has the smallest proportion of overhead of any local group. In consequence it is highly respected and is thriving. Will you take the same tack?

I'm sure you will get many messages as a result of the article. We will contribute as soon as you have the time to comment on my comment. We need reassurance!

Robert Hanrott

Washington D.C