activities · 25
what they do
direct service · 22
- Community Center operations Community Book Clubs & Literary EngagementThe organization owns and operates the Humanist Community Center, which includes a Book & Music Bookshelf selling items at low prices, and has remodeled its children's room.
- Community health initiatives Blood Donation Drives CoordinationThe organization hosts quarterly blood drives for the American Red Cross and hosts a NAMI Connection Support Group.
- Community support and outreach Recycled Plastic Sleeping Mat CreationThe organization operates a 24/7 accessible Little Free Pantry providing food and hygiene supplies, maintains a Little Free Library, and creates sleeping mats from recycled plastic bags for unhoused individuals. They also participate in the American Empathy Project by making meal kits and birthday boxes.
- Community support and outreach Recycled Plastic Sleeping Mat CreationThe organization operates a 24/7 accessible Little Free Pantry providing food and hygiene supplies, maintains a Little Free Library, and has a crocheting crew that creates sleeping mats from recycled plastic bags for unhoused individuals. They also participate in the American Empathy Project by making meal kits and birthday boxes and host quarterly blood drives for the American Red Cross.
- Facilitates community-building social events Member-Focused Social & Recreational EventsHosts regular social gatherings including monthly game nights (both "Cthulhu’s Chosen Gamers" and events in Sackett Hall), biweekly coffee socials in Mesa, Zoom socials on non-speaker Sundays, and themed events like "Let's Geography!" and "Inner Child Play-Care" to foster community engagement.
- Fundraising and financial management Community Running and Walking EventsThe organization established an Endowment Fund to invest funds for long-term financial security and organizes a Hike-A-Thon fundraiser for HSGP Navigators.
- Hosting educational and discussion events Expert-Led Public Lecture SeriesThe organization arranges and hosts speakers on various topics including science, history, social justice, humanist philosophy, and civic engagement at least twice a month. They also organize monthly "Inquiring Minds" discussions on thought-provoking topics and facilitate weekly Zoom discussion groups and in-person philosophy discussions.
- Hosting educational and discussion events Expert-Led Public Lecture SeriesThe organization arranges and hosts speakers on various topics including science, history, social justice, humanist philosophy, and civic engagement, meeting at least twice a month. They also organize monthly "Inquiring Minds" discussions on thought-provoking topics and facilitate weekly Zoom discussion groups and in-person philosophy discussions.
- Hosting social and recreational events Member-Focused Social & Recreational EventsThe organization holds monthly game nights, hosts a coffee social every other Tuesday, organizes a Zoom social on non-speaker Sundays, and hosts various other social events like "Inner Child Play-Care" and "Let's Geography!".
- Hosting social and recreational events Member-Focused Social & Recreational EventsThe organization holds monthly game nights, organizes various social events like coffee socials and Zoom socials, and hosts a book club where members suggest and discuss books. They also host an "Inner Child Play-Care" event and a "Let's Geography!" event.
- Hosts health and support services Blood Donation Drives CoordinationHosts quarterly blood drives in partnership with the American Red Cross and provides space for a NAMI Connection Support Group, offering mental health support to community members.
- Hosts regular speaker events and discussions Expert-Led Public Lecture SeriesArranges and hosts speakers on topics such as science, history, social justice, humanist philosophy, and civic engagement, meeting at least twice a month. Also hosts in-person and Zoom discussions on philosophy and thought-provoking topics, including the "Inquiring Minds" series where attendees suggest and vote on future subjects.
- Operates book and media programs Community Book Clubs & Literary EngagementRuns a book club with member-led discussions on fiction, science, and humanities topics, and maintains a Little Free Library and a Book & Music Bookshelf at the Humanist Community Center, offering books, CDs, and DVDs for low-cost access or free exchange.
- Operating book clubs and sales Community Book Clubs & Literary EngagementThe organization operates a book club where members suggest books and lead discussions, and runs a Book & Music Bookshelf selling books, CDs, and DVDs at low prices from their community center.
- Operating youth and family programs Children's Faith-Based Educational ProgrammingThe organization offers a supervised children's program ("Sunday Funday") during speaker meetings, operates a secular and inclusive family scouting program called Navigators USA, and hosts a Youth Art Exploration Club at the Humanist Community Center. They also run a Humanist Kids Club and a Navigators USA program for youth and families.
- Operating youth and family programs Children's Faith-Based Educational ProgrammingThe organization offers a supervised children's program ("Sunday Funday") during Sunday Speaker meetings, operates a secular and inclusive family scouting program called Navigators USA, and hosts a Youth Art Exploration Club at the Humanist Community Center. They also operate a Humanist Kids Club and a Navigators USA program for youth and families.
- Organizes fundraising events Community Running and Walking EventsHosts a Hike-A-Thon fundraiser to support the HSGP Navigators youth program.
- Produces and archives event content Archived Educational Recordings & MaterialsRecords nearly all Sunday Speaker events and maintains a video archive spanning over ten years, supporting accessibility and continuity of programming.
- Provides children and youth programs Children's Faith-Based Educational ProgrammingOffers supervised children's programming during speaker meetings, including "Sunday Funday" with games, crafts, and reading. Operates the Humanist Kids Club, Youth Art Exploration Club on Wednesday afternoons, and a secular family scouting program (Navigators USA) that meets every other Sunday, focusing on learning, outdoor exploration, and badge earning.
- Provides community resources and mutual aid Recycled Plastic Sleeping Mat CreationOperates a 24/7 Little Free Pantry offering food, water, and hygiene supplies, and organizes a crocheting crew that recycles plastic bags into sleeping mats for unhoused individuals in Phoenix. Also participates in the American Empathy Project by assembling meal kits and birthday boxes.
- Supporting mental health Caregiver Support and Education ServicesThe organization hosts a NAMI Connection Support Group.
- Supports organizational governance and sustainability Member Meetings and ConventionsConducts annual Board of Directors elections each November, allows all members to attend and contribute to board meetings, and manages an Endowment Fund to ensure long-term financial security. Owns and maintains the Humanist Community Center, the first building owned by a humanist organization in the U.S.
advocacy · 3
- Advocacy and community engagement LGBTQ+ Pride Event ProductionThe organization attends Phoenix Pride annually, providing volunteers and financial support to promote acceptance of all humans regardless of sexuality or gender.
- Advocacy for human rights LGBTQ+ Pride Event ProductionThe organization attends Phoenix Pride annually, providing volunteers and financial support to promote acceptance of all humans regardless of sexuality or gender.
- Engages in LGBTQ+ advocacy and community visibility LGBTQ+ Pride Event ProductionAttends Phoenix Pride annually, providing volunteers and financial support to promote acceptance of all people regardless of sexuality or gender identity.
strategies · 20
how they think
Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any to see the full field of orgs running the same approach.
- Advancing humanist values through knowledge and science humanist philosophyPromotes self-improvement, scientific inquiry, and global responsibility by encouraging participation in knowledge-sharing and distributed computing for medical research, aligning with core humanist commitments to reason and progress.
- Community building across generations community buildingIntentionally fosters inclusive community experiences for both adults and children, recognizing intergenerational engagement as vital to sustaining humanist values and building long-term community resilience.
- Community-driven programming and resource sharing community-drivenProgramming and content are shaped by community input and designed to foster connection, including through recorded talks, game nights, and member-suggested events, enhancing engagement and mental well-being through shared humanist experiences.
- Community-driven programming and resource sharing community-drivenProgramming and content are developed based on community input and shared resources, including recorded talks and participant-suggested events, to strengthen engagement and ensure relevance to members' interests.
- Community-driven programming and social connection community-drivenEvent design and community activities are informed by participant input and aim to foster socialization, mental stimulation, and mutual support among like-minded individuals through events such as game nights and family-inclusive activities.
- Humanist advocacy and secular engagement humanist advocacyThe organization advances humanist principles by advocating for secular governance, science-based policy, and broad social justice issues including LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and end-of-life choices, ensuring secular voices are represented in public discourse.
- Humanist advocacy and secular engagement humanist advocacyThe organization advances humanist principles by advocating for secular governance, ethical treatment, and science-based policies across a range of social issues, ensuring secular voices are represented in public discourse and policy.
- Humanist advocacy and secular engagement humanist advocacyThe organization advances humanist principles by advocating for secular governance, equal rights, science-based policy, and ethical treatment for all, ensuring these values are represented in public discourse and policy.
- Member-driven governance and engagement member-driven governanceThe organization fosters a participatory structure by enabling long-standing members to assume leadership roles and offering multiple avenues for involvement through committees, task forces, and event leadership, ensuring governance and programming are shaped by member input.
- Member-driven governance and engagement member-driven governanceThe organization empowers members to shape leadership and participation by enabling long-standing members to join the Board of Directors and offering multiple avenues for involvement through committees, task forces, and event leadership.
- Member-driven governance and engagement member-driven governanceThe organization fosters a participatory structure by enabling long-standing members to assume leadership roles and engage through multiple pathways such as committees, task forces, and event leadership, ensuring broad member involvement in organizational direction.
- Scientific contribution through distributed computing distributed computing for researchEngages members in scientific research by encouraging participation in distributed computing projects like Folding@home, leveraging collective technological resources to advance disease research.
- Service and mutual aid outreach service_outreachSupports both internal and external communities through direct service projects and mutual aid, including meal kit assembly, birthday boxes, and assistance for members in hardship, embodying humanist values of altruism and care.
- Service outreach as humanist practice service_outreachTranslates humanist values into action through organized service projects such as creating meal kits and birthday boxes, extending care beyond the membership to the broader community.
- Supportive community and mutual aid member supportThe organization fosters a culture of care by providing direct support to members in need through companionship, meals, and practical assistance, reinforcing community bonds and humanist values of altruism and service.
- Supportive community and service outreach member supportProvides direct support to members in need and engages in service activities such as meal kit and birthday box assembly, combining mutual aid with broader community service as expressions of humanist values.
- Technology-enhanced community participation technology_enhancementInvests in audio/video technology improvements to strengthen the quality and reach of online content, making participation more accessible and engaging for members.
- Technology-enhanced education and outreach technology_enhancementInvests in audio/video technology improvements and shares recorded talks to expand access to educational content and strengthen online engagement for members.
- Technology-enhanced outreach and engagement technology_enhancementInvests in audio/video technology improvements to produce higher-quality online content, expanding access and engagement for members and the broader community.
- Values-based engagement and education humanist philosophyPromotes humanist values such as altruism, environmentalism, and lifelong learning, encouraging members to improve themselves and society through education, service, and participation in scientific research initiatives.
named programs · 11
what they call their work
American Empathy Project - Make Meal Kits & Birthday Boxes
Nationwide service event where volunteers assemble meal kits and birthday boxes for those in need
Blood Drive at Humanist Center
Quarterly blood drive hosted in partnership with the American Red Cross to support patient needs
Book Club
Monthly book discussion group reading titles such as "Ninth House" by Leigh Bardugo and "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Crochet Sleeping Mats for Folks Sleeping Outdoors
Service outreach program that recycles plastic grocery bags into sleeping mats for people experiencing homelessness
Humanist Kids Club
Youth-focused event offering structured activities for children in a humanist community setting
Inquiring Minds Discussion Group
Modulated discussion event where participants take turns sharing thoughts; topics are chosen by group vote
Navigators USA (Youth + Family)
Program for youth and families that meets regularly at the Humanist Center in Mesa, providing community and age-appropriate activities
Period Supply Packing Party w/ Women4Women Tempe
Event to pack period supplies for distribution to those in need, in collaboration with Women4Women Tempe
Philosophy Under The Influence
In-person BYOB philosophy discussion group meeting monthly at the Humanist Center
Sunday Speaker Meetings
Regular events featuring guest speakers on topics related to humanism, social justice, and science
Thursday Zoom Coffee Talk
Weekly online discussion group that meets every Thursday to foster connection and dialogue
relationships · 19
who they work with
- American Humanist Association Network — HSGP is a chapter of the American Humanist Association.
- American Humanist Association Partner — Sponsors the American Empathy Project, in which HSGP participates.
- American Red Cross Partner — Hosts blood drives for the American Red Cross.
- Bashas’ Partner — Participates in the Bashas’ Community Gift Card program, where HSGP earns 6% of funds loaded onto gift cards used at Bashas’, Food City, and AJ’s stores.
- Bruce Pettycrew Partner — Librarian responsible for managing access to the organization's video library.
- Camp Quest Partner — Many parents associated with the Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix support and send their children to Camp Quest, a secular summer camp, though it is not directly affiliated with HSGP.
- Folding@home Partner — Encourages members to contribute computer processing power to Folding@home, a distributed computing project for disease research.
- Fry’s Partner — Participates in the Fry’s Community Rewards Program, where Fry's donates a percentage of shopping bills to HSGP when customers use their VIP card.
- Humanist Community at Harvard Partner — Supports the Humanist Community at Harvard.
- Humanists International Network — HSGP is a member of Humanists International.
- Little Free Library Partner — Supports the mission of Little Free Library, a nonprofit organization focused on building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access.
- Little Free Pantry Partner — Participates in the Little Free Pantry movement, which is a grassroots, crowdsourced solution to immediate and local need.
- Navigators USA Partner — Operates a local chapter of Navigators USA, a secular and inclusive family scouting program.
- Patreon Partner — Uses Patreon to receive monthly donations to improve audio/video capabilities and create online content.
- PayPal Government — Payment processor for HSGP donations
- PayPal Partner — Accepts donations via PayPal, including through a PayPal Giving account that takes zero fees.
- Phoenix Pride Partner — Supports Phoenix Pride with volunteers and financial contributions to promote acceptance of all humans regardless of sexuality or gender.
- Secular Coalition for Arizona Partner — Closely allied with the Secular Coalition for Arizona, working together to ensure secular voices are heard by representatives.
- eBay Partner — Approved charity on eBay, allowing sellers to designate a portion of their sales to HSGP.