AAI Foundation
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13 July 2010
THE AAI FOUNDATION
The AAI Foundation is a meta-project of AAI created to foster cross-cultural understanding and promotion of reason, empiricism and science through the funding and support of good works in the world through service.
As human beings, we all want to make our life meaningful and leave some kind of legacy. The AAI Foundation is a vehicle for atheists to do just that.
Our inspiration is Tom Paine: "My church is my mind; my country is the world; and my religion is to do good."
Getting involved in AAIF's programs provide an opportunity for atheists to make a difference on the international arena and to leave a significant impact in the world. AAI members can volunteer today, support others who do so tomorrow, and designate financial gifts that will make a difference long after they’re gone to be saving lives, eliminating suffering, and promoting peace and understanding.
AAI affiliates can use the AAIF in two ways:
- Identify local projects that other AAI affiliates can raise money to fund; and
- Raise money and volunteers to provide resources for a project at another AAI affiliate
- It is also a great way to promote AAI and the affiliate and provide “sexy” volunteer opportunities to make a difference with little affiliate expertise
The AAIF is the glue that binds all of AAI's affiliates together around the world, through service and cross-cultural interchange. AAIF is your cafeteria plan for serving humanity and changing the world.
AAI Foundation programs
Cross-Cultural Exchange
Two AAI affiliates agree to participate in a cross-cultural exchange in a year. Each AAI affiliate selects four to six candidates, aged 25 or more, along with an AAI CCE team leader, to participate. Each team travels to the country of the other affiliate for four to six weeks, during which time the foreign affiliate hosts the exchange team. The foreign affiliate provides a program of experiences for the exchange team to participate while they are in the host country. The purpose is to promote cross-cultural exchange within the atheist community and experience the culture, judicial and political systems, and friendship of people in a faraway land.
Visiting CCE teammembers might be paired up with local affiliate members in the same vocation to learn how that vocation is practiced in the foreign country. Or the CCE team might spend their time working on a local project with local affiliate members.
Ambassadorial Scholarships
Undergraduate scholarships for degree-level study abroad in a foreign country, with emphasis on students from disadvantaged or impoverished areas
Scholarships for university-level teachers who agree to teach at colleges in low-income / impoverished countries
Humanitarian
AAI affiliates are invited to suggest projects in their area to the AAI Foundation that other affiliates, AAI members, and donors can consider to make a difference in the world and that can be done by AAI volunteers. These projects will be maintained in an AAI database and published on-line for review by anyone. A list of possible projects is provided below, although this list is by no menas exhaustive.
For approved projects, the AAI Foundation will provide grants according to project size and the Foundation’s ability to fund:
International Service grants (largest)
Finds long-term international development projects to improve health, alleviate hunger, and enhance development through sustainable self-help activities Must be initiated and implemented by AAI members, be self-sustaining once grant funding has ended, and must benefit a larger number of people.
Joint matching grants (mid-size)
AAI members in two or more affiliates agree to sponsor a humanitarian project, and after they raise some of the necessary money themselves, then apply to the AAI Foundation for a matching grant for the balance.
Local humanitarian grants (smallest)
AAI Foundation provides grants for local humanitarian projects. Local AAI affiliate raises some of the money themselves, then apply to the AAI Foundation for the balance.
The basis for the foundation’s funding will be the current AAI Future Fund. This Fund will be expanded and redirected to serve AAIF and its projects.
Permanent Fund
As happens now with the AAI Future Fund, all AAI Life Member contributions will be sent to the Permanent Fund. Only the interest income from the Permanent Fund is used to provide funding for AAIF programs and operations.
Annual Programs Fund – core of AAIF's support
Contributions sent to the Annual Programs Fund are invested by AAIF for three years, after which fifty percent of the original donation is used to fund AAIF’s programs
The other fifty percent is returned to the affiliate as a credit for the affiliate to choose how they wish the funds to be spent within an AAIF program This allows affiliates who raise AAIF funds for a particular pet project to direct those funds to be used for that project.
Children at Risk
Hunger
Safe Drinking Water
Medical Services / Immunizations
Polio clinics: India, Nigeria
Mobile eye clinics to provide eye care, eyeglasses, even cataract surgery
Local well-baby clinics to bring supplies, provide natal care & natal health campaigns & train local health professionals
Local burn-treatment clinics to bring supplies, provide care & burn prevention campaigns & train local health professionals
Avoidable Blindness clinics
Provide computers for a local school & provide software training
Help for the Aging
Peacemaking
Protecting the Earth
