About the Stiefel Freethought Foundation and Todd Stiefel
Value Proposition
The Stiefel Freethought Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit private foundation that provides support to the secular movement.
About the President and Founder
Todd Stiefel lives in Raleigh, NC with his wife and two children. Todd is the founder and president of the Stiefel Freethought Foundation, chair of Openly Secular, and president of Heretical Reason Productions. In 2009 he made the transition from Chief Strategy Officer of Stiefel Laboratories to secular activist and philanthropist. Todd has gifted over $5.2 million to charitable causes, including $4.7 million dollars to nonprofit organizations in the secular movement. In 2012, he was the Light The Night National Top Individual Fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Todd graduated cum laude from Duke University. He worked 12 years for Stiefel Laboratories, holding positions in marketing, sales operations and strategy. During his tenure, the company’s revenues quadrupled. He was the Chief Strategy Officer, the Enterprise Leadership Team chairman and a member of the Board’s executive committee. He was responsible for 250 people including the finance, strategy, risk, facilities, administration and program management functions. Todd co-led the teams that sold equity to Blackstone and Stiefel Laboratories to GlaxoSmithKline.
Todd’s mission is to gain respect for freethinkers and ensure the complete separation of church and state. His activism has been covered by The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, ESPN, CBSSports, Fox Sports, The Daily Telegraph, Christian Science Monitor, Christianity Today, CNN Belief Blogs, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Blaze, The Guardian Express, Salon, AlterNet and Raleigh News & Observer. He has appeared on the CBS Sunday Morning, The Young Turks, HuffPost Live, The Takeaway, Christian Broadcasting Network, SiriusXM and NPR. His writing has been published in On Faith, Friendly Atheist and Free Inquiry magazine. An accomplished public speaker, Todd was one of the keynote speakers for The Reason Rally and Rock Beyond Belief.
From 2012-2013 Todd spearheaded the Foundation Beyond Belief international team that raised nearly a million dollars for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
When not raising funds and advocating for the principles he is passionate about, Todd executive produces independent movies. He is also an avid music listener who loves to make people laugh.
Please see Achievements for more details on the accomplishments of Todd Stiefel and the Stiefel Freethought Foundation.
Awards
Freedom From Religion Foundation 2014 Emperor Has No Clothes Award
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society North Carolina 2013 Community Outreach Award
Foundation Beyond Belief 2013 Heart of Humanism
American Atheists 2012 Philanthropist of the Year
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society 2012 Light The Night National Top Individual Fundraiser
American Atheists 2010 Activist of the Year
The Rensselaer Medal for Math and Science 1992
Videos Highlights
Reason Rally speech, March 24, 2012
CBS Sunday Morning interview, April 19, 2015
The Young Turks Interviews, June 6, 2013
Rock Beyond Belief speech, March 31, 2012
The Point (part of The Young Turks Network), September 6, 2013
"Welcoming To Thomas Jefferson?" at Secular Student Alliance, July 12, 2013
"Dialogue of Reason: Science and Faith in the Black Community" at Howard University, Oct 10, 2010
Appeal to freethinkers to fight cancer, March 8, 2012
National Day of Reason speech, May 5, 2011
Consider Humanism Campaign launch speech, November 9, 2010
Writing
"The Fight for Non-Religious Liberty: Five things you should know about discrimination faced by atheists and agnostics" On Faith, October 3, 2014
"Why I Am Not a Catholic and Why I Am a Humanist" Free Inquiry, vol 34 issue 2, January 14, 2014
"On Harassment and Policies: An Open Letter to Skeptic and Freethought Leaders" Friendly Atheist, June 28, 2012
"An Open Letter to Reuel Johnson of the American Cancer Society" Friendly Atheist, September 28, 2011
Todd Stiefel's roles in the Freethought Movement:
Stiefel Freethought Foundation
- President & Founder (2009-present)
- Chair (2014-present)
- Advisor to the Board (2015-present)
- Advisory Board Member (2009-present)
- Vice President (2011)
- Development Committee Member (2009-2012)
- Advisory Board Member (2009-present)
Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
- Advisory Board Member (2014-present)
- Trustee (2010-2011)
- Advisory Board Member (2010-present)
- Co-Host, the Humanist Hour Podcast (2011-2014)
- Advisory Board Member (2011-2015)
- Board Member (2010-2011)
- International Team Captain, Light The Night (2012-2013)
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
- National Advisory Council Member (2009-2012)
- Cabin Counselor, CQ Ohio (2013)
- Cabin Counselor, CQ South Carolina (2012)
- Consultant (2010-present)
- Advisory Board Member (2010-present)
- Assistant Organizer (2009-2014)
- Development Committee Member (2009-2010)