Affiliated Organizations

Atheists United is affiliated or sponsors the following groups:

Atheists United has affiliates that meet all over the greater Los Angeles area. 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, existing 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, programs and 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.
  • 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.
  • Special events will be promoted in the email newsletter upon request.
  • 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.
  • Group leaders will receive several copies of AU’s monthly newsletter, Rational Alternative, to hand out to new group attendees.

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 group 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.