Let's get this thread going!

I've been thinking about starting some kind of group at my college, so some of these ideas are geared towards taking place on campus by a handful of students. You can also find lists on www.charityguide.org and http://timebank.org.uk.

You also might find something at www.volunteermatch.org.

Ideas for making money to support larger non-profit organizations:

-Buy bulk atheist merchandise like bumperstickers and decals and sell them at an increased rate with all proceeds for charity

-Make/buy and sell secular winter solstice greeting cards

-Organize a bake sale

-Have a raffle

-Have a tasting event ("Parties can be organized to taste wine, homemade cakes, etc. Friends and local businesses can donate items to be tasted (a very low-cost way to advertise for commercial donors). A small entrance fee to the tasting can be charge and the guests can be asked to vote for the product they like the best. A donated prize/plaque/ribbon can be awards to the winner(s).&quot

-Have a film festival of atheism-related documentaries, charge an entrance fee

-Arrange for an atheist speaker/writer/etc. to speak somewhere in your town and charge admission

Things to do with your time and/or money:

-Fund field trips to science museums for afterschool programs

-Donate freethought books to high school libraries that would not otherwise carry them

-Volunteer at a homeless shelter (also for the homeless: donate meals, donate hygiene kits with combs, toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products, etc., donate bicycles...)

-Have a food drive (One idea for a food drive that I read about: "Instead of just placing out boxes, talk to a charity, such as www.secondharvest.org, and find out exactly what they need (i.e. soup, peanut butter, bread). Then, make out a flyer listing these items and attach those flyers to grocery bags. Give these bags to your friends and neighbors. Explain the drive and why you are collecting, and tell them you'll be back in a week to pick up the filled bag."

-Organize a clothing donation drive

-Have your group register to be organ donors

-Volunteer to walk dogs at a no-kill animal shelter ("Volunteer dog walkers provide the daily exercise, affection, and socialization that confined dogs need to stay healthy, happy, and adoptable." Note: The animal shelters near me all require you to take a free 1-hour class on how to handle dogs before you can start walking them.)

-Be a baby cuddler ("As a volunteer baby cuddler, you would be specially trained to handle, hold, rock, and pat hospitalized babies. You would provide a foundation of care as you hold and soothe newborns and preemies. The training is free and available at most hospitals. Tuberculosis tests and background checks are usually mandatory. To get started, call your local hospital or long-term childcare facility and ask to speak with a volunteer coordinator."

-"Adopt"/sponsor an animal at a zoo or wildlife park

-Donate to the charity of your choice at websites like www.pincgiving.com and www.justgiving.com where you can choose a certain charity or even set up your own. (I know I've seen on some study that people donate more money online than they do in person)

-Help others learn to read. (I know my local library accepts volunteers for their programs for both children and illiterate adults.)

-If you live in an area with natural disasters, train in advance to work at a shelter. (I trained with the red cross over the summer a few years back to work at a hurricane shelter and it was a really fulfilling experience. Plus, you get to carry around a your shelter work card which states that you're an official "Master of Disaster." I love that.)

I post more ideas as I think of them. I know we need more secular ideas.

Designs of theocrats? hah its biblical 

I don't know how it is in other states, but in Florida the only group that is allowed to speak in schools about sex is Be The One, which is a Christian program that deals 100% with abstinence. (Even though Florida teen pregnancy rates are well above the national average and HIV/AIDS rates are twice the average) I personally know a school nurse who was actually fired for bringing in Planned Parenthood to have a seminar about safe sex practices at a high school.

We atheists could respond by holding our own free seminar for students but not at the high school. Perhaps in the conference room at a college or a community center that would rent the room for free. A group like Planned Parenthood could speak and we could teach kids how to use a condom correctly, how to recognize stds, that masturbation is okay, etc, and answer other questions they have about sex that aren't answered by "wait until you're married."

 Hi! I don't come here very often due to my job but I knew I'd find information about how to do volunteering! 

Although the situation is a bit different in Latinamerica I think I can do something by my own. However I know it's quite hard to do it so when you feel tired (My jobs goes on shifts and it's very exhausting) but I really think that since there are no gods out there we have the solution in our hands and we must do something apart from churches and governments. I'll think about in the ideas I've read here. Thanks a lot!

If you feel like doing something right from your chair, you can help us with adding on information in our wiki: http://www.atheismunited.com/wiki/Main_Page

 Hi there!

Thanks a lot for your suggestions! I'll visit the web site on my days off so I can help you adding ideas. I'll figure them out during a while and I hope to be back the next week to post my comments!