View the benefits of becoming an affiliate.
Get in touch with a local affiliate by attending their meetings.
Atheists
United has affiliates that meet all over Southern California and
beyond. These local gatherings serve as the backbone of AU's community
building endeavors and allow atheists to meet for fellowship and to
discuss topics important to them and to organize AU's outreach functions
for their local area. Meetings include speaker presentations, movies,
trips to local events and social gatherings at restaurants and private
homes.
Each
affiliate is organized by its own members and sets its own agenda.
These meetings are generally free and open to the public. Each affiliate
may have its own focus and character depending on the make up of its
active members. Some affiliate members chose to organize smaller, more
narrowly focused activities based on the preferences of the attendees.
AU
sometimes provides programming for affiliate events such as booking
renowned speakers that a small local group might not otherwise afford to
attract on their own and offsets some of the costs of organizing and
attracting new members. In kind, AU affiliates will share contact
information of its meeting attendees with AU.
Members
can work with AU to establish an active affiliate in their area if
there is not one that meets their needs. Also, exsisting gatherings of
atheists can become AU affiliates. AU hosts an organizer's forum so
leaders of the affiliates can communicate about best practices and share
programming ideas.
Atheists United's mission is promoted at the community level by its
affiliates, autonomous groups of AU members and local community
attendees who have adopted AU's mission and are the primary face of AU
to their local community. Each of these groups has its own
character, programsand membership and each represents the core of AU's
community building efforts.
Locations of AU Affiliates
View Atheists United Affiliates in a larger map
Benefits of becoming an affiliate of Atheists United
Organizational
• Your group will become part of an established organization with 25 years of history and involvement in the local, national and international movement for the advancement of atheism.
• You will get access to AU's group organizer's forums where you can communicate with other AU organizers about best practices for organizing a group of atheists and programming ideas for your group's activities.
• Your leaders can participate in annual leadership retreats and training
• A representative from your affiliate can participate as a member of the AU Board and will have a vote to represent your group's views in AU's democratic process.
• All AU members participating at your group level will be able to vote in AU's annual general election.
Promotional
• Your group can work with AU to create and fund local campaigns and activities that promote your group as well as AU.
• Your group's information will be published in our monthly newsletter.
• Your group will have access to a blog-style web page in the AU website dedicated to your group's information that you can maintain with blog posts and current meeting information.
• Your group's Meetup.com event calendar will sync up with the AU master calendar so all visitors to the AU website can see your events.
• You will gain access to AU's mailing list and e-mailing list contacts for all members, non-members and registered website users in your local area.
• Group leaders will receive several copies of AU's monthly newsletter, Rational Alternative, to hand out to new group attendees.
• Your members will receive an official AU membership card with the name of your group on it
Financial
• 100% of the fees to maintain your group's MeetUp.com account are reimbursable via invoice to AU.
• AU can help offset the cost of organizing and promoting chapter activities to new members.
• A percentage of dues paid by members affiliated with your group to AU will be kept in a ledger and be available to reimburse group expenses via an invoice.
Programming
• AU can help book renowned speakers and public figures for local meetings that a small group would normally not be able to afford on their own.
• Your members will have access to an even larger community of atheists.
• Your members can participate in organization-wide events such as retreats, rallies, public demonstrations, charity campaigns and much more.
Autonomy
• You can maintain your unique group identity in addition to your designation as an affiliate of AU.
• All programming, leadership and organization decisions will still be made at the level.
• Non-AU Members and the general public are still welcome at all your group functions.
• There is no requirement for attendees of your local group to join AU officially.
