What We're Doing

All around the world, we continue to see countless examples of individuals being abused, harassed, and taken advantage of. While there has been progress made with movements like the #metoo campaign, there is still plenty of work that needs to be done. Several accounts of women feeling unsafe at public events have come to light only to be apathetically diminished or dismissed outright. Unfortunately, Milwaukee is not immune to this phenomenon. In light of recent events, the Milwaukee secular community has been divided and ever-dwindling.

 With all the craziness that has been going on, we wanted to do something positive. We want to show the rest of the world that good things can come out of the Milwaukee secular community. To do that, we wish to start a new group called Milwaukee Humanists, a group dedicated to bringing a great community together and making the city of Milwaukee better. 

We thought the best way to kick this group off would be to throw a big conference benefit. We want to bring people together who want to make a positive impact on the community and make great friends while they're here. We wish to use this event as a way to both get the group started financially and to help benefit victims of rape and sexual assault. That is why, after covering the costs of the event, we are donating 85% of our proceeds to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). We want this benefit to be social, informational, impactful,  and a ton of fun.

When: Saturday, April 7th, 2018

Where: The Big Red Church

935 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Milwaukee, WI 53233

So far, we have gained the support from these amazing people, and we're working on bringing them to Milwaukee for the conference:

With a special musical performance by Astral/Subastral.

What is RAINN?

Taken directly from RAINN's website:

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE, online.rainn.org y rainn.org/es) in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.

(https://www.rainn.org/about-rainn)

How RAINN Helps Survivors

What We Need

We want to be honest... we are a small group with little startup money (insert sad face emoji here), and we are starting this event from the ground up with limited funds. While we do believe this event can be something incredible, we need help covering the initial costs (do you realize how much plane tickets and hotel rooms cost? AAAAAAAHHHHHH!) . To break things down further, here are the estimated costs we would need to cover:

That brings us to our $8,000 fundraising goal. Our stated financial goal only covers the costs of the conference. All money that exceeds the costs for the conference will be used for fundraising for the the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network and to help create a new Milwaukee Humanists group. After covering the initial costs of the conference, 85% of all proceeds will be donated to RAINN. The remaining 15% will be used to help establish a new Milwaukee Humanists group, with the money being used for future meetups and events.

What You Get

We want to help give back to you. We have several perks for anyone who backs our project.

Donate at least $40​ - Get a free ticket to the Brew City Benefit

Obviously, we want you to come to our conference. If you donate at least this much, we want to give you a free ticket to the Brew City Benefit. Meet us in Milwaukee and have an amazing time.

Donate at least $60 - Get a free "Change starts with us" T-shirt

Along with getting a ticket to the conference, you will receive a free Milwaukee Humanists "Change starts with us" t-shirt.

*Donate at least $300 - VIP Lunch (Limit 10) 

We will be hosting a special VIP lunch the day after the conference for some awesome donors. Come meet and chat with some of your favorite speakers.

The Impact

This conference will not happen without the support of people like you. Like we said before, we want to show that we can do something truly positive and make a difference. With your help, we will be able to do the following things:

• Put on the Brew City Benefit
• Considerably help RAINN
• Give Milwaukee Humanists a strong financial footing for future projects like this event

About Milwaukee Humanists

Milwaukee Humanists is a new group for anyone, both secular and religious. We believe, as humanists, that one can live a positive, ethical life without invoking theism or the supernatural. We believe in furthering education, scientific integrity, and equal rights for all. For a more in-depth look into the humanist philosophy, please follow the link here to the American Humanist Association's Humanist Manifesto.

Some of the goals for Milwaukee Humanists are:

• Create a consistent meetup in the Milwaukee area where like-minded individuals meet and discuss
• Hold volunteering events which benefit the city of Milwaukee
• Host future fundraising events and charity drives, like the Brew City Benefit, to further increase awareness and support for various issues

Please note: Milwaukee Humanists is currently in the process of becoming an official part of the American Humanist Association, but is not officially affiliated to date.

Risks & Challenges

We are building this organization and conference from the ground up with little to no capital. So, the biggest hurdle to overcome is obtaining the funds to put this event on. On top of that, our team is small. However, everyone on our team has been involved in putting on successful conferences/events in the past and is strongly dedicated to the mission of this event and Milwaukee Humanists.

Other Ways You Can Help

Any donation would be appreciated, but we understand that not everyone can donate. That's more than fine. If you still wish to help, please help us share the message about this event. You can do that by:

• Sharing our Indiegogo link
• Liking Milwaukee Humanists Facebook page
• Following Milwaukee Humanists on Twitter
• Tell a friend!