American Atheists Local Affiliate Program

 AMERICAN ATHEISTS LOCAL AFFILIATE PROGRAM

As America’s premiere atheist organization, American Atheists is dedicated to develop¬ing and supporting a healthy, thriving, and respected atheist community in the United States.  Our Affiliate program is intended to provide a relationship with local groups that will benefit both the local group and American Atheists in meeting our goals and missions.

American Atheists has three main goals: 1) Maintain the total separation of church and state, 2) ensure true freedom of religion (that means freedom from religion), and 3) to fight for the civil rights of Atheists across this great nation. While we can do much of that work at the national level, it’s really the local grassroots organizations that are key in restoring and protecting our secular rights and the secular society that our Constitution has promised all Americans.

We want to promote your group and provide you the tools that you need to grow and thrive.  We know that healthy and growing atheist groups have a strong and positive presence in their community and are willing and able to stand up to local issues of atheist discrimination and stigmatization. We collaborate with local affiliates that want to participate in our civil rights campaigns or need assistance on local issues. We provide organizational and leadership support to local affiliates that are new, struggling, or stagnant. And, of course, we look to our local affiliates to keep us informed of emerging local civil rights issues so that we can meet the challenge.

Affiliation is free and requires only that you submit a registration form of your interest along with current contact information. There are no size or governance requirements or other restrictions, and American Atheists does not require any participation from the affiliate once affiliation is established.  (American Atheists does reserve the right to decline affiliation requests or terminate affilations with groups that we believe do not support AA’s goals and purposes or would reflect badly on the organiza-tion.)  Your group is free to operate and take positions on issues regardless of your affiliate relationship with American Atheists. The value of affiliation comes from the recognition of the relationship and the shared values and bonds that our affiliates have with American Atheists.

Affiliation provides affiliates the chance to work with and help American Atheists and vice versa. As an affiliates, we look to you to be the eyes and ears for American Atheists at the state and local level: Keeping track of unconstitutional or discriminatory legislation, noting violations of Atheist civil rights, and helping us fight against religious oppression.

As an affiliate, you receive: 

•A free affiliate listing on the American Atheists Local Affiliates webpage

•Referrals for individuals in your area who contact American Atheists looking for a local group

•American Atheists’ periodic affiliate newsletter, filled with updates about American Atheists campaigns and programs as well as organizational ideas and other information of interest to growing atheist affiliates

•Consultation assistance for local civil rights issues facing your organization

•Consultation assistance for organizational issues or problems, including free organizational evaluation and audit services

•Invitations to American Atheists leadership and program training workshops held in your area from time to time

•Access to American Atheist speakers

•Opportunity to host local RAM and AA workshops, even the AA national convention

•Free affiliate subscription to American Atheist Magazine

•Free American Atheist literature for local distribution

•20% first-year American Atheists membership discount for members of your affiliate

•20% merchandise resale discount at the American Atheist Store for affiliate purchases over $20

•Reduced American Atheists national convention and RAM registration fees for members of your affiliate

•Participation in the affiliate meeting at the American Atheists' annual convention

It is important for national and local groups to keep in contact, work together, and aspire toward the common goals of atheist civil rights, true freedom of religion, and maintaining the Establishment Clause. Together, united in our common goals, you and American Atheists can achieve them. 

Ready to become an Affiliate? Contact AA’s National Affiliate Director, Stuart Bechman ([email protected]) for an American Atheists affiliate application; or download the application from the Local Affiliates page on the American Atheists website.

We look forward to working with you to restore and strengthen the secular Constitutional experiment that our country’s forefathers intended!