Wisconsin · Nonprofit
FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC
FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC (Wisconsin) receives grants from 144 organizations whose IRS filings report $7,488,362 to it, the largest being FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND ($1,829,077). 87 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 81% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- Revenue FY2025
- $15M
- Funders on record
- 144
- Grants received
- $7.5M
- Net assets
- $32M
What Freedom From Religion Foundation Inc does
Mission
To keep church and state separate and to educate the public about nontheism
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
Lawsuits challenging unconstitutional entanglements of religion and government, government endorsement or promotion of religion. Ffrf filed 6 new lawsuits, including one in state court in illinois, where, barely a month after filing a challenge of a ten commandments monument on courthouse property, the case was favorably settled when jefferson county removed the monolith. Five new challenges of state laws requiring posting of the ten commandments were filed with a coalition representing a variety of religious and nonreligious plaintiffs, including two in arkansas federal court and three in texas federal court. Ffrf filed suit in october 2025, on behalf of ffrf member james reel, a veteran, who wanted to continue serving his country by becoming a poll worker but was required to take a religious oath. Ffrf and a coalition filed suit in state court in may 2025 on behalf of residents to halt the installation of two statues costing taxpayers at least $850,000 depicting catholic saints at a new public safety building in quincy, mass. In january 2025, ffrf filed a state lawsuit in dane county, wis., on behalf of three homeowners, challenging a tax law created to benefit two extremely…
$1,925,993 spent21% of program spendingEducational events, awards. Ffrf topped more than 42,000 members, and held its 48th annual national convention in myrtle beach, s.c., with more than 500 attendees representing most states. Ffrf also co-hosted the scopes trial centennial conference in tennessee attracting about 250 participants. Legal and legislative staff spoke at 21 events, involving chapters and diverse conferences, and co-presidents spoke or debated at 10 events including in peru, paraguay, georgia, ohio, tennessee and new york. Ffrf awarded about $139,000 in essay contest scholarships to 80 student winners; tuition scholarships to 14 students who were first-in-family to attend college and humanist high school students in conjunction with partners, and 15 student activist scholarships, some awarded in conjunction with a student group. Ffrf hosted, with partners, the second congressional reason reception on the hill.
$4,328,944 spentof which $381,390 as grants$117,725 earned by the program48% of program spendingPublishing, broadcasting, and educational outreach. Ffrf published 10 issues of freethought today newspaper; broadcast weekly editions of freethought radio on radio stations in 10 states, with podcasts reaching more than 2 million downloads since beginning in 2006. Produced 20 final episodes of "freethought matters" tv show, which aired weekly in 6 major cities and on youtube. Aired "ffrf's ask an atheist"/"secular spotlight" regularly on youtube. Produced a monthly "we dissent" podcast with other secular organizations showcasing secular women attorneys. Maintained ffrf's website with legal and freethought news and resources. Social media includes 466k facebook friends, 87.1k followers on x, 16.3k on blue sky, 25.3k on instagram and 29.6 on tiktok. Ffrf issued about 314 news releases about ffrf activities and 110 blog postings. Published a freethought calendar and distributed books and educational products promoting its purposes. Ran periodic ads in the nation, progressive, scientific american, new york times. Ran ads on cbs, msnbc and comedy central. Ffrf placed various commercials, including live reads by hosts, on siriusxm and about 20 podcasts with more than 15,00 placements…
$1,301,240 spent$275,606 earned by the program14% of program spendingOperation of freethought hall in madison, wi, and maintenance of library for members' use, and chapter rebates
$1,431,369 spentof which $650,000 as grants16% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $8,987,546.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2019 to 2020, from $15M to $24M (+56%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2020 4% · 2021 0%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
93% of FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC’s revenue is contributions — more donation-reliant than the typical peer (84% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 2 of the last 9 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Board chair
Michael Cermak
Chair
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 23 funders to 64 funders, grant income rose $240k → $1.5M.
33 of 144 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 81% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC’s funders (the co-funder graph). Top 30 of 144 funders by total. Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC has a broad base — no single funder exceeds 24% of grant income, and it takes 4 funders to reach half.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 4 funders to its left
84% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 34% · 2018 27% · 2019 21% · 2020 20% · 2021 27% · 2022 34% · 2023 20% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
43% of FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 60% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
81% of FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC's grant income arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors, whose addresses record where the money is held rather than where the donor is. Of the $1.4M that is directly attributable, 98% of it comes from funders outside Wisconsin, across 30 states.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $6.1M arriving through sponsors registered in 20 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC runs a healthier operating margin than three-quarters of the 127 religion nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 127 religion nonprofits $10M–$100M, FY2025
Organizations like FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Wisconsin
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
83% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
91%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Part of a family of 1 related entity
- Ffrf Action Fund Inc · exempt
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC?
- FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC (Wisconsin) receives grants from 144 organizations whose IRS filings report $7,488,362 to it, the largest being FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND ($1,829,077). 87 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 81% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- How many funders does FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC have?
- IRS filings report 144 organizations giving $7,488,362 in grants to FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC, 87 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC?
- FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND is the largest funder on record, with $1,829,077 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION INC find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Wisconsin. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2017–2025), and the filings of 144 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 22, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing