Today I renewed my support for the Secular Student Alliance as a Bronze Member. Just a mere $35. Many of us in the US can afford that per year for the things we value most. So everyone who can do even so little as that, and believes in what the SSA does for our future, please Bronze up! (Or even more, if you can.) If you aren’t already jumping to, please check out why I think the SSA is important and why everyone should be supporting them even if only modestly.
I give small amounts like this to a large number of organizations, because every little bit helps. Two others I support that often get overlooked are the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) and the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF). I just gave each $35 as well. As I try to do every year. And I hope many of you can do something along the same lines. They also do extremely important and much needed work. As I’ve explained before (including why we need them both, because they do different things). If you want to join me in their support, you can donate here (MRFF) and here (MAAF). They request only $25 a year. I give a little more. But if you can only give the minimum, it helps.
SSA is wonderful! One of the more effective organizations out there at serving the people who need them the most. An example is the grants they gave out to fund people’s bus trips to the Reason Rally – so many people got to attend who wouldn’t have been able to afford it otherwise, including myself.
As a former professional canvasser, I wanted to reiterate what Richard said about how every little bit helps.
I was one of those annoying people who stand on street corners and ask if you have two minutes for various charities. During the winter in Minneapolis, we switched to being those annoying people who knock on your door for the same reason. During my year of fundraising, I raised tens of thousands of dollars for charities like Save the Children (a secular relief organization, comparable to religious groups like Compassion International and World Vision, but without the indoctrination) and Amnesty International. How? I would get four or five people involved every day. I would say the average contribution was $50 for one time gifts and $25 for monthly sustainers. The largest one time contribution I got was only $238. Once. It was by signing up 600-700 people that I was able to raise almost $35,000. Our office as a whole probably signed up around 5500 people over the course of the year which means close to $300k. All because random people on the street or at the door gave $5 here, $75 there. Committed to $28 per month.
When you make a contribution to organizations like the SSA, you become part of the solution to the marginalization of non-believers. Most of our voices are pretty quiet in our society. We don’t have the resources to make our individual voices reach large groups of people. The web helps. It allows people like Richard and PZ Meyers to reach many more people. When you contribute to the FFRF, you are amplifying your voice by joining with thousands of others. When we speak together, we become loud enough to make a much larger difference. This is further amplified by the fact that, when you contribute, you are more likely to get excited by what these organizations do and share that excitement with people in your circle of friends. This will activate some of them and, before you know it, a thousand becomes ten thousand.
This is what makes grassroots movements so powerful. We don’t have to rely on one or two people to meet the needs of organizations we care about. We don’t have to appease one or two people and only represent their needs. We can empower many more people by getting more people involved.
Not everyone can give, but you’ll be amazed how much of a difference it makes when you give $50, $35, 25, even $15. You’ll also be amazed how much of a difference getting one other person to give makes. All the groups I’ve mentioned are worthy of your engagement (except Compassion and World Vision). If you’re able, make a small contribution. Whether you can or not, find an organization you are passionate about and tell someone how awesome they are. That’s how we all can make a difference.
Thanks for the reminder. SSA: Done. This time I’ve set the membership to auto-renew.