I moved from a place that had a community to a state that doesn’t have a community, and I have contacted CFI several times about trying to get a community started here. I have met with the heads of about 5 different atheist and humanist and free thought groups here, all have expressed interest in getting something going here. I’ve been giving speeches and putting on presentations, heading up organizations here, and am now leading an atheist Bible Study.

I can’t get any information about CFI or their plans to expand the communities, or anything. Is this organization still operating? Are they still going to develop new communities? What’s the deal?

I’ve got about 20-30 people here who are interested in getting a community started, including people with lots of money and experience leading these types of groups, and I can’t even communicate with CFI….

I’m assuming you’ve contacted someone there ... Thomas or DJ for example. No response?

Yeah, DJ and some others. I get no reply my e-mail.

Ugh. I have to assume they’re very busy. I’ve had some similar problems with a number of people, FWIW.

:?

Re: What is going on with CFI?

[quote author=“rationalrevolution”]I moved from a place that had a community to a state that doesn’t have a community, and I have contacted CFI several times about trying to get a community started here.

  If you’re unable to get in touch with Messers. Grothe or Donnelly, I’d just contact someone else in the heirarchy to get the ball rolling.  I’ll be doing that myself fairly soon .

  While you’re waiting, you could organize as though everything has been arranged with CFI.  Decide what sort of work or programs you’ll sponsor on a regular basis, choose people to be in charge of them, decide on venues etc. etc.  If they’re not already members, talk the 20-30 interested people into signing up with CFI.

  When you were at the Community Leaders conference, you must have gotten copies of the booklet they hand out which you can circulate through your group.  In short, arrange things so that the second the necessary paperwork has been filed with Colorado you’re ready to get to work.

Send your name and personal e-mail

Hi!

I am the CFI Community Coordinator from Miami.  Before you left Miami, I tried to contact you several times.  During the CFI Conference, you mentioned that three of your friends might want to join the Miami Community.  Yet, you never provided your name or e-mail, only the website.  I see that you are still doing that.  I visited your website and no human name or identification was provided.  I had to write to the Fort Lauderdale leader to get your name, and you still did not provide your friends’infiormation.

My suggestion is to overcome this problem.  It seems you are doing a great job in your new location.  But, you also need to present your name and face when using the net.  You create a digital barrier.  Maybe this is the reason you are not getting a response. 

8)

Hi Argie,

I talked about CFI with those guys from work, but they weren’t interested. They aren’t religious, but they aren’t activists either. Plus, I think that they all have Catholic wives, at least two of them do, and they don’t really discuss it.

How are things going in Miami by the way?

new CFI groups

I think D.J. said he has spoken to you directly a number of times, if not indirectly by email.

CFI has expanded a great deal last year (new Communities in San Francisco, Harlem and Chicago, new branch Centers in D.C. and Toronto). I believe that the current situation is that right now for the time being we are not founding any new Communities, but are concentrating our full attention on doing everything we need to do to help the 22 existing Communities and six North American branches to succeed in achieving their goals. Right now there is interest in founding new CFI Communities in at least 30 additional cities in North America, but CFI lacks the resources, human and financial, to do so at this present moment. They get such a high level of support compared to independent freethought and skeptic groups.

CFI invests between two and eight thousand dollars per year in each new Community, in addition to first-rate speakers sent to them, promotional mailings and other kind of promotion, valuable web support and leadership training. If you are still interested in working with CFI in a few months, please be in touch again. And be sure to attend the upcoming weekend conference being planned for Colorado Springs (details will be anounced in the weeks ahead).

Alternatively, if you cant wait, we can see what kind of interest there is locally in helping underwrite CFI’s expansion into Colorado.

P.S. I am no longer involved with Community outreach at CFI. Debbie Goddard, Lauren Becker, D.J. and Reba Wooden all work on that now, along with others. Debbie Goddard’s email address is dgoddard (at) centerforinquiry.net

Hi Thomas,

I talked to DJ on the phone once when I called. Maybe there just needs to be some kind of communication forum for “perspective communities”, or something, or maybe there is and I just don’t know about it, I dunno.

I talked to some people while at Amherst that all sounded like “yeah, go out there start a community”, so I went out and drummed up interest, but then I haven’t been able to do much else than that.

I understand the issues now that you have laid them out, I just wasn’t able to get that information before.

As I said, some kind of communication to “prospective communities” may be a good thing.

You say there is an issue with lack of resources, which I can totally understand, but what about helping people in the local areas to raise funds?

I can think of a lot of potential things that could be done to help matters along, but of course even those things require some central effort. Still, better communication could help things out.

Also. the DNC is coming here in 2008, maybe that’s some kind of incentive to get a community here before then to have a presence during the DNC? (Not exactly sure what that would do, but.. )

Thanks