Fact Sheet
What Is the Purpose of This Campaign?
We hope to raise enough money to hire a part-time Director of Operations for HumanistsMN on a contract basis. The money would cover an initial 18 to 24 months of work.
How Much Do You Hope to Raise?
$50,000 by April 30, 2025. This would supplement $10,000 that HMN is contributing from its reserves.
Why Does HMN Need a Paid Staff Member?
Our organization has become bigger and more complex in recent years as we have stepped up our legislative advocacy, community service, and programming.
We rely on a small team of dedicated volunteers to keep the fires burning. However, they won’t be around forever and the threat of burnout is real. Following are examples of our newer initiatives:
- Started a Secular Saturday program
- Hosted major events at the state Capitol to commemorate the National Day of Reason
- Helped create the Minnesota Legislature’s Secular Government Caucus
- Performed secular invocations at the Legislature
- Paid for a billboard against Christian nationalism that won media attention
- Brought in national speakers including Andrew Seidel, Hemant Mehta, Brad Onishi, Kate Cohen, Sarah Levin, and Ron Millar
- Advocated at the Legislature for alternatives in the criminal justice system to religion-based recovery programs
- Created secular student scholarships
- Engaged with community partners including Open Arms, Free Bikes 4 Kidz, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the ACLU of Minnesota
These were on top of longstanding activities including monthly community gatherings, discussion groups, happy hours, Winter Solstice dinners, picnics, presence at the Twin Cities Pride Festival, advocacy for medical aid in dying in partnership with Compassion & Choice, and more.
With a paid staff member, we could keep our existing programs running smoothly as well as do even more to spread the positive message of humanism to Minnesotans across the state.
What Would the Staff Member Do?
This person would back up the Board and volunteers by helping to attract and retain members, administer programs and events, maintain the website and other technology, produce the newsletter, develop marketing plans, manage finances and investments, and recruit volunteers.
What Happens if You Don’t Meet Your Fundraising Goal?
If we don’t achieve the funding levels required to begin the hiring process, donated funds will roll into HMN’s General Fund. Hiring will begin as soon as we have raised $50,000, or the board will reevaluate in September 2025, whichever is first.
How Will You Fund the New Position in Future Years?
We will continue to ask our members and friends to contribute generously to our organization. We hope they will see the value in ensuring that HumanistsMN can thrive as a home for people who are not affiliated with religion and a bulwark against Christian nationalism and threats to democracy.
Questions? Contact president@humanistsmn.org.
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