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Dear Friend,
People are often shocked to learn that the mighty American Atheists, one of our nation’s largest secular civil rights organizations, has fewer than 12 full-time employees. And not one of us is very keen on tooting our own horn, which is a shame because we have one of the most effective state policy teams around.
The grind of advocacy work — intense and impactful as it is — too often goes unseen. So, forgive me, but for one day only, I’m going to sing some praises:
Our three-person state policy team is currently tracking more than 1,500 bills in 43 states. That’s 500 for each staff person. Yet data show our average opposition win rate (or how often the bills we oppose are defeated) is 96%! There are a few reasons for that, but a big one is that we’re really, really good at this, which is great news for anyone and everyone who cares about church-state separation.
Now, I love a good billboard as much as the next person, but you’ll notice American Atheists hasn’t spent donor dollars on costly ad campaigns in years. Instead, we’re investing in what works to make a real difference in the lives of nonreligious Americans: expert advocates and grassroots activists who know how to organize effectively to stop bad policies and advance positive ones.
For instance, did you know that every single week, our State Policy Specialist Victoria Anderson submits testimony on scores of bills; communicates directly with state legislators; mobilizes tens of thousands of members through our Action Alerts; and coordinates with partners at the national, state, and local levels to defend the separation of religion and government in education, employment, housing, healthcare, and beyond?
Victoria makes sure atheists have a voice in government. She’s entered comments in over 80 legislative committee hearings since the start of the 2026 session a few weeks ago.
Our team doesn’t just play defense either.
We work with local activists, lawmakers, and coalition partners to develop innovative and evidence-based model legislation, including the Patients’ Right to Know Act and the Recovery Options Bill. Last fall, we teamed up with the American Humanist Association and the Freedom from Religion Foundation to draft the Student Secular Bill of Rights (SSBoR), which has already been introduced in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Vermont.
Elsewhere, American Atheists’ Secular Advocacy Teams are hard at work laying the groundwork to get an even more robust version, the “PLURAL” Act, passed in states like yours to ensure students’ rights aren’t subject to the whims of partisan agendas or shifting jurisprudence.
This is relentless and often thankless work, but it is absolutely critical if we’re going to defend the separation of church and state against religious nationalists. It’s a HUGE part of what we do here at American Atheists, but because we’re so focused on getting things done, we rarely take time to celebrate our achievements. And there are many:
>> More proposed mandates to display the Ten Commandments in public schools already died this session in Oklahoma and Indiana! And we’re planning to defeat yet another one in Tennessee.
>> Our Secular Advocacy Team in Virginia helped pass a constitutional amendment to protect reproductive freedom, which will help drive voter turn-out this November and ensure nobody is denied health care because of someone else’s religious beliefs. In fact, our Secular Advocacy Teams are working relentlessly in seven different states to hold the front lines of church-state separation.
>> After years of effort by American Atheists and other advocates, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Medical Aid In Dying Act into law, ensuring that terminally ill New Yorkers are able to make informed and dignified medical choices at all stages of life, including compassionate end-of-life options.
>> Our state policy team recently hosted a virtual training to help members and volunteers learn more about the legislative process and how to get involved.
And so much more. So much more, in fact, that we simply don’t have the time to talk about it all the time. But know this: American Atheists doesn’t just watchdog a lot, we win a lot — 96% of the time.
So, I’ve got to ask… Will you make a special one-time gift of $96 today to help sustain this momentum? I know it’s a lot, but I think you believe, as we do, that the separation of religion and government is worth it. If that’s more than you can spare today, how about setting up a new monthly donation of $5 or more?
Whether you give for the swag, for atheist students in Kansas, for women in Virginia, for LGBTQ+ folks nationwide, or for ALL of us to be free from the tyranny of religious overreach: Thank you. Rest assured that every dollar you contribute to this cause will support our critical advocacy work in all 50 states and our small-but-mighty team that’s far too busy grassrootin’ to do much tootin’.
Sincerely,
Sam McGuire
Director of Grassroots Organizing & Advocacy
PS: Want to join one of our Secular Advocacy Teams? Email advocacy@atheists.org to get involved!
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American Atheists is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, nonprofit educational organization that relies on the support of members like you. Contributions are tax-deductible. Our Federal Tax ID Number is 74-2466507.
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